The nonprofit sector faces growing rates of turnover in its top leadership ranks. The “burnout” of key executives, particularly among small to midsize organizations, is considered such a threat to the industry’s future that a new effort is under way to offer executives some help in staying the course in their organizations.
The reasons for the high turnover include fundraising pressures, weak boards of directors, low salaries and lack of management support.
“Three out of 4 respondents said they were likely to leave their current positions within the next five years,” reported The Meyer Foundation and CompassPoint Non-Profit Services this March after interviewing some 2,000 nonprofit executive directors.
Now the Meyer Foundation is launching Rewarding Leadership, a three-year, $2.2 million program to increase training and career development for nonprofit leaders. The program, announced last week, includes the Exponent Award initiative through which the foundation will recognize five outstanding executive directors in the D.C. area. The award will come with a two-year grant of $100,000 for leadership development, which could include help such as coaching, education or money to strengthen the winner’s boards and staff.
The leadership project will also include funding to help the Center for Nonprofit Advancement and the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington increase their own existing training and other programs for nonprofit leaders.
The award program will help prevent burnout and increase executive retention within the industry, predicts Julie L. Rogers, president of the Meyer Foundation. The foundation plans to use the award and other initiative components to shine the spotlight on high performing executives and their organizations in the D.C. region.
“Good nonprofit executive directors need to be a combination of Mother Theresa, Machiavelli and a CPA all rolled into one. It’s complicated work, and matching resources to needs is a continual struggle,” said Chuck Bean, executive director of the Nonprofit Roundtable. “Peer support is one way to ease burnout and accelerate executive learning at the same time.”
Have information about area nonprofits? Contact Frank Sietzen at [email protected].
