Executive Search for Important Transitions

Finding your organization’s next leader can carry real consequences for your mission, people, and organization’s momentum. We’re the first call for mission-driven organizations facing leadership transitions too consequential to get wrong.

What we bring to an important search

Search committees evaluating firms are right to be rigorous. At BoardWalk, we commit to:

Proof over promises.
We’ve run hundreds of leadership searches for nonprofits and foundations nationwide, with a particular depth of experience in successions following iconic, long-tenured CEOs.

A process built to reduce risk and expand choices.
The candidates you see aren’t just qualified but also aligned with your organization’s future goals.

A decision your full committee can stand behind.
We work alongside your committee throughout, facilitating alignment, guiding evaluation conversations, and helping the group reach a truly compelling outcome, not just a fast one.

Our services

Executive search

We guide you through making one of the most consequential decisions your organization will face: choosing the right leader. We start every nonprofit executive search by uncovering what your organization truly needs in its next CEO — insight that goes deeper than any job description. From there, we build a slate suited to where you’re headed.

Board leadership

We identify the skills, perspectives, and capacity your board needs to move forward, then find members who bring them. The result: board leaders ready to support your mission and navigate change.

Leadership Profile development

We help your committee build a clear, shared picture of the role. Through interviews with your board, staff, and community, we translate what we hear into a profile around which everyone can align.

Search Committee support

A good process builds confidence. Our senior consultants stay engaged through the search and beyond, guiding evaluation so the final decision is one your board and community can stand behind.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

We champion diversity at every level - not just in gender and ethnic representation, but in the range of skills, experiences, and perspectives we bring to every search. Just under half of our placements are leaders of color, and a majority are women. Our leaders often mirror the markets they serve, building stronger, more innovative teams, and broadening the thinking at the table.

Trusted by leading nonprofits and foundations nationwide

Our search process

A BoardWalk search typically takes five to six months and includes these essential steps:

Leadership Profile

Search committee chair communicates overall plan to staff

Kickoff meeting held with search committee; private discussions also held with an array of stakeholders, internal and external, as agreed

Leadership Profile and search strategy are drafted for committee’s review and approval

Research and sourcing begin in earnest

Benchmark Review

Sourcing and preliminary discussions intensify

Benchmark review is held with client to share market feedback and review preliminary slate of representative prospects

Based on committee feedback, search strategy is refined as needed, and more targeted discussions commence with prospects

Candidate Interviews

BoardWalk reviews emerging candidates with search committee, recommends slate for candidate interviews

Materials are prepared and distributed, and committee convenes for two consecutive half-days for first-round interviews

Finalists is invited back for second round discussions

Offer Negotiations

Full references commence for most favored candidate(s); Search committee reaches consensus

BoardWalk negotiates acceptable offer with final candidate and documents agreement-to-agree, always subject to board ratification

Transition and communications plans are drafted and reviewed

Transition Plan

Search committee conveys recommendation for Board vote and arranges appropriate introductions

Board confirms appointment, sets start date

Communications plan is implemented

Ongoing: BoardWalk works with client leadership and the new leader to ensure a smooth transition and long tenure

What people are saying

The smartest, most conscientious, efficient and responsibly priced outfit

“The smartest, most conscientious, efficient and responsibly priced outfit”

~ CEO, major US foundation and chair of a technology-based nonprofit’s CEO search committee

Appreciate the work and heart you brought

“Without BoardWalk Consulting leading our executive search, the outcome would not have been as good. I truly appreciate the work and heart you brought to the effort.”

~Chair, CEO search committee, important civil rights organization

Superior search process

“The wisdom of our selection of BoardWalk Consulting to lead our CEO search was confirmed at every step of the process. If you engage BoardWalk, I have every confidence that you will have a superior search process, and you will be thankful you did.”

~Chair, CEO search committee, nonprofit broadcaster

Seamless process

"Thank you for all you did to make this search process seamless and, most importantly, very effective. We have very strong leadership.”

~Chair, CEO search committee, regional housing organization

Exceeded our expectations

“[We] needed a partner who could help us work through the extensive planning, research and facilitation of process needed to find our next great leader. From day one, BoardWalk exceeded our expectations. BoardWalk facilitated a process that resulted in a unanimous vote for a next-generation leader.”

~Chair, CEO search committee, national nonprofit transitioning from an iconic CEO in the role for over 30 years

High quality

“BoardWalk Consulting is great to work with. I have worked with them on several searches and have always been impressed. I have found them to be thorough, professional, responsive to our needs and very well organized. I will continue to recommend them highly.”

~Experienced search committee chair, a veteran of numerous regional and national boards

Terrific job

“BoardWalk was interested in – and good at – understanding the strategy of our organization and the culture in which the executive would have to fit. They did a terrific job.”

Professional and responsive

“BoardWalk provided a high quality experience. They found the exact right candidate to lead our launch, and ten years later they found the exact right person to succeed him upon retirement.”

~Board chair (1st time) and search committee chair (2nd time), regional health legacy foundation

“You were masterful in helping us define the future we would like to achieve, and then you found us the leader to take us there. Well done indeed!”

— Chair, CEO search committee, major operating nonprofit

Start Your Search

Frequently asked questions

The vast majority of the CEO search committees we serve are charged with identifying, attracting, vetting and recommending a final candidate to become CEO of their respective organizations. The final hiring decision always rests with the full board, of course, but we have never had a board reject its search committee’s recommendation.

Clearly, the CEO search committee is a critically important arm of the board.

There are many protocols governing the establishment of these committees. The ideal size, the meeting frequency, the pros and cons of taking formal notes, respect for confidentiality, even the form of the search committee’s mandate are topics of much interest. Surely an early key to the committee’s success is the choice of individuals asked to serve on the committee, and thus we’ll tackle this issue first.

Two cautions before we share our views with you:

One, every nonprofit CEO search is unique in its own way, and yours will differ in some fashion from the last we conducted or the next one we undertake.
Two, committees are made up of people, and people are full of surprises. We’ve seen individuals who meet none of the criteria below make exceptional search committee members, and we’ve seen some who meet every criterion prove to be ineffectual.