BVI Succession Planning for Future Leadership
Industry: Nonprofit
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Service: Strategic Planning Services
Results:
Developed a board-approved Succession Toolkit with clear steps for selection, onboarding, and performance
Defined future-facing job descriptions and leadership competencies for key roles
Equipped the board with tools and confidence to execute a smooth leadership transition
About Bicentennial Volunteers Inc. (BVI):
Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing services for three related non-profit organizations – Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc (BVI), National Emergency Assistance (NEA), and Retiree Resources Corporation (RRC). Together, these three entities support the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) mission of energy, environment, and economic development by providing TVA retirees and former TVA employees with the opportunity to get involved in volunteer work, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) work, and TVA contract work.
The Challenge:
After completing a strategic planning project with Bridge Innovate, the BVI board of directors defined a need to formalize a President Succession Plan to equip the organization for the future. The Board of Directors and current President wanted to engage in a thorough consideration of current and future leadership requirements as well as a structured approach developed for succession. There were no defined processes for succession planning in existence, so the project was an important investment in the future of the organization.
The Solution:
BVI engaged Bridge Innovate to complete a leadership needs analysis and define a leadership succession plan for board approval. The goal of the needs analysis was to define the role and key skills of the President position. The process began through interviews of the current President, Chair of the Board of Directors, and key administrative team members. Additionally, Bridge Innovate analyzed similar roles in other benchmark organizations. Evaluation of collected data was used to develop future job descriptions for the President role.
Using this job description as the core element for Succession Plan design, the Bridge Innovate team designed a comprehensive Succession Toolkit to equip the BVI Board of Directors with the recruitment and onboarding of a new President. Elements of the Succession Toolkit included:
Selection Process: This framework included a timeline with key elements of the search process from selection of search committee members to presenting an offer with objectives for each, as well as key action items.
Interview Guide: This detailed set of questions aligned with the key skills outlined in the job description was developed, as well as a rubric to use for assessment during the interview process.
Onboarding Plan: This checklist will be used to ensure that key exchange of information related to each of the strategic responsibilities of the President take place.
Goal Setting and Performance Review Guide: This structured tool was designed for the Board of Directors to use in assessing the President's performance from an operational and strategic perspective, taking into account a focus on setting clear goals.
The Result:
The BVI Board of Directors are now well equipped and prepared to champion the process for President Succession. In addition to the Succession Toolkit, Bridge Innovate hosted a briefing with key board members to ensure they were well-versed with the tools developed. The succession analysis also provided clarity for a new Operations Director role for the organization that would be an additional level of continuity for future leadership. With this investment, the BVI board of directors may rest assured the organization’s leadership plan is ready for mobilization.
Is your nonprofit eager for the Board of Directors to be equipped with tools to choose its next leader? Please contact us to discuss the design of your organization’s Succession Plan today.