From Surprise to Strategy: Preparing for Nonprofit Leadership Change
03/11/2026 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM ET
Admission
- Free
Description
From Surprise to Strategy: Preparing for Nonprofit Leadership Change
Wednesday, March 11
12 - 1 pm ET via Teams
Leadership transitions often catch nonprofit boards by surprise. According to a 2021 BoardSource report, only 29% of nonprofits surveyed had a documented leadership succession plan, and more than half had no plan at all. This lack of preparation is especially concerning given that roughly half of nonprofits are likely to experience a leadership transition within the next five years. The good news? It doesn’t have to be this way.
Designed for nonprofit leaders and board members seeking clarity and confidence, this webinar offers practical guidance and a decision-making framework for navigating leadership change. Threaded with humor, insight, and lived experience, the discussion brings together seasoned interim executive leader and organizational consultant Kimberlee Schumacher and executive search expert Cindy Joyce, moderated by former search director and development professional Zena Lum. Participants will walk away better equipped to anticipate transitions, avoid common pitfalls, and lead their organizations through change with intention.
Our Speakers
Cindy Joyce is the founder of Pillar Search & HR Consulting, a Boston-based firm specializing in executive search, leadership transitions, and HR strategy for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations nationwide. With more than 25 years of experience, she advises boards and executive teams on succession planning, leadership development, and organizational culture, with clients including the Boston Athletic Association, Maine Community Foundation, and Sandy Hook Promise. Cindy brings a practitioner’s perspective as a longtime nonprofit volunteer and former board and governance committee member. She holds a master’s degree in organizational development and teaches nonprofit and human resources management at Harvard Extension School and Cornell University.
Kimberlee Schumacher is a seasoned nonprofit executive and interim leader who has guided more than a dozen nonprofits through periods of leadership transition, stabilization, and strategic transformation. She has served in senior interim roles, including President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation New England, CEO of the Boston Society for Architecture, and Executive Director of multiple regional and national organizations. As founder of KTS Consulting Group, Kimberlee specializes in succession planning, leadership transitions, organizational design, and nonprofit mergers. A longtime educator and frequent speaker on nonprofit governance and leadership transitions, she brings both practitioner experience and research-informed insight to advancing leadership continuity.
Zena Lum (Moderator) is a trusted nonprofit leader with three decades of experience in development, executive search, and mentoring nonprofit professionals. She has raised tens of millions of dollars for leading Boston institutions and has strengthened leadership pipelines across the sector through her work in executive search and frontline fundraising. Most recently, she served as the inaugural Director of Development for the Boston Public Art Triennial and previously worked at Harvard Kennedy School and Lindauer Global. Zena brings a sector-wide perspective and a deep commitment to inclusive leadership and talent development to her role as moderator.