No matter the age, health or happiness of the current leader, all organizations—small, large, new, or established—should be prepared for a sudden, unplanned change of executive directors. The Center has developed and is making available to our nonprofit community an Emergency Succession Plan Template.

The purpose of the template is to define the contents of such a plan, and make this essential document easy and painless to adapt and implement. The template includes plans for short-term, long-term and permanent executive director changes. A specific name or selection criteria would be established to select an acting executive director. A communications plan would be established to notify board members, funders and other key stakeholders. The template also includes a thorough contact inventory. This will allow your organization to take important scattered information and place it all in one document, vital information in case of an emergency.

Your organization needs only to tailor the name and a make a few leadership decisions, and you are on your way to a complete Emergency Succession Plan. This template should be built and reviewed annually with your organization’s board of directors.

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