Though the topic of a leader’s transition or passing can be difficult to discuss when no deadline is in sight and no specific health concerns are in view, planning ahead for this season will prove to be vital to organizational continuity, and in the case of a death, it will be a gift to the leader’s family and organization as they grieve.
Legacy and succession planning is the work of guiding an organization through a leadership handoff and the defining moments that shape how its story is remembered. We help you steward leadership transitions and legacy-defining moments with clarity and care, protecting trust and preparing your organization for its next season.
Whether expected or not, the death of your leader or founder will be a pivotal moment in the life of your organization and a legacy–defining moment. You need to be prepared. They need to be prepared.
While most people draft a will and do financial planning to care for their families, leaders have a much greater responsibility. They have an organization and staff (and often supporters, donors and partners) who they need to consider. Leaders also need to think about their public legacy. For faith-based leaders, this legacy is an important part of their public witness. With the death of a leader, there is a natural spotlight and unique opportunity to use the moment to inspire others and point them toward God. This moment should be stewarded wisely for the leader and their organization.
Legacy planning is for anyone with a sphere of influence: a leader of an organization, ministry, movement, community, church or school; a notable or influential figure, artist, politician, etc. Typically, when a leader like this dies, unique opportunities arise, including:
This larger scope requires much more planning than for the average individual, and ideally takes place years in advance given the scale and complexity.
From a communications standpoint, a leader’s passing is one of the most crucial storytelling moments in their life and the life of an organization. It helps set and seal their legacy, casts vision for the future of an organization and, for faith leaders, it presents an enormous opportunity to point people to Jesus. This is a difficult and sensitive topic for many, but it is critically important for the organization and leader. By beginning the planning process ahead of time, everyone can carefully weigh the myriad of nuanced choices required and plan properly for a leadership transition. For the organization, the planning:
For faith leaders, planning maximizes the moment for:
This preparation is a gift to both ministry staff and the family, allowing everyone the opportunity to peacefully grieve rather than rush important decisions and work frantically when the leader dies.
With the planning complete, important tasks can be done at implementation without unnecessary delay, deliberation or distraction. Time is on our side now, but it will be scarce then.
These projects are much more legacy planning than event planning.
We will have one moment like this to tell the story we want to share about the future of the organization and what legacy the leader will leave behind. To that end, we focus on developing communications systems and plans that will effectively and efficiently manage the flow of information upon the leader’s death, and share the narrative of their legacy.
Everything the ministry does now is a deposit or withdrawal from the brand bank and, ultimately, the leader’s legacy. The moment a leader dies, your most recent public content will be the most easily accessed for donors and news media.
Everything includes the photo used alongside the obituary, the clarity of the information provided to the public, the social media posts by the ministry, the messages sent to donors, the venue used for a funeral or memorial service, the people asked to speak at memorial events, the design of a printed program, the media materials available for news outlets, the tribute video released by the organization, the volunteers who assist people at memorial events and much more.
Content (obituary, bio, background info, photos, video and audio clips) made available to news media, partners and others with public influence are an integral part of communicating a legacy. To use an example from Billy Graham’s funeral events: Without being told of the symbolism of the funeral tent representing the tent used during his first Crusade in Los Angeles in 1949, many news outlets may not have framed Billy Graham’s funeral as his “Final Crusade.” If there is something significant, we want people to know about the leader and the ministry, we need to equip them with that information.
A well-planned legacy project is a gift.
It is a gift to the family, as they can be at ease knowing the events 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 leader. Planning ahead lets us coordinate family preferences with organizational objectives and lets us protect the leader’s family, as much as possible, from intrusive questions during an already difficult time.
Project timeframes can run from three months to three years. Typically, the more notable the leader and larger the organization, the more complex the project and the more time it takes to plan properly. In any scenario, the goal is to move into more of a maintenance mode once the primary decisions are made and plans are developed. We strongly recommend preparing early, and then updating as necessary. Like with a will or life insurance, it is wise to do the planning when the leader is healthy.
We have developed five tiers of service for legacy planning, ranging from just the essentials to highly customized, multiyear projects for notable leaders and public figures. We will meet with your team to evaluate your needs and recommend the best course moving forward.
Contact our team. Guardian offers extensive expertise on these sensitive projects and has guided a variety of entities with different circumstances (including complicated structures) so we can help you determine the services, opportunities and appropriate tier for your needs. We are happy to share more about specific examples during a call.
Related case studies that show our work in continuity planning:
Though the topic of a leader’s transition or passing can be difficult to discuss when no deadline is in sight and no specific health concerns are in view, planning ahead for this season will prove to be vital to organizational continuity, and in the case of a death, it will be a gift to the leader’s family and organization as they grieve. With time, we have the luxury of anticipating almost every conceivable issue, challenge, and opportunity that may arise during the hours, days, and weeks following a death or transition. Finalizing as many plans as possible before they are needed will allow all involved to focus on implementing plans when the time comes, rather than being distracted with the need to develop them.
Great leaders are prepared for the winds of change.
— Reed B. Markham
Leadership changes pose unique challenges, and a seamless transition is essential to safeguarding your reputation and strengthening stakeholder relationships. These moments can strengthen credibility and mission or create confusion and division. Whether a transition is planned years in advance or arrives unexpectedly, how it is communicated matters.
Guardian partners with faith-based and mission-first ministries, nonprofits and institutions to help leaders navigate succession with coherence and perspective. We understand the complexities of change management and bring communications expertise to provide clarity, encourage buy-in, reduce uncertainty and foster stability across every audience. We activate strategic processes so leadership transitions honor the past, protect the present and prepare the future.
Leadership transitions are more than organizational shifts; they are critical signaling moments that define your values and mission trajectory to internal and external audiences.
Guardian is uniquely equipped to guide mission-first organizations through succession because we understand the cultural context specific to faith-based leaders. From experience, we can anticipate how transitions will be interpreted, and our expertise helps boards and executives communicate with transparency and discernment. Whether you are preparing years ahead or responding to sudden change, we are ready to provide experienced counsel for every step of a transition.
Our succession planning services support boards, executives and communications teams before, during and after leadership transitions.
We help organizations map the full arc of a leadership transition, identifying audiences, risks, timelines and content to ensure precision and competence at every stage.
Before new leaders are confirmed, we conduct an in-depth vulnerability assessment to identify reputational risks and public perceptions that could affect credibility.
We craft transparent, thoughtful messaging for staff, boards, donors, partners and volunteers, so each audience has the information it needs to process the transition before external announcements are made.
From press releases to media outreach, we guide organizations through external communications that reinforce values, answer likely questions and cast a vision for the future.
When transitions are sudden, sensitive or controversial, we provide rapid-response counsel to help leaders manage uncertainty, misinformation and heightened scrutiny.
We help organizations honor outgoing leaders with dignity while introducing new leadership with optimism, telling a story that reflects gratitude and creates hope for the future.
Great leaders are prepared for the winds of change.
— Reed B. Markham
Succession planning manages the communications around a leadership transition; legacy planning prepares for a founder or leader's passing and the legacy-defining moment that follows. Both protect trust and steward an organization through a pivotal change.
Before you need it. Whether a transition is planned years ahead or arrives suddenly, having a plan, messaging and clear roles in place lets you communicate with coherence instead of scrambling under pressure.
Strategic succession communications planning, leadership vetting and reputation assessment, internal communications and stakeholder alignment, public announcements and media strategy, crisis and contingency planning, and legacy and transition storytelling.
Guardian serves faith-based and mission-first organizations: ministries, nonprofits, schools, causes, businesses and the leaders behind them. We understand the cultural context these organizations navigate and help each one build trust that advances the mission.
A leader's passing is one of the most significant storytelling moments in the life of an organization. Planning ahead lets you weigh sensitive decisions calmly, coordinate family and organizational needs, and steward the moment with dignity rather than rushing under pressure.