NGO & Nonprofits Executive Search

Our Approach to NGO and Nonprofit Recruitment

At Keller, we believe that your success is our success. As such, we do not rush the search and recruitment process just to fill the open position in the shortest possible time. Instead, we focus on finding high-quality candidates with the ability to provide creative solutions to the problems faced by nonprofit organizations.

Thus, we spend time getting know our client’s company at the beginning of every search so that we might tailor our recruitment strategy to meet their exact needs. We also build a position profile during this initial stage to ensure that the candidates we source possess the ideal combination of technical expertise, passion, and drive to align with our client’s mission and vision.

After clarifying our client’s goals and requirements, our consultants begin the process of identifying suitable prospects. We consider candidates of all backgrounds, nationalities, ages, and genders for the position as part of our firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Following this, we carefully vet each candidate who expresses interest in the role to evaluate their intentions, track record, and competency level. Once we are satisfied with the results of our assessments, we submit a list of pre-qualified candidates to our client’s search committee, who then has the final say on who to hire.

Behind Our Recruitment Process

Previously, Keller employed a single, standardized search approach for every client. While it may have served for generic roles, we quickly realized its limitations for filling vacancies at the highest level of management.

We reached this conclusion during a high-profile engagement for a prominent client. They had assigned us the task of locating a new CEO for their firm, but we decided to adhere to our cut-and-dry method instead of personalizing our strategy to align with their needs. This proved to be a poor decision for the search results.

Although the individual we put forward possessed the necessary technical expertise, they failed to integrate with the rest of our client’s management. This led to friction, hurt morale, and culminated in the resignation of the new hire. This was a deeply disappointing outcome for all parties involved, so we resolved to revamp our executive search process into one that could be tailored to meet our clients’ individual needs.

This new customer-oriented approach is still the foundation of our operations and has allowed us to develop into the widely recognized executive search firm we are today. It has led to stronger placements, higher retention rates, improved dynamics among team members, and better performance outcomes for our client firms.

However, we do not take our position as one of the world’s best executive search firms for granted. On the contrary, we engage in continuous learning so that we might continue to provide a service that sets the industry standard. We also appreciate all forms of client feedback, including questions, comments, and constructive criticisms.

See Keller’s Insights and Thought Leadership content below for more information and advice on the human capital side of business.

Areas We Specialize In

Keller’s executive search professionals specialize in recruiting the best candidates for leadership and executive positions in the NGO and nonprofit industry. Those sectors include, but are not limited to:

• Agriculture, Food & Nutrition
• Civil Society Development
• Community Development
• Democracy & Good Governance
• Disability
• Employment & Labor
• Environment
• Family
• HIV/AIDS
• Housing & Shelter
• Immigration
• LGBTQ
• Poverty Alleviation
• Refugee & Asylum Seekers
• Youth & Adolescents

Positions We Fill

Keller has spent decades in non-profit executive search, enabling us to refine a research-driven methodology that consistently connects our clients with transformative nonprofit leaders. Our team’s first-hand knowledge working in nonprofit organizations underpins every search we engage in: from crafting a data-backed candidate profile to discreetly approaching passive talent and guiding boards through the final vote on a new leader.

Because the sector’s needs are diverse, we purposefully avoid a “one-size-fits-all” roster of roles. Our team has completed searches ranging from chief executives who can reset an organization’s strategy to program architects who can translate vision into measurable social impact. As a leading executive search firm, our services cover the full leadership spectrum – from C-suite positions to director and managerial roles.

Our reach also extends well beyond headline roles. When a national education nonprofit needed a visionary executive director to revitalize community partnerships, we simultaneously identified a head of marketing and a chief of staff with the operational rigor to translate strategy into day-to-day results. Because our researchers track talent movements across philanthropy, foundations, associations, and social-enterprise networks, we can introduce mission-aligned executives at every pivot point of an organization’s growth cycle, from early-stage expansion through succession planning for long-tenured founders.

Why Choose Keller as your NGO and Nonprofit Recruitment Partner?

Most human resources departments do not have the capacity to conduct extensive executive search processes to find talents for leadership roles, even less so if they belong to nonprofit organizations, which often operate under resource and budget constraints. This is where Keller comes in.

Our headhunters have access to a vast network of senior-level contacts with the passion and skills needed to serve and thrive in the NGO industry. The candidates we recruit also understand first-hand the various issues faced by clients in the nonprofit industry.

Apart from our extensive network of candidates, our team of professional recruiters uses a collaborative approach to ensure successful placements. Our approach includes communicating with the client throughout the entire hiring process as well as offering support before, during, and after the placement.

Our Promise – The Right Hire

When you partner with Keller, we guarantee a bespoke executive search service that is tailored to your business needs and goals. We also respect your company’s privacy and would never compromise its security at any point before, during, or after our partnership. On the contrary, we seek to build lasting relationships with you and all the clients who come after based on trust and shared wins.

In addition to guaranteeing confidentiality, we pledge to safeguard your company’s and all candidates’ data in accordance with the information-protection laws and regulations that apply to your region.

Lastly, all of our placements come with a 90-day guarantee for the unlikely event that one of our candidates falls short of your expectations. This means we will find a suitable replacement for any candidate who either fails to meet targets or departs from your company within the first three months at no additional charge.

Ready to transform your organization with the right leadership? Talk to a Keller consultant today.