Ken Goldstein, MPPA
Services:
- Interim Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Meeting & Retreat Facilitation
- Fundraising & Management Training
- Grant Review & Critique Services
- General Management Consulting
- Mergers and Strategic Alliances
- New Media / Social Networking
Introduction to Fund Development Planning (book)
The Nonprofit Consultant Blog
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There are many times in the life cycle of a nonprofit organization when it is appropriate to hire an interim CEO (or executive director) instead of bringing in permanent leadership:
- The loss of a long-term leader or founder,
- A change in strategic direction,
- Time to review long-term strategy,
- A financial or other management crisis that requires special skills,
- Consideration or negotiation of a merger.
I have served as an interim executive director for several different organizations, each with a unique situation. Here are a few examples of the successful results I have achieved through Interim Leadership:
- Two of my interim
assignments resulted in successful mergers. One of a small,
single-program agency into a larger regional organization, and the
other of a mid-sized multi-program, single-topic agency into a larger
regional organization. In each case I served as part of the negotiating
team, protecting the interests of my client, and managing
communications to staff, as well as managing day-to-day operations of
the organization.
- A third assignment began
with merger negotiations, but for strategic reasons the merger
agreement was never completed. At that time the focus of the assignment
became stabilization and sustainability of the organization before
beginning a search for a new, permanent executive director.
- With another
organization, I was asked to bring it back from the brink of bankruptcy
after mismanagement by the previous executive director. My focus here
was on bringing in new funding, re-negotiating a building purchase
agreement, cutting the operating budget by 20%, and rebuilding the
board from four to eleven members, before beginning the search for a
new, permanent executive director.
- In one situation was I asked to investigate, analyze, and then implement, a plan for bankruptcy and an orderly shut down of operations. Before proceeding with the shut-down, I held private interviews with all stakeholders, including funders, clients, board members, and others in the community, as well as other nonprofit leaders who had gone through bankruptcies.
Rates: An hourly rate is usually preferable, with interim assingments usually being about 24-30 hours/week for a period of 6-9 months. My rates are fair and competitive, and I try to discount for small, newer organizations.
Geographic Limitations: The nature of interim CEO assignments limits them to Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.