Boomer Bye-Byes

By C.J. Hirschfield

It’s public: After 17 years at the helm of Children’s Fairyland, I will be stepping out of my ruby slippers, hanging up my big wings and finding out what other magical adventures await me beyond our beloved park. And I am not alone. Over just the past few months, four other executive directors of high-performing local nonprofits have announced their departures.

Get ready, because there will be a wave of Baby Boomer retirements from the nonprofit sector, representing a remarkable opportunity for younger—and more diverse—leaders to rise.

"Welcome to your staff meeting!" C.J. Hirschfield and team in a 2005 photo

First, a little bit of context. Of the nonprofits currently in existence, 90 percent were created since 1950. Most cause-related nonprofits (that is, other than arts, higher education, health or sciences) were founded in the 1960s. Many of us were inspired by the politically active times in which we came of age, and poured our passions into work for wonderful causes. But nonprofits often fall short when it comes to taking care of themselves—in grooming the next generation of executive leaders.

I learned this—and quite a lot more—at a retreat I attended in advance of my announcement. “What’s Next: Leading a Thriving Transition” is presented by TSNE MissionWorks, whose purpose is “to prepare leaders and their organizations for the transition ahead by providing frameworks, tools and an opportunity to plan; to develop a sense of community and a network for ongoing learning and support.” The retreat provided me with what I needed my board of directors to know so we could do everything possible to ensure an effective transition in leadership. I highly recommend the program.

The Boomer exodus was expected some years ago, but during the tougher economic times of the last decade, “late career” leaders decided to stay in their organizations longer. The anticipated pipeline became a bottleneck instead—for a time. But the exodus is coming.

Today’s workforce is more diverse in age than ever before; Millennials are projected to make up nearly 75 percent of the workforce by 2025. California communities are more diverse by race and ethnicity than a generation ago, but this diversity is not yet reflected in the executive and board leadership of the nonprofit arts sector, according to a 2016 report by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation that focuses on arts organizations. I think those findings can be extrapolated to apply across the sector.

The study noted that emerging leaders, with higher levels of education and more student debt, will have elevated expectations for taking on roles with real influence, a desire for rapid career advancement, and concurrent salary expectations. Many of us Boomers entered the nonprofit world happily accepting long hours and low pay; it’s doubtful that the next generation of leaders will do the same.

How can we use the Boomer exodus to better publicize opportunities, build mentorship programs, and identify emerging leaders of color? And here’s another question: Will emerging leaders in the for-profit sector, and particularly the tech sector, who may be frustrated by the lack of meaning or community in their current position, be willing to take a pay cut and retirement benefits to go the nonprofit route? I did, but my rent was not in the stratosphere, and my student debt was manageable. I doubt that today’s younger workers would—or could—make the same choice.

It’s time to make the changes that will help nonprofit organizations stay healthy enough to continue doing the critically important work they do.

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C.J. Hirschfield has served for 17 years as executive director of Children’s Fairyland, where she is charged with the overall operation of the nation’s oldest storybook theme park.