Interim Executive Institute

Support Center’s Interim Executive Director Institute is a crucial component of its mission to assist nonprofit organizations during a leadership transition. For over 15 years, Support Center has been training and placing interim leaders, tapping into a pool of highly talented candidates to match them with organizations in need.

Support Center firmly believes that placing a skilled interim Executive Director is a best practice for organizations undergoing a leadership transition. An Interim Executive Director is a competent and impartial leader who can guide organizations through a period of change within a specific timeframe. They provide stability and consistency while inspiring the board, staff, and stakeholders to adapt strategically during a time of uncertainty.

An interim leader can help organizations navigate through a potentially detrimental period by managing change and uncertainty, maintaining daily operations, and assisting the board and staff in laying the groundwork for success while a deliberate search for a new Executive Director is conducted. 

Support Center recruits and trains a pool of qualified and available individuals to serve as Interim Executive Directors. Our training program is comprehensive and highly competitive, with admission based on an application process. We also welcome applicants from other parts of the country who are interested in learning about effective interim leadership.

In forming our training cohorts, we seek a diverse group of nonprofit leaders who are:

• Current or former nonprofit executive directors and senior leaders who are considering a career as an Interim Executive Director;
• Those who are serving or have served as an Interim Executive Director or other Interim Executive role and would like specialized training;
• Mid- to late-career professionals who have independent consulting practices focused on nonprofit organizational development and leadership transition;
• Grantmakers who want to understand leadership transitions and the critical role that interim executives play in supporting board and staff during transitions.

The training program encompasses various topics essential for anyone involved in a nonprofit organizational life cycle. These topics include:

• How leadership transition falls within the nonprofit organizational life cycle
• The philosophy and value of the executive transition process
• The specific roles of the interim, board, and search consultants
• The reality of being an effective interim executive, the challenges involved, the skills and perspective required
• How to handle the emotional aspects of being an interim executive
• Dealing with staff and board dynamics of organizations undergoing an executive transition and 
• How Support Center’s interim ED placement practice works.

To learn more, email us at [email protected].