8 min read · Updated on December 16, 2022
If you’re looking for a position as a nonprofit’s Executive Director, it’s vital to know the types of questions you’re likely to encounter during the interview process
Working at a nonprofit can often be one of the most rewarding experiences in any executive professional’s life. That’s especially true for those who have the honor of leading a nonprofit as the organization’s Executive Director. Naturally, the interview process plays a crucial role when it comes to hiring those leaders, so it’s vital for candidates to understand the types of questions that they may be asked during that meeting. Are you prepared for the most common interview questions for an Executive Director? If not, we have you covered!
In this post, we’ll explore seven interview questions you’re likely to encounter when interviewing for a job as an Executive Director. We’ll also provide sample answers for each question, to ensure that you make the best possible impression on that hiring team.
What is an Executive Director?
Executive Director roles are commonly found at nonprofit organizations and some government entities. The position typically involves many of the same duties that Chief Executive Officers perform in the corporate world. Of course, the title is not exclusively reserved for non-corporate organizations and may also be associated with corporate board members in some cases. Typically, however, those board members lack the executive and management power wielded by a nonprofit organization’s Executive Director.
An Executive Director’s job responsibilities are wide-ranging and include overseeing the day-to-day business of the organization, the development of plans and strategies, and the shaping of the nonprofit’s culture. An Executive Director must also deal with the organization’s board of Directors, plan and implement fundraising efforts, manage media interactions, and create and execute budgeting strategies.
Why do companies ask these questions?
There are many reasons why hiring personnel will have these interview questions for a nonprofit Executive Director candidate. Because the position comes with so much responsibility, it’s vital for the organization to ensure that it hires the best possible candidate to fill that role. By asking certain questions of each job candidate, the hiring team can assess that person’s personality, management philosophy, and skill set to determine whether they are the right person to help the organization meet its goals.
7 common interview questions for an Executive Director
- What is your leadership style and philosophy?
Interviewers will ask this interview question for an Executive Director role to get a feel for how your approach to leadership might align with their organization’s culture. This can be a great opportunity for you to define your unique style, while also emphasizing the important skills and personality traits that you can wield to create a stronger team and achieve the organization’s goals. For example:
“My overall philosophy and style of leadership is focused on developing a truly empowered team through collaboration and delegation. The goal is to create an organizational culture where everyone feels like their contribution has leadership’s full support and appreciation, so that the entire team remains wholly focused on the group mission. To that end, I emphasize communication, two-way feedback, and a commitment to ensuring that all team members have an opportunity to share their ideas and take group ownership over our achievements.”
- What qualities do you look for when you’re trying to ensure that new hires will fit in with your team?
This question can be used to assess your thought process, values, and team-building skills. While there are many interview questions for an Executive Director that can help hiring teams to make that assessment, this one focuses on your ability to build a great team. One of the best ways to answer this question is to point to specific examples of how you selected job candidates in a previous job.
“That’s a great question! In my last Executive Director role, I was focused on ensuring that we hired candidates with great PR and communication skills, who could also mesh well within our team culture. One of the young men I hired really won me over during the interview process by demonstrating an exceptional understanding of how technology and social media can drive donor engagement and increase fundraising. He ended up being one of the best hires I ever made.”
- How much experience do you have with media interactions?
Executive Directors are often responsible for managing media interactions, so this question can be a helpful way for hiring teams to assess your attitude toward media outlets and your ability to deal with the press. You should try to show an appreciation for the potential value of media exposure, while also demonstrating the skills that you would use to manage those interactions.
“Of course, the media can be a powerful tool for expanding our reach and brand, which can help to propel mission success if managed properly. At Save the World Enterprise, I was deeply involved in our media strategy and participated in no fewer than eight major media interviews to highlight our nonprofit work. Of course, a great deal of research and time went into preparing for those interactions, to ensure that our message was shaped to appeal to those outlets’ audiences.”
- How would you go about increasing our social media presence and reach?
These days, social media represents a crucial vehicle for nonprofit donation drives. Interviewers who ask this interview question for an Executive Director will be looking to see how well you understand the importance of online engagement, so make sure that you emphasize social media’s role in the organization’s success.
“Expanding social media reach requires an understanding of which media types work best for our message and ensuring that we have the right logistical support in place to manage our social media content. Regular postings are critical to ensuring continual engagement with our target audience, so those two things should be our top priority in the social media environment.”
- Describe your experience in strategic plan development
Executive Directors are responsible for much of the nonprofit’s strategic planning, so interviewers often want to get a feel for your experience in that area. Try to focus on one positive experience and make sure that you quantify the results that your planning achieved. For example:
“I’ve been involved in strategic planning in my last three roles at nonprofits. As Executive Director of Worldwide Goodness, I worked with my team to develop a comprehensive strategy to increase donations, expand our reliable donor base, and increase our services to additional countries in troubled regions. That effort was so successful that we doubled donations over eighteen months and opened service organizations in 11 new territories around the globe.”
- Can you give me some examples of how you’ve met or exceeded fundraising goals?
Fundraising can be the lifeblood of any nonprofit, so it’s only natural that a hiring team would want to know that you can successfully meet the organization’s monetary contribution goals. The question is best answered by providing a couple of simple examples, along with some hard numbers to demonstrate your effectiveness.
“In my Director role at The People’s Pantry, I created a holiday food drive campaign that resulted in a 120% increase in food donations, along with a 56% rise in monetary contributions. A couple of years later, I implemented a similar campaign at ABC Charities, with a few additional tweaks to the program. That campaign ended up increasing our donation receipts by more than 180% over that holiday season.”
- How would you deal with any unexpected drop in donations?
This is another money-based question that might come up. Again, nonprofits rely on outside money to keep the doors open, so these types of interview questions for an Executive Director are an important part of ensuring that you can do the job. Your answer can also provide interviewers with important insight into how you deal with any challenging situation.
“The first thing I would do when we noticed a sudden drop in donations would be to quickly analyze where the decline is focused. Is there a specific target donor group that has pulled back on giving – and if so, can we identify why it’s happening? At the same time, I would get together with my team to ensure that we created a contingency plan to address any budget shortfalls, so that our primary mission operations are not seriously impacted. Finally, I would redouble our efforts to reach new donors, while also reaching out to any donors who have reduced their giving to address any concerns they may have.”
Be prepared
When you’re seeking a leadership position at a nonprofit, it’s important to prepare for the many and varied questions that you may be asked during the interview process. Hopefully, this insight into seven of the most common interview questions for an Executive Director can help you to prepare and increase the odds of landing your next job.
Make sure that you’re fully prepared for your next executive level interview by taking advantage of a session with our professional interview coaches!
Recommended reading:
How to Show off your Personal Brand in an Interview
Interview Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making – and How to Prevent Them
Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview