We have curated this collection of resources to support your work before, during, and after a nonprofit leadership transition or succession planning process.

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Resources from the Field

T. Bakare T. Bakare

Change Happens: Make It Matter

This interview features NPAG's Phuong Quach in conversation with Leading Forward's Bipasha Ray, exploring why philanthropic support for nonprofit leadership transitions is both urgent and insufficient — and what funders can do to change that.

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T. Bakare T. Bakare

Executive Transition Fund Video Library

NSI Fund’s video library shares firsthand learnings from nonprofit leaders and board members navigating executive leadership transitions. Funders can learn how thoughtful transition support strengthens governance, leadership models, and organizational resilience during moments of change.

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T. Bakare T. Bakare

Co-Leadership for Bottom-Up Transformation

This SSIR article examines how co-leadership models reshape organizational culture by distributing authority, fostering collaboration, and breaking down traditional hierarchical norms.

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T. Bakare T. Bakare

Funding Feminist Leadership Transitions: A Landscape Analysis

This report highlights how thoughtful funder support can strengthen nonprofits during leadership transitions. It offers actionable insights on trust-based relationships, direct transition funding, and long-term leadership development to help organizations navigate change with resilience and continuity.

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T. Bakare T. Bakare

Feminist Co-Leadership Tool Gallery

This curated collection gathers practical tools and templates that support feminist leadership and shared decision-making. It includes exercises, reflection guides, and frameworks for power-sharing and collaborative governance that can inform more equitable leadership practices.

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T. Bakare T. Bakare

Breaking the Silence: Making Leadership Transitions Safe for Nonprofits

This podcast episode features leaders from the Open Society Foundations sharing why investing in new executive directors is essential to strengthening the nonprofit workforce. It explores how funders can shift their practices to better support leadership transitions and long-term sustainability.

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Trust in Practice: Shifting Our Stance on Leadership Transitions

This blog post, featured on the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project website, urges funders to reexamine their approach to nonprofit leadership transitions. It advocates for viewing these transitions as opportunities for renewal rather than risks, emphasizing the importance of trust and proactive support for incoming leaders.

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from Creative Disruption to Systems Change- a 20-Year Retrospective on the Durfee Foundation Sabbatical Programming

Discover valuable insights from two decades of the Durfee Foundation’s sabbatical programs, emphasizing how structured rest can empower leadership, enhance organizational resilience, and facilitate long-term systems change—essential strategies for impactful funding decisions.

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In Support of Those Who Take the Leap

This Open Society Foundations report offers powerful, first-hand reflections from nonprofit leaders navigating leadership transitions, highlighting the emotional, strategic, and organizational realities of stepping into executive roles. It outlines how funders can better support leaders through these high-stakes moments of change.

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T. Bakare T. Bakare

Investing in New Executive Directors, Part 2

This podcast episode offers an inside look at an executive transition through the voices of both the outgoing and incoming executive directors. Their candid reflections reveal the personal and organizational dynamics that shape a successful leadership handoff.

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T. Bakare T. Bakare

Investing in New Executive Directors, Part 1

This podcast episode features leaders from the Open Society Foundations sharing why investing in new executive directors is essential to strengthening the nonprofit workforce. It explores how funders can shift their practices to better support leadership transitions and long-term sustainability.

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Supporting Nonprofit Leadership Transitions: A Foundation’s Journey

The Cricket island Foundation’s new report, Supporting Nonprofit Leadership Transitions: A Foundation's Journey, examines how funders can best support nonprofits before, during, and after leadership transitions—offering suggestions for how philanthropy can support the people, planning, and processes involved in all aspects of transitions.

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