Executive Search
We center your people and your organization’s values.
Since our founding, we have honed a more strategic, flexible, and values-based approach to executive search.
NPAG was founded in 2002 to provide executive search services that are tailored to client needs, equity-centered, and attentive to candidate experience. Since then, we have partnered with a broad range of foundations and nonprofits working in racial and gender equity, LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive health, democracy preservation, public health, economic justice, climate, and other social justice movements. We are a women-owned and women-led firm with a diverse team of 15+ professionals, and we have completed over 1,400 searches nationally and globally over nearly 25 years.
We know nonprofit hiring decisions balance mission impact with budget constraints. That's why we offer flexible engagement models, including flat fee, hourly, project-based and hybrid approaches, so you can access the search expertise you need in the way that works best for your organization.
A Thoughtful and Effective Nonprofit Executive Search Process
A successful nonprofit executive search requires more than identifying qualified candidates. It involves building a process that is inclusive, transparent, and aligned with your organization’s goals.
Our approach is grounded in collaboration and intentionality at every stage:
Discovery and Alignment
We begin by working closely with your team to understand your mission, culture, leadership needs, and priorities. This includes engaging stakeholders across the organization to gather input and ensure alignment from the start.
Role Definition and Position Framing
We develop a clear and compelling position profile that reflects both the technical requirements of the role and the leadership qualities needed to succeed. This step is critical for attracting candidates who are aligned with your values and vision.
Inclusive Sourcing and Outreach
Our team conducts proactive outreach to diverse networks, ensuring that the candidate pool reflects a broad range of experiences and perspectives. We go beyond traditional pipelines to identify leaders who may not be actively seeking new roles.
Screening and Evaluation
We use structured, equitable evaluation methods to assess candidates. This includes identifying and mitigating bias throughout the process, so decisions are based on qualifications, experience, and alignment with organizational needs.
Client Collaboration and Candidate Engagement
We facilitate meaningful interactions between candidates and your organization, ensuring both sides have the information they need to make informed decisions. Our process prioritizes respect, communication, and clarity.
Selection and Transition Support
Once a candidate is selected, we support offer negotiation, onboarding planning, and leadership transition. Our goal is to help set both the organization and the new leader up for long-term success.
The NPAG Difference
We have developed practices that reflect our proven and practical commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, including: proactively mapping and effectively engaging diverse networks throughout the search, identifying and removing obstacles to participation in searches that have historically disproportionately hurt candidates of color, women, and people with disabilities, and bringing tools, norms, and strategies that help our clients identify and mitigate different forms of bias as they surface in searches.
We prioritize relationships. Whether with clients, with candidates, with our networks, and with community partners, we create conditions for engagement and experiences that are participatory rather than extractive. We ensure all team members affected by a hire – regardless of their positional authority – have the opportunity to provide confidential, candid feedback at the beginning of each search process about what is important to them.
We communicate transparently and often. It is critical to the integrity of the process that people who have contributed throughout understand their role, how their input will be incorporated, and how and why decisions are being made.
We stick with you. We’re invested in the long-term success of your team. Beyond the hiring process, we can help co-design onboarding and transition processes and identify and/or provide coaching and professional development resources needed to support incoming leaders and teams through our consulting services.
What Distinguishes NPAG’s Approach to Executive Search
NPAG approaches nonprofit executive search as more than a hiring process. It is an opportunity to strengthen leadership, culture, and long-term organizational health.
Rather than relying on standard recruitment methods, NPAG builds each executive search around a set of practices designed to produce more thoughtful, equitable, and lasting outcomes.
A Process Designed for Alignment, Not Just Placement
NPAG works closely with clients to define success beyond the job description. This includes clarifying leadership expectations, organizational dynamics, and the conditions needed for a new leader to thrive. The goal is not just to fill a role, but to ensure alignment between the individual, the team, and the mission.
Deep, Relationship-Based Candidate Engagement
NPAG’s networks are built through long-standing relationships within nonprofit and social impact communities. This allows the team to engage candidates in meaningful ways, including those who may not be actively seeking new opportunities but are aligned with the work.
Equity-Centered Practices at Every Stage
Equity is embedded throughout NPAG’s executive search services. From how roles are defined to how candidates are evaluated, the process is designed to reduce bias, expand access, and support fair outcomes. This includes actively removing barriers that have historically limited participation in leadership searches
A Focus on Long-Term Succes
NPAG’s work continues beyond placement. The team supports onboarding, leadership transitions, and ongoing organizational needs to help ensure that new leaders are positioned for long-term impact. This reflects a commitment not just to hiring, but to sustained success.
Flexible and Responsive Engagement Models
Recognizing that nonprofit organizations operate with varying levels of capacity and resources, NPAG offers flexible ways to engage. This allows organizations to access the support they need while maintaining alignment with budget and internal priorities.
Flexible Executive Search Services for Nonprofits
Every organization has unique needs, timelines, and resources. Our executive search services are designed to be adaptable while maintaining a high standard of quality and rigor.
We offer multiple engagement models to meet organizations where they are:
Full-Service Search: Comprehensive support from discovery through placement and onboarding
Project-Based Search: Targeted assistance for specific phases of the hiring process
Hourly Consulting: Flexible guidance for organizations that need expert input without a full engagement
Hybrid Models: Customized approaches that combine elements of each option
This flexibility allows organizations to build a search strategy that aligns with their internal capacity and budget while still benefiting from expert support.
Commitment to Equity in Executive Search
Equity is not a separate component of our work. It is embedded in every aspect of our process.
We recognize that traditional hiring practices can reinforce inequities. That is why we design search processes that actively counter these patterns. From how roles are defined to how candidates are evaluated, we center fairness, accessibility, and inclusion.
Our team works with clients to:
Develop equitable job descriptions and qualifications
Structure interview processes that reduce bias
Create inclusive candidate experiences
Support decision-making that reflects organizational values
By integrating these practices, we help organizations build leadership teams that better reflect and serve their communities.
Executive Search FAQ
What is nonprofit executive search?
Nonprofit executive search is a specialized process used to identify, recruit, and place senior leaders within nonprofit organizations. It focuses on aligning leadership with mission, values, and long-term goals.
How long does an executive search typically take?
Timelines can vary depending on the role and organization, but most searches take several months from initial planning through final placement and onboarding.
What makes nonprofit executive search different from corporate search?
Nonprofit searches often emphasize mission alignment, stakeholder engagement, and resource considerations. The process may also involve broader input from boards and community members.
How do you ensure diversity in candidate pools?
We use proactive outreach strategies, engage diverse networks, and implement equitable evaluation practices to ensure a wide range of candidates are considered.
What happens after a candidate is placed?
We support onboarding and transition planning to help ensure a successful start. Additional resources, including leadership coaching and organizational support, may also be available.
Partner With NPAG for Your Next Executive Search
Finding the right leader is one of the most important decisions your organization can make. Our team brings experience, care, and a values-driven approach to every nonprofit executive search we support.
If you are preparing for your next executive search, we are here to help you build a thoughtful, inclusive, and effective process from start to finish.
Contact us today to learn how our executive search services can support your organization.