The sustainable nonprofit: Addressing challenges in leadership recruitment and retention

While serving constituents in need has always been challenging, today’s food banks face a new post-pandemic and rapidly shifting socio-economic landscape that is impacting how they recruit and retain leadership. We need to consider fresh strategies that food bank executives can leverage in addressing challenges in leadership recruitment and retention.

The impact of social and economic change

Low-income and at-risk populations—those served by food banks—were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This increased pressure on food banks, which saw a55 percent spike in demand in the first year of the pandemic. At the end of 2021, one in six adults still relied on charitable food and, as of this summer, food banks across the country are seeing growing lines as inflation impacts households. Against this backdrop, recruiters must consider specific internal and external obstacles when it comes to finding and retaining leadership....

Read the full column article by Derrick Chubbs and Janet Albert, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and a partner and U.S. nonprofit lead at executive search firm Bridge Partners, respectively.

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