Moving Beyond Founder’s Syndrome to Nonprofit Success

Overview

All successful nonprofits begin with visionary leaders who provide the enthusiasm, determination, and support needed to transform inspiration into dynamic organizations. But as organizations grow and mature, they often need to take a more strategic approach. The transition can be difficult. Some founders struggle to adjust as the organization matures, and many boards find their loyalty to the founder in conflict with the best choices for the organization. It can lead to tension between the founder, the board, and the senior staff.

Moving Beyond Founder’s Syndrome to Nonprofit Success examines this phenomenon. We offer advice on how an organization can successfully develop an effective board and staff while leveraging the founder’s strengths and accomplishments and showing respect to the vision of the organization. We also feature examples, practical case studies, and actionable tips for founders, board members, and staff.