Key Takeaways on Nonprofit CEO Succession Planning and Executive Transition  

– Shannon Barrett, Head of Talent Services

 

Our Q3 2025 Nonprofit Talent Trends analysis highlighted a sharp rise in CEO recruitment, which increased from 6% of roles in Q3 2024 to 14% of advertised roles in Q3 2025. 

Leadership transition is one of the most critical – and often overlooked – challenges facing nonprofit organisations. 

During our recent webinar, Future-Proofing Nonprofit Leadership: Succession Planning in Practice; Preparing Boards & Executives for Sustainable Leadership, our Talent team at 2into3 were joined by Diarmuid Ó Corrbuí, CEO of Carmichael, to explore how boards and executives can plan effectively for CEO succession and ensure long-term organisational stability. 

The panel addressed a range of questions which commonly arise surrounding executive succession planning, including:  

Succession Readiness 

When to Start? 

Start now – succession planning is a risk mitigation priority and should feature on your organisation’s risk register. Prepare two plans: Emergency and Strategic. 

The session explored three key types of succession planning:

• Strategic or Planned: When a CEO signals their intention to move on, allowing time to align future leadership needs with the organisation’s strategic direction. 

• Emergency: A contingency plan for unexpected departures, including interim leadership, support for interim leaders, and communication strategies. 

• Departure-Defined: For known retirements or transitions – common in the case of founding or long-standing CEOs – allowing time for reflection, recruitment, and structured handover.

How to Assess CEO Retirement or Transition Timelines?  

Encourage open, ongoing conversations between the CEO and board, ideally led by the chair through performance reviews. 

Make succession planning a standing board agenda item to promote transparency and readiness. 

What if our CEO is Resistant to Succession Planning?  

Introduce the topic as a governance responsibility focused on legacy and sustainability, not replacement and normalise the topic as part of routine planning to avoid alarm. 

How to Prepare for Change with a Long-Standing CEO?  

Recognise that leadership change can expose overreliance on the CEO and highlight gaps in board capability. 

Build a proactive relationship with the incoming CEO and be ready for different leadership styles or working methods. 

Consider how reliant key relationships are on the current CEO and plan for continuity. 

How can we Prepare the Organisation for our CEO’s Departure? 

Provide leadership opportunities to develop internal talent and delegate responsibilities to senior leaders to reduce dependency on the CEO. 

CEO Recruitment 

How Much Time Does it Actually Take to Recruit a CEO? 

Try, where possible, to allow at least six months for recruitment: around three months for the process plus notice periods. It is also worth factoring in potential funding needs for external support or salary adjustments. 

 

How Involved Should the Outgoing CEO be in Recruitment of Successor?  

CEOs live the day-to-day of the role and can help draft the initial job description to ensure accuracy. The board should then refine it to align with future strategy. 

Beyond that, CEO involvement should be limited; in smaller or founder-led organisations, they may assist in shortlisting or early interviews, but the final decision rests with the board. 

 

If there’s an internal successor, do we need a full process? 

We recommend running a full recruitment process regardless – even if you think you may promote internally – to ensure due diligence and market comparison. 

Practical Steps to Begin 

• Add succession planning to your board’s annual agenda. 

• Review your current CEO job description and align it with strategic goals. 

• Conduct a skills audit of your senior leadership team. 

• Develop a communication plan for stakeholders. 

• Outline procedures for both emergency and planned transitions. 

Interested in learning more?
If you would like to receive a copy of the full recording of our webinar which includes a broader Q&A with Diarmuid O’Corrbuí and more information surrounding strategic leadership development, please contact shannon.barrett@2into3.com  

At 2into3, our Talent team partners with organisations to ensure leadership change is well-managed, future-focused, and sustainable. To discuss how 2into3 can support your organisation’s executive recruitment, contact our Talent team here.