Mistakes to Avoid in Your First 90 Days as a Nonprofit Executive Director

“This is not what I thought it would be like,” or “During my interview I was told something very different,” or even “No one told me these problems were this bad before. I wish I had known.” It’s a story I’ve heard countless times from new executive directors. Nonprofit executive directors are seldom set up for success in their new roles — particularly for those crucial first 90 days.

This happens for many reasons. New executive directors (EDs) rarely receive all the information they need upfront. Sometimes it’s because they don’t ask the right questions. But other times, there are structural problems within the organization. For example, executive directors are hired by nonprofit boards with members who are volunteers and do not work at the organization. This means boards don’t always have the full picture of what is going on within the organization. In the best-case scenario, a new executive director will have access to the prior ED, if there was one, but this doesn’t always happen. Staff leadership involved in interviews may also not be forthcoming about challenges within the organization, for fear of “scaring good candidates away.”

All of this leaves new EDs with a lot of work to simply get up to speed on the job they need to do as executive directors — much less make a positive impression and impact. However, while some tricky situations may be out of your control, there are mistakes new executive directors can avoid in their first 90 days on the job. I know because I have faced all of these situations myself!

13 Mistakes New Nonprofit Executive Directors Make in Their First 90 Days

Spending too little time building rapport and trust with board members

You may feel like the board takes up a lot of your time, but there is ample evidence that the EDs who are the highest-performing and most secure are those who invest above and beyond in board relationships.

I have made the “mistake” before of focusing overwhelmingly on results (program impact and fundraising) and then when a problem came up, I didn’t have enough trust and alignment with my board to navigate the challenges. Solving those problems became much more complicated without that trust and rapport. Try to strike the right balance so you spend time developing board relationships. You’ll thank me for it. 

Delegating fundraising to someone else

As the executive director, you are the top fundraiser in your organization. Period. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but for 98% of nonprofits that have to fundraise, the ED must be the primary person helping to make that happen. Executive directors don’t want board members to wash their hands of their responsibilities, so EDs shouldn’t either.

Donors want to hear from the executive director, not the development director. In your first few months, set the tone that fundraising will be a priority for you and follow through on that. Model good behavior and others will follow your lead.

Don’t be too attached to the program work

Sometimes a new executive director is a subject matter expert and needs to be on the front lines. But even in these less-common situations, the executive director’s primary role is to run the organization. You may not like management, fundraising, or compliance, but that is your job. Spend 80% of your energy staying in your lane.

Watch your “executive presence” as a new executive director

“Executive presence” is the way you communicate to others (or are perceived) in relation to your role. Behavior that is acceptable as a program manager may not be acceptable when you are an executive director. This is partly leadership and partly political. But the executive presence you present as a new executive director will stay with you for your tenure.

Being an ED means you are a leader to your constituents, donors, board, staff, and the public. This means that how you conduct yourself in public, in private, and on social media will impact how others view you. You can have rock-solid performance at work, but if people think you conduct yourself unprofessionally when you are off the clock, it could be your undoing (whether that is fair or not). This also goes for how you behave on the job.

In your first 90 days, be conscious of the tone you set for how you text, email, resolve conflict, and/or deal with gossip. One of the toughest things for new and longtime executive directors is balancing authenticity with also being seen as a trusted and professional leader.

Get clear about organizational history and dynamics when families or founders are involved

Nonprofit organizational dynamics can be complicated, so take the time to understand both the organization’s history and its current reality. For example, some organizations may be connected to a family that started the nonprofit. Family members may still serve on the board, on staff, or as consultants. Founders may still be involved in the organization as well.

Navigate these waters carefully. You are stepping into not only organizational dynamics but family dynamics. Founders and family members may have certain expectations for the organization — which may not be in alignment with staff, funders, or other stakeholders.

Create expectations for excellence, while also supporting staff to succeed

When you walk into a role as a new executive director, you don’t always have the luxury of choosing your staff. The reality is that not everyone on the team may be meeting expectations. Nonprofit leaders seem to be less likely to fire employees than their private sector counterparts. Especially as new executive directors, we want to be liked and we know people make sacrifices to work for nonprofits. But executive directors also have a duty to their board and stakeholders to get results. That means firing has to occur sometimes.

When you have the chance to hire new staff members, do so wisely. Don’t rush the decision or get caught up in the emotional process of interviewing. Write a great job posting. Ensure a diverse pool of candidates. Be diligent about how you screen, check references, and run candidates through scenarios. Early on in your tenure, build rapport but be clear you expect excellence!

Be thoughtful in handling conflict as a new executive director

Another common pitfall for new executive directors is mishandling conflict. Functional conflict (respectful disagreement) can be good for an organization. It’s important to set a tone that allows disagreement and dissent. You don’t want groupthink or for people to fear or hide bad news from you.

Dysfunctional conflict (personal or emotional), however, can damage an organization. As an ED, don’t avoid conflict. But when it happens, model for others how to handle it and don’t let difficult situations fester.

Don’t glamorize multi-tasking

As someone responsible for hiring, it is tempting to include the following in position announcements: “Must be able to multi-task.”

First of all, who is going to admit to not being able to juggle multiple assignments at once? But let’s be honest. Do you really want someone doing multiple things at once? Do you do your best work in those moments? If you said “yes,” you’re probably being dishonest with yourself.

Study after study shows that people do not do great work when trying to do two different things at once. Stop lifting up multi-tasking as a value. Push back on this trend and model for your team that frenzy and burnout are not OK. Quality work requires concentration and better work prioritization. Instead, support uni-tasking!!!

Prioritize the Big Rocks in your first 90 days

It is tempting to get lost in emails and small tasks, but this is not the best use of your time as a new executive director. Instead, use the “Big Rocks” method of work prioritization and watch your accomplishments increase.

Let’s say your day is metaphorically a container; if you don’t get the big rocks in first, then getting any gravel, sand, and water into the container will never be possible. Organize your day and week around getting the big tasks done first. Everything else helps to fill the small gaps. More than any other role, the buck stops with you as ED. Use your first 90 days to focus on prioritization, or you’ll never accomplish your big goals.

Don’t grow too fast

Many new executive directors come into an organization with big plans and a big vision. In some cases, big plans are backed by big resources. It’s easy to be intoxicated by the idea of growth. Anything you put into place may need to be sustained, including payroll, benefits, annual raises, and contracts. Be careful!

Make sure you review the financials

Even if you saw the organization’s financials when you interviewed, things can change quickly. I once accepted a job when finances at the nonprofit seemed rosy, but the board made decisions between my hire date and my start date that caused us to nearly go broke.

Stay on top of cash flow (I even created a cash flow and budget management tool to help you). If cash flow is bad, DO NOT lie to your board, or anyone, about the financial health of the organization. If your organization is going to have a shortfall or a cash flow problem, some executive directors think it is selfless or even noble to conceal the problem from the board. These EDs think it is embarrassing and reflects poorly on their management or fundraising abilities. Sometimes the ED will even go without a few paychecks to ensure others get paid out of a sense of generosity and “leadership.” DO NOT DO THIS. Concealing financial problems can bite you in the end, sets a harmful standard of secrecy, and is a form of fraud!

Get clear on who your supervisor is as a new executive director

Despite what you may have heard, as a new executive director your supervisor is not the full board! You work for the board, yes, but you need one point of contact for your employee review and decision-making.

While you are clarifying this, also get clarity with the board on how and when they should be communicating with your staff. Staff should not be confused about who their boss is. Finally, get clear on what level of decision-making authority you have on topics such as joining coalitions or taking positions on public issues. Getting these fundamentals clarified in your first 90 days will pay off throughout your tenure.

Budget for coaching

I am a huge believer in coaching for nonprofit leaders. When I was a nonprofit executive director, I worked with coaches and it was incredibly helpful for my leadership skills, the organizations I served, and my own career. There are a lot of misconceptions about what coaching really is and how it can help you. To help, I created a guide on executive leadership coaching that pulls back the curtain on how coaching works, the benefits, and how to find the right coach for you. Because there is so much pressure on new executive directors — and what happens in your first 90 days can follow you for much longer — getting the right support at the right times can make a huge difference.