5 Strategic Questions to Ask Candidates During Your Nonprofit Leadership Search

5 Strategic Questions to Ask Candidates During Your Nonprofit Leadership Search

Hiring the right nonprofit leader for your nonprofit is one of the most important decisions your organization will make. To ensure success, you need to be sure you’re going past a great resume and practiced interview responses. Strategic questions are designed to dig deeper and unearth how a candidate’s leadership style, values, and vision aligns with your organization’s mission and goals.

Here are five strategic questions to ask candidates during your nonprofit leadership search, why each one matters, and what to listen for in their responses:

1. Tell me about a time when you had to navigate competing stakeholder priorities. How did you align everyone around a shared vision or goal?

Strategic Purpose: Nonprofit leaders must balance the expectations and needs of various stakeholders like board members, staff, donors, and the community. This question assesses the candidate’s ability to manage complex relationships and maintain focus on the mission.

What to Look For:

  • Clear examples of the ability to resolve conflicting priorities.
  • Evidence of collaboration skill, tact, and strategic decision making.
  • Articulation of a vision that brings diverse viewpoints together.

2. If you were to join our organization, what would your first 90 days look like?

Strategic Purpose: This question reveals how a candidate will approach onboarding, task prioritization, and create a plan for early impact. It also gives you a sense of how they will align themselves with the organization’s culture and goals.

What to Look For:

  • A thoughtful plan to help them gain insight to the organization and begin to foster connections.
  • Strategic priorities that reflect an understanding of the organization’s current opportunities and challenges.
  • Practical ideas that reflect their readiness to lead.

3. Describe a time you had to manage change in an organization. How did you inspire buy-in and manage resistance?

Strategic Purpose: Nonprofits often must address change, whether it’s adapting to funding shifts, refining strategy, or evolving organizational culture. This question assesses the candidate’s ability to successfully navigate these transitions and what they learned from past experiences to help them address organizational change in the future.

What to Look For:

  • Demonstrated experience in driving organizational change with tangible outcomes.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with strong emotional intelligence.
  • A focus on collaboration and cultivating trust during challenging times.

4. What strategies have you used to build and sustain high-performing teams? How did those teams contribute to organizational success?

Strategic Purpose: This question assesses the candidate’s leadership and team-building skills, focusing on how they develop talent, and foster collaboration to achieve organizational goals.

What to Look For:

  • Examples of creating a positive and productive team culture.
  • Evidence of mentoring and empowering staff.
  • Clear connections between team success and organizational impact.

5. What excites you most about our mission, and how would you use your skills to amplify it with external stakeholders?

Strategic Purpose: Passion for the mission is a must for a nonprofit leader. This question reveals the candidate’s connection to it and their vision for driving its impact forward.

What to Look For:

  • Genuine enthusiasm for the organization’s work.
  • Specific examples of how their skills and experience aligns with its goals.
  • Creative and practical ideas for driving impact and advancing the mission.

Why Strategic Questions Matter

Strategic questions go beyond surface-level qualifications to help uncover deeper insights into a candidate’s potential for success. They help you assess leadership style, cultural fit, and alignment with your organization’s goals. With a focus on what truly matters, you can help ensure that you make a thoughtful and informed decision about your next leader.

Ready to Find the Right Leader for your Nonprofit?

The leadership search process is an important opportunity to shape the future of your organization. If you’re preparing for a search, The Angeletti Group is here to help. Contact us to learn how we can guide you through every step to connect you with a leader who will inspire your team and drive your mission forward.