Key points in relation to mission and executive turnover

You are now quite familiar with the “distinctive characteristics of nonprofit organizations”. A primary distinction relates to mission orientation. Consider the issue of mission in relationship to one of the following aspects of change over time in nonprofits---executive transition or turnover. What are some of the key points from this week’s readings related to this?


As we have covered many times in this class, the chief difference between the sectors in what is considered the operational "bottom line". For the business world, this is shareholder dividends, for government it is pleasing the median voter, and for the philanthropic sector, this is the triple ideas of vision, purpose, and mission.
Although, like a planter the mission is created at the formation of the organization to nurture the plant that is the organization in (planter analogy - Dr. William Brown), how that planter changes over time is influenced by the executive director in direct and indirect ways. Through the indirect method of being the chief liason of staff with the board, the leader in terms of "eyes on the future" for the board and providing a "bread crumb trail" of goal accomplishment (Herman & Heimovics 2005), and the lead selector of perhaps the membership of that board, the ED has indirect influence over how the board perceives mission, vision, and purpose. It is within this context that the board then takes lead of these concepts in best keeping with those fiduciary responsibilities. In a more direct way, the ED interprets mission in relation to donor mandates, governmental regulation, current events, and contemporary culture to try and find balance