Executive Search

Our Process

Leadership transitions are moments of great opportunity—opportunity for an organization’s leaders to assess strategic priorities, and to ensure they are serving their missions most effectively. Transitions are also moments of uncertainty. Whether an organization is experiencing a planned transition or a more sudden one, they can all benefit from an executive search that aligns stakeholders around a shared vision.

Benefactor Group’s Executive Search and Talent team can help your organization not only survive—but thrive—during your next leadership transition.

Discover

Our first step is to understand your organization’s vision for your incoming leader, and from that, create the profile of your ideal candidate. Together, we answer three fundamental questions:

  • Where are you?
  • Where do you want to go?
  • Who will take you there?

Engaging your stakeholders in this process creates deep alignment to your vision and goals. It also allows us to provide candidates with a realistic preview of your organization. Our process prevents surprises during onboarding and supports long-term retention.

Recruit​

Your candidate pool should reflect the diversity of your organization and the individuals you serve. We identify exceptional candidates by conducting labor market research, building a comprehensive market map, employing online research, and leveraging our national nonprofit and business networks.

Screen​

We treat your candidates with the highest care and attention—just as you steward your donors. We assess candidates through a series of in-depth behavioral interviews: the first focusing on experience and interest in the role, and the second focusing on alignment with the core competencies for success.

Select & Hire​

We present a slate of exemplary candidates with the skills, interests, and experience necessary for success. Our team will support you at every step—interview scheduling and candidate stewardship, questionnaire creation, interview training, and decision coaching—through a transparent, equitable process that mitigates the impact of implicit bias. When your finalist has been identified, we complete final reference checks and assist with offer negotiation.

Transition & Onboard​

Day one is only the beginning. We will remain a resource to you and your incoming leader, drawing on the strategic planning, governance, and fundraising expertise of our full firm to support your organization’s continued success.

Find Your Next Leader

The work and end product produced by our Benefactor team provided substantial savings in time and resource allocation. Their work will enable us to follow a solid plan which will create a stronger Foundation in terms of funds raised and relationships built. Most importantly, the new plan will increase the number of people served who are in need of care and assistance.

Current Searches

Buckhorn Children & Family Services

Chief Executive Officer

Buckhorn, Kentucky

Community Housing Network

Chief Executive Officer

Columbus, OH

Philanthropy Ohio

President and CEO

Remote within Ohio

Mid-Ohio Food Collective

Senior Vice President, Development

Grove City, Ohio

National Museum of Wildlife Art

Director of Development

Jackson, Wyoming

Completed Searches

Epilepsy Foundation of America

Chief Development Officer

Remote

Local Matters

Executive Director

Columbus, Ohio

Lima Community Foundation

Executive Director

Lima, Ohio

South Dakota Mines CARA

Chief Executive Officer

Rapid City, South Dakota

Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center

Development Director

Abiquiu, New Mexico

ACUHO-I Foundation

Director of Development

Remote

Momentum-Excellence

Executive Director

Columbus, Ohio

Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity

Executive Director

Fredericksburg, Virginia

The Buckeye Ranch

Director of Marketing and Communications

Columbus, Ohio

The Buckeye Ranch

Director of Development

Columbus, Ohio

Bottom Line

Managing Director of Development

Boston, Massachusetts

Mid-Ohio Food Collective

Senior Vice President, Development

Columbus, Ohio

Jazz Arts Group

Chief Executive Officer

Columbus, Ohio

Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

Director of Development

Hagerstown, Maryland

Del-Mor Dwellings

Executive Director

Delaware, Ohio

Ohio Pharmacists Association

Executive Director

Delaware, Ohio

Columbus Metropolitan Club

President & CEO

Columbus, Ohio

Lexington Habitat for Humanity

Director of Development

Lexington, Kentucky

The Columbus Foundation

Senior Administrator, Office of the President and CEO

Columbus, Ohio

Lexington Habitat for Humanity

Chief Executive Officer

Lexington, Kentucky

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio

Major Gift Officer

Northeast and Central Ohio

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio

Senior Director of Philanthropy

Ohio

Easterseals Central & Southeast Ohio

Chief Development Officer

Columbus, Ohio

The Buckeye Ranch

Vice President of Residential Treatment

Columbus, Ohio

Turnover: When It Rains, It Pours

In our sector, many organizations still struggle with multiple leadership vacancies and high turnover. Some are uncertain as to “Which roles to fill first?” and “How can we support our team through the transition?” Adam Fazio shares his insights.

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What Differentiates a Nonprofit Executive Search?

When a nonprofit hires an independent party to assist with the search and selection of its next leader, it can pursue various options: large, globally branded retained search firms; boutique firms; contingent search firms; individual search professionals — or variations of them.

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