Honoring a Legacy

Why nonprofit succession planning should happen now

In a letter penned in 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Franklin came to grips with something so many people try to avoid—death is certain.

We personally prepare our families for this eventuality with life insurance and a will. But, what about the leaders who leave behind their own families as well as an entire nonprofit organization that may include staff members, donors and ministry recipients? How can we be assured that the good work of a ministry will continue even after its founder has passed?

Why nonprofits and faith-based organizations should plan for a leadership transition

Discussing death is admittedly hard and something many of us avoid. If you are in nonprofit leadership, though, not doing so is irresponsible. At the passing of any leader, you must steward the natural spotlight on the leader and your organization wisely. After all, this will only happen once. You must strike the delicate balance of honoring the Lord, as well as a leader’s life and testimony, while also appropriately communicating vision for the future, your nonprofit’s continued strength of mission without the current leader and how your nonprofit will transition to a new leader.

Succession planning is a gift. It is a gift to the family, as they can be at ease knowing the event surrounding the passing of their loved one will be peaceful and honoring. It is critical to the organization, setting it up for success in a new season without the founding leader.

Principles for successful legacy planning

Considering and planning for every possible facet, from the memorial service and content strategy to donor communication and media attention, helps ensure that a sad, unexpected and disruptive event becomes a heartening time of remembrance and vision-casting. After handling legacy and leadership-transition projects for numerous national faith leaders, our team has determined the following principles remain true in every situation

• You cannot begin planning too soon. With the gift of time, you have the luxury of anticipating almost every conceivable issue, challenge and opportunity that may arise following a leader’s death. You can start planning details now that you might not want to think about when an unexpected event happens. Who are qualified candidates for the new leader? Who will be on the executive search team? Who can lead our organization in the interim? Planning pays off, and while time is on your side now to make key decisions, it will be scarce later.
• Brand alignment matters. Every decision your ministry makes now contributes to a leader’s legacy and the organization’s future viability. Aligning the ministry’s brand today with where you want to be in the future will pay dividends when the spotlight is on you.
• Communication makes all the difference. Shaping the story is an integral part of communicating not only a legacy but a strong vision for the future. Everyone from staff members, donors and partners to journalists and the general public should be informed using a strategic narrative about a leader’s life and work, as well as the future of an organization.

Time and again, we have seen that advance preparation honors the grieving family and staff, a leader’s legacy, the organization’s viability and, ultimately, the Lord.

Unsurprisingly, to carry out a successful and effective legacy project requires extensive time and attention to detail. Let Guardian help you prepare.