Your Executive Director Or Director of Development Is Leaving Are You Prepared?

Your Executive Director or Director of Development is Leaving – Are You Prepared? A Panel Discussion From Those Who have Experienced This Critical Transition

Your beloved Executive Director has given notice she’s retiring. You’re a Director of Development who is leaving the organization you love. How do you leave the development department in the best possible position? Join a panel of coast-to-coast Development Directors who can share their succession planning experiences and lessons learned. Learn how to make certain the transition is seamless to your donors

------Panel Discussion Agenda – 90 minutes

1:45-1:55 p.m. Welcome & Purpose Jenny Goldberg

Introductions Jenny Goldberg, Vice President, Aly Sterling Philanthropy

Lisa Verges, Development Director of Legal Services, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia

Jaclyn Pinero, Director of Development, Bay Area Legal Aid

Question for Attendees Jenny Goldberg What are you most interested in hearing from our panelists – their experience with succession planning and transition of Executive Directors? Or, Directors of Development? 2

(show of hands – adjust time accordingly)

1:55-2:35 p.m.

Questions for Panelists Jenny Goldberg (Lisa and Jaclyn respond)

You both have experienced an Executive Director leaving his/her position? Briefly share your experiences.

Share your initial plans of action.

What role did you play in this transition (search effort)?

Did your staff leadership and board structure change when you learned the Executive Director was leaving?

How did you realign your role and that of the development team to meet the needs of the organization during this time of transition?

How did you communicate the news with key stakeholders and donors?

Looking back, what could have been done more proactively to have better prepared you and your organization for this transition?

2:35 – 2:55 p.m.

(Jenny shares key pieces of data on how a Director of Development’s departure can impact an organization’s development program) Page 3

Please share your experience when you began your roles as Development Director – how you transitioned into your current role.

What are you doing proactively to make certain your organization can transition smoothly should you leave your role/not be able to return to work?

What role is your board (development committee) and ED playing in planning for transition?

What could we do today to minimize the risk of turnover?

Now that your EDs are in their first or second year of their new role – what did your ED find most challenging with development/development plan/development team? What were their greatest lessons learned?

2:55 – 3:15 p.m.

Questions from participants

Conclusion Exercise:

Please write three things you are going to do differently as a result of this workshop.

Participants share items on their list.