The document provides strategies for succeeding as an executive director of a nonprofit organization. It discusses identifying key priorities by addressing the most urgent issues first, such as financial deficits, legal issues, or staff engagement problems. It emphasizes the importance of delegating tasks to board members, volunteers, interns and staff in order to avoid being overwhelmed and to build collaboration. It also stresses creating and following a fundraising plan that identifies goals, strategies, timelines and responsibilities for attracting donors. Finally, it discusses the importance of volunteer management, including defining roles for volunteers that utilize their skills, providing training, regular communication and acknowledgement to retain volunteers.

1. Succeeding
as
an
Executive
Director
Strategies
for
first-­‐time
and
aspirational
leaders
Leah Weiner, Ed. D.
For Idealist Careers
@IdealistCareers | #EDChat

2. Overview
of
Presentation
O Background and experience of Leah Weiner,
Ed. D.
O Important strategies to succeed as an
executive director
O Identify key priorities
O Delegate
O Create a fundraising plan
O Master volunteer management

3. Identify
Key
Priorities
O Sense of urgency to do everything all at once
O Take care of projects that impact the bottom
line
STRATEGY #1

4. Is
Everything
Really
Urgent?
O Be realistic
O Website, Bookstore, Conference, Board
Training and I just learned from an internal
audit we are operating in the RED!
O Gather information
STRATEGY #1

5. Start
with
Red
Flags
O Deficit
O Pending lawsuits
O Difficult board members
O Disengaged employees
STRATEGY #1

6. Reach
Out
to
Stakeholders
O Who are your key stakeholders that can help
you identify key priorities?
O Board members
O Volunteer
O Staff members
STRATEGY #1

7. What
You
Can
Do
Right
Now
O Current ED
O Make a to do list (today’s date) and highlight
what needs to get done in the next 7 days
and what can wait
O Aspirational ED
O Great resource: The First 90 Days by Michael
Watkins
O Practice delegating

8. Delegate!
O Importance of
delegating
O Who should you
delegate tasks to?
O What happens if
something goes
wrong?
STRATEGY #2

9. Why
Delegate?
O So many tasks – not enough time
O Dispersing tasks builds collaboration
O New ideas
STRATEGY #2

10. Who
Can
Help
You?
O Board Members
O Volunteers
O Interns
O Staff
STRATEGY #2

11. What
if
Something
Goes
Wrong?
O Story: Ballot Elections
O Figure out a better process to train others
O Match tasks with people’s strengths
STRATEGY #3

12. What
You
Can
Do
Right
Now
O Current ED
O On your lists of priorities – star the tasks that
you can delegate
O Aspirational ED
O In a position where you can delegate, try it!

13. Create
a
Fundraising
Plan
PURPOSE OF FUNDRAISING PLAN
O Provides direction to staff
O Keeps all stakeholders focused
O Story: Let’s do an event when we really should
create an endowment fund
O Helps Executive Director avoid distractions
O Serves as a roadmap to help organization
achieve fundraising goals
STRATEGY #3

14. What to include in your fundraising plan :
Name of Organization: Children’s Museum of ABC City
Funding
Source
Goals Steps # asked When/
How much
Board
Role
Staff
Role
Timing Net
Income
Annual Donor
Campaign
($100-
$1000)
200 new
annual
donors
Complete 2
direct mail
campaigns to
1,000 prospects
Hold 1 phone
blitz each
quarter calling
50 new
prospects
500
people
Direct mail
campaigns in
February and
September
Community
events in
February, April,
June,
September
and December
DM
(Sept)
Phone Blitz
(Nov)
Gala Event 500
people
Form Gala Event
Committee
Create Invite
Secure Location
Invite
5,000
people
250K

15. O Identify your organization’s strengths
O Be realistic
O Create a plan and put it on paper!
How
to
choose
the
right
strategy
STRATEGY #2

16. Who
Needs
to
be
Involved?
O Board
O Staff
O Volunteers
O Fundraising Committee
STRATEGY #3

17. What
You
Can
Do
Right
Now
O Current ED
O Start using a fundraising plan – spend 30
minutes this week filling out the form & get
your board members involved. Dedicate a
small amount of time each week and it will
get completed.
O Aspirational ED
O Do you volunteer? Ask an organization if you
could help with their fundraising template.
Help your colleagues.

18. Master
Volunteer
Management
O Functional Approach to Volunteerism
O Volunteer fulfills needs:
O Build relationships
O Advance careers
O Community
O Skills

19. Master
Volunteer
Management
O Understand volunteers strengths and you can
utilize their skills as resources
O Discover your Strengths - Marcus Buckingham
O Story of Janelle
O Volunteer intake
O 1:1 meeting, short questionnaire/application form,
volunteer fair
O Retention
O Train your volunteers
O Communicate regularly
O Give them tasks that are worth their time
O Acknowledge them

20. What
You
Can
Do
Right
Now
O Current ED
O Get volunteers if relevant to accomplishing
your mission and you have specific projects
for volunteers
O Aspirational ED
O Volunteer at a nonprofit where you manage
volunteers or ask to take on volunteer
management role to build these skills

21. Key
Takeaways
O Identify key priorities
O Complete the most important tasks today
O Delegate
O Don’t do everything yourself
O Have a fundraising plan
O Use it
O Manage your volunteers
O Don’t let volunteers disappear after you worked hard to recruit them
Want additional Executive Director coaching or support?
Contact information
Email: leahweiner@gmail.com
Phone: 310-497-5592