Guides · For boards

When to hire an interim executive director

Updated October 3, 2026

When an executive director leaves, the board has to decide who runs things until the next one starts. Sometimes a senior staff member can step up for a few weeks. Sometimes you need an interim executive director.

This guide helps you decide, and shows how to hire one well.

What an interim ED does

An interim ED runs the org for a set period, usually three to twelve months, while the board searches. Good interims do more than keep the lights on. They:

Keep staff steady and funders informed.
Find and fix problems the next ED shouldn't inherit.
Help the board get clear on what the org needs next.
Hand off cleanly to the new ED.

Many interims do this as their main work, moving from org to org. They don't apply for the permanent job. That matters. It lets them make hard calls without worrying about their own future there.

When you probably need one

The gap will be longer than two or three months. Most searches take four to six months.
The last ED was there a long time, or founded the org. Long tenures leave habits and gaps that are easier to see from outside.
The departure was sudden or hard. A firing, a health crisis, a scandal, or a conflict with the board.
The org has money trouble. Cash flow problems, a deficit, or a big funder leaving.
Staff are stretched thin. No one has time to do their own job and the ED's.
The board is split on where the org should go.

When you might not

The gap is short, and a senior staff member is ready and willing to act as ED.
The org is stable, with healthy money and a steady team.
The board has already found the next ED.

If a staff member steps up, make it real. Give them the title of acting ED, a clear end date, extra pay for the extra work, and a board member to check in with every week. Agree on what decisions they can make alone.

Interim vs. acting ED

	Interim ED	Acting ED
Who	Usually from outside	Usually a senior staff member
Main job	Steady the org and prepare it for the next ED	Keep things running
Applies for the permanent role	Usually not	Sometimes
Best for	Longer gaps, hard transitions, change needed	Short gaps, stable orgs

How to find one

Ask your state's association of nonprofits. Many keep a list of interim leaders.
Ask other EDs and board members who've been through a transition.
Ask funders. Program officers often know who's done good interim work.
Some consulting firms and search firms place interims. See search firms.

How to hire one

Keep the process short. You may need someone in weeks, not months.

Write a one-page scope: how long, what you need done, and who they report to.
Talk to two or three candidates.
Check references with other boards they've worked with. Ask what was different when they left.
Agree on pay, hours, and length in writing. Interims are often paid as contractors, by the month or day. Get advice on whether yours should be an employee or a contractor.

Set them up to succeed

Tell staff, funders, and partners who the interim is and why they're there.
Give them real authority. Say what they can decide alone.
Name one board member as their main contact. Meet every week.
Ask them for a short report at 30 days on what they've found.
Plan the handoff to the new ED, with a few weeks of overlap if you can afford it.