Executive Director Evaluations

Posted by: Carrie Minnich

Do you evaluate your executive director? Do you evaluate him or her annually or just when the board becomes unhappy?

The executive director is so central to the organization that evaluating the executive director is basically like evaluating the organization. The executive director’s performance affects the performance of the entire organization. Often times the evaluation of the executive director is done in conjunction with the evaluation of the organization as a whole and its goal setting for the next year.

It is the board’s responsibility to annually evaluate the executive director’s performance. An annual evaluation provides an opportunity for the board to recognize accomplishments and to discuss any concerns it may have about the executive director’s performance. It is also a time for the board to clarify any expectations of the executive director’s role and responsibilities.

Most organizations have only their board members participate in the evaluation process; however, others include feedback from staff or even go outside of the organization to get feedback from funders, clients, volunteers, etc. In many cases, the executive director will also be asked to provide a self evaluation to assess his or her own performance over the year. The National Center for Nonprofit Board recommends the following areas of responsibility be evaluated.

• Vision, Mission and Strategies
• Accomplishment of Management Objectives
• Program Management
• Effectiveness in Fund Raising and Resource Development
• Fiscal Management
• Operations Management
• The Chief Executive/Board Partnership
• The Board/Staff Relationship
• External Liaison and Public Image
• Board Perceptions of the Organization

The executive director is like any other employee that should receive feedback all year long. He or she should receive acknowledgement for a job well done and immediate feedback if problems arise. The only difference between the director and other employees is that there is no supervisor that the director reports to. The board is the director’s boss.