Leadership Crisis Looms for Calgary's Non-Profit Sector

: "Leadership Crisis Looms for Calgary's Non-Profit Sector

A massive turnover of non-profit leaders within Calgary’s charitable sector may leave thousands of Calgarians at risk of experiencing interrupted services.

According to a July 2005 study conducted by the Calgary Centre for Non-Profit Management, roughly 41% of Calgary’s Executive Directors surveyed [36% across Alberta] plan to leave their current leadership position within the next two years.

“Without effective leadership, non-profit organizations operate in survival mode, trying to keep the organization afloat instead of effectively providing services – the core of all charitable work,” says Carlo Jensen, Director of Consulting for the Calgary Centre for Non-Profit Management. “To the employee, not having an Executive Director means an increased work load and a potential loss of focus, to the individual using the services of the non-profit group, the absence of an ED means they may now have difficulty accessing the help and support they need.”"