Succession planning may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about nonprofit leadership development, but it should be. In this episode, I sit down with transition strategist Naomi Hattaway to explore what it really takes to ensure leadership continuity and why it's a core part of any learning and development strategy.

With executive turnover on the rise and funding environments shifting, organizations can’t afford to leave leadership transitions to chance. Succession planning supports not only operational stability but also employee trust, team morale, and long-term mission impact.

▶️ Key Points:

01:20 Why turnover hurts mission impact

03:20 Naomi’s background, career journey, and how she got into succession planning

09:05 What succession planning really means for nonprofits

11:27 How succession planning aligns with learning and development

15:00 Tips for integrating L&D with your succession plan

17:03 Questions L&D leaders can ask to influence succession conversations

21:28 Proactive steps and final advice for nonprofit teams

Succession planning isn't just for retirement.

It’s not just for CEOs.
It’s not just for emergencies.
And it’s definitely not something you can afford to put off.

In Episode 140 of Learning for Good, I sat down with Naomi Hattaway, a nonprofit transition strategist, to talk about why succession planning is one of the most overlooked, yet critical, strategies for nonprofit sustainability. Plus, we’ll explore what this means for L&D.

The Challenge with Staff Turnover in Nonprofits

Many nonprofits wait until a key person gives notice (or burns out) to begin thinking about what’s next.

By then, it’s often too late:

Institutional knowledge walks out the door.
Remaining staff feel overwhelmed or left behind.
The hiring process becomes rushed and reactive.

Instead of scrambling, Naomi encourages us to treat succession planning as part of our everyday leadership practice. It’s an ongoing investment in people, process, and purpose.

Learning and Development’s Role in Succession Planning

You may be thinking succession planning is an HR responsibility, not L&D’s. But, succession planning isn't just about filling vacancies. It’s about:

Creating visibility into potential growth paths
Building trust through transparent conversations
Preparing people to step up (not just step in)

As Naomi put it:

“Succession planning is love in action. It’s a gift we give to our staff, our board, and our mission.”

That means we need to move from reactive replacement to intentional readiness. We need to build a strategy that allows us to develop internal talent with the right skills, document systems and processes, and create a culture of shared responsibility.

Three Strategies for Succession Planning

Here are a few strategies Naomi recommends (and has used firsthand) to support smoother transitions and stronger teams:

1. Conduct stay interviews.

Don’t wait until someone’s exit interview to find out what they needed. Regular check-ins help you:

Uncover hidden frustrations
Identify growth interests
Show people they’re valued now, not just when they leave

2. Document workflows and processes.

Encourage every team member to document their workflows, contacts, tools, and routines - before someone else needs to know them.

This doesn’t have to be complex. Think checklists, SOPs, quick walkthrough videos, or shared folders.

3. Identify opportunities to share leadership across the organization.

Succession doesn’t always mean a 1:1 replacement. It could mean:

Co-leads or job sharing
Cross-training across departments
Flattening the org chart where possible

Distributing leadership helps reduce risk and builds more resilient teams.

Creating a Nonprofit Culture Ready for Change

Succession planning can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re already stretched thin.

But Naomi’s message is clear: it’s not about predicting every exit. It’s about creating a culture that prepares for change, so when (not if) someone moves on, your mission keeps moving forward.

To learn more about succession planning, tune into episode 140 of the Learning for Good podcast.

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