Essential Skills for a Nonprofit Executive Director
Serving as a nonprofit executive director can be one of the most rewarding and challenging jobs in the nonprofit sector. In my past experience as an Executive Director of 6 nonprofits, I have realized that there are some important skills to be successful. Of course, in addition to the skills below, I have plunged toilets, gardened, met with elected officials and written press releases.
As a Nonprofit Executive Director, it is important to have a diverse skill set to successfully manage and grow the organization. Here are some of the most important skills for a nonprofit executive director:
Leadership: A nonprofit executive director should be able to lead the organization and motivate the staff and volunteers to achieve the organization's mission.
Do you know your leadership type? There are some great free online surveys to help you learn more about your style. Here is a great one from Idealist. We all have differing styles depending on the situation, the person with whom we are interacting and the way we are feeling on any given day. The key is to understand the strengths and limitations of your default style and to be able to move between styles depending on the situation.Strategic visioning: The executive director should be able to maintain a comprehensive and strategic vision while managing the daily work of the job. In collaboration with the Board, they will need to develop and oversee a strategic plan to achieve the organization's goals and objectives.
Financial management: The executive director should be able to manage the organization's finances, including budgeting, fundraising, and accounting. If finances aren’t your particular skillset, you will need to find someone who excels in financial management. So often I see business people entering the nonprofit realm without a clear understanding of the differences between for profit and nonprofit accounting. Don’t make that mistake!
Communication: The executive director should be an effective communicator within and outside the organization. Within the organization successful communication may include transparency, clarity of expectations, and the ability to approach conflict with curiosity. Outside the organization communication will include the ability to convey the organization's mission and goals to the public, donors, and other stakeholders.
Fundraising: Let’s face it, even if your organization has a Development Director and an active fundraising board, the Executive Director serves as the leader of these efforts, bringing their passion and knowledge to the fundraising effort.
Program management: The executive director should be able to manage the organization's programs and ensure they are aligned with the organization's mission and goals.
Board development: The executive director should be able to develop and maintain relationships with the board of directors, including recruiting new members, managing conflicts, and engaging them in the organization's work.
Advocacy: The executive director should be able to advocate for the organization's mission and goals and build partnerships with other organizations and stakeholders.
Human resources: The executive director should be able to manage the organization's staff and volunteers, including recruiting, training, and performance management.
Collaboration: The executive director should be able to collaborate with other organizations and stakeholders to achieve shared goals and objectives.
Does it sound like you need to be a superhero to possess all of these skills? Knowing how to build an effective team that allows you to to excel in your strengths and supports you in areas where you need support is the ultimate key to success.