Literacy Basics - Community Literacy of Ontario

Succession Planning

As the baby boom generation nears retirement and the competition for volunteers increases, it's safe to say the need for succession planning in non-profit organizations will become increasingly important. Succession planning means not only preparing for the loss of key positions but also being pro-active. Organizations need to ensure they are able to retain leadership, skills and experience, while at the same time allow for growth and introduction of new people. Succession planning also looks at the current and future needs of an organization so that work can be done to ensure staff and board members are recruited to match those needs.

Part of ensuring the good health of an organization is having a good balance of new and experienced board members. We all know stories about organizations that have a ‘lifetime’ board member, someone who is not interested in retiring and yet is not bringing fresh life to the organization. Or what about the horror of having all experienced board members leave at the same time, taking the skills, knowledge and background of the organization with them?

Planning for board succession can be incorporated into the strategic planning of an organization and should be a regular part of board meetings. The board as a whole and the organization's Executive Director should be involved in the succession planning process. The plan should look three to five years into the future and be reviewed annually. It's also important incoming board members know what is in the plan.

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