12 Interview Questions for Nonprofit CEO Candidates to Find a Perfect Fit
It’s one thing to encounter an unhealthy culture at a drugstore, fast food line, or flight counter.
It’s demoralizing the first days of your new job as a nonprofit leader, especially if the Nonprofit CEO interview process leads you to believe everything is great.
Finding the right nonprofit CEO position can be challenging. The interview process is your chance to uncover the culture and challenges of the organization. Asking the right questions can help you avoid unpleasant surprises and ensure a great fit from day one.
Avoid unpleasant surprises by exploring critical topics during your interviews. These twelve questions will help you see what’s in the pond before you jump.*
Why are CEO Candidate Interview Questions Important?
Everyone wants to make a good impression. The reality, of course, is more complex since every organization has strengths and weaknesses.
Why are questions to detect hidden challenges especially critical during nonprofit CEO interviews? If they know the challenges exist, the interviewers fear you’ll bolt if they share them—even if they are common nonprofit issues.
For instance, in the 7 New Nonprofit CEO Success Mindsets study, CEOs told me that even in the best situations where the new CEO was thrilled with what they discovered onsite, representatives had airbrushed challenges.
Early and honest dialogs set the best foundation for the work, your partnership, and moving the organization to a better place. Besides, the job market for nonprofit executives is strong. The search firm, Challenger, Gray and Christmas reports that Government/Nonprofits field lead with the highest percentages of departures surged in the late winter-spring of 2024.
Vision and Alignment
1. Where do you plan for the nonprofit to be in five years? Ten? Twenty?
What you seek: A clear vision. Does this nonprofit know where it’s going? Are people pointed in a similar direction? Do any significant vision disconnects exist?
Finances
2. How many years did you end in the black in the last five years? Why so many or few?
3. If you ended the year in the black, did it require an emergency campaign?
What you seek: Clarity on the nonprofit’s finances. I agree with Kim Klein that a healthy organization is one where “no one lies awake worrying about money more than once or twice a year.”
Fundraising
4. How much donated income do you expect this year? How did you calculate it? What revenue streams, if any, are used to “balance” the budget?”
5. Does every board member give every year? How much cash? What was the range of their gifts last year? Do members identify new supporters?
6. Does every staff member donate? Why or why not? What is the range of their gifts?
What you seek: To understand fundraising expectations. Many nonprofits use contributions to balance the budget instead of analyzing what’s possible, sustainable, and likely. If the staff or board doesn’t actively give, your inquiry gets the topic on the table. Your goal is to find or move toward thought-filled fundraising expectations backed up with board and staff gifts.
Marketing
7. What part of your mission work do people resist resourcing? How have you solved or reduced this challenge?
8. How have you grown your support, i.e., members, donors, and customers? What trends do you see?
What you seek: Most nonprofits have both attractive (playing with kittens and puppies) and undesirable needs (cleaning cages). Growing supporters is a fundamental nonprofit activity. The answers will help you discover where you’ll invest time and energy.
Closing marketing and funding challenges (you can read about the gap concept in this free chapter) requires fresh thinking and planning. You also want to know if people have given up. Will your work be to overcome a been-there-done-that culture or the distinctly different challenge of leading an engaged team piloting solutions?
Leadership
9. What is the average staff tenure? On a scale of one to ten, with ten being high, rate the overall staff attitude.
10. Besides board service, how do board members share their expertise?
What you seek: To gauge staff and board engagement over time. Will you need to build teams or board a train already moving onward and upward?
Risks and Red Flags
11. What three possibilities pose the most significant risk to your work and survival? What will shut you down or cause a significant scaleback?
12. Does any pending litigation exist? Are there concerns with authorities that license, accredit, or fund you?
What you seek: Clarity on the nonprofit’s challenges. The pandemic taught us that survival challenges threaten nearly every nonprofit.
Bonus Question for CEO Candidates
13. What would you change if you waved a magic wand?
❓How to Use These CEO Candidate Interview Questions
For most questions, add a “wrap around phrase” also known as softening phrases or introductory phrases. This helps to frame you questions that is so it’ more conversational. Here are five examples:
- “I was wondering if you could share…”
- “Can you help me understand how you approach…”
- “It would be great to know more about…”
- “I’ve been thinking about how others manage…”
- “Could you give me some insight into…”
Learning the answers to these and similar questions will help determine if the position is a good fit for your skills and career growth.
A “bad” response does not mean you won’t take an offer, but a lot of them might alert you to super high and unrealistic expectations.
Whatever you learn, use the knowledge to better build relationships and determine if it makes sense to move forward and under what conditions you’d accept the postion.
From my research, the most successful new nonprofit CEOs select positions where they have polished skills that match the nonprofit’s greatest need and allow the candidate to grow. Look until you discover an opportunity for both. And once you find the position, ask for these items to jumpstart your transition.
Ready to Dig Deeper in Your Next Nonprofit CEO Interview?
Don’t let another interview leave you guessing. Download our “Nonprofit CEO Interview Cheat Sheet” to ensure you ask the right questions and get the real answers. Prepare with confidence and uncover the true story behind every polished response.
The Cheat Sheet will help you to:
- Nail the interview (in-person or online)
- Boost your confidence
- Save time
This cheat sheet condenses everything you need, saving you time for research and a good night’s sleep before your interview.
Download Your Free Cheat Sheet Now!
* Supplement these questions with your salary and benefit inquiries.
