Communicating Leadership Transition With Clarity and Care
Client: Centers for New Horizons
Focus: Internal and external communications across an Executive Director transition
Partnership Type: Transitional communications and execution support in coordination with leadership and the Board
Context
Shortly after Centers marked its 50-year milestone and established a more consistent digital foundation, the organization entered a period of leadership transition.
Executive transitions create moments of uncertainty for staff, partners, funders, and the communities an organization serves. For a community-based organization like Centers, continuity and trust are especially important. Communication during this time needed to be clear, measured, and aligned, ensuring stability while honoring the organization’s history and future direction.
causeFX had an established working relationship with Centers leadership and the Board. As the transition unfolded, the organization moved through three leadership phases: the outgoing Executive Director, an interim leadership period during the executive search, and the eventual appointment of the current Executive Director. Communications support needed to remain steady across all phases while relationships and responsibilities evolved.
Our Approach
causeFX treated leadership transition communications as organizational stewardship.
Working closely with the outgoing Executive Director and the Board of Directors, we supported the planning and execution of communications that addressed internal and external audiences thoughtfully. During the interim leadership period, causeFX continued to provide execution support, helping ensure continuity while decision-making structures and timelines shifted.
At the same time, causeFX began building a working relationship with incoming leadership, aligning communications support with new priorities as they emerged. Rather than pausing execution or resetting direction at each phase, communications work continued seamlessly, allowing Centers to maintain momentum while leadership roles transitioned.
Communications were designed to:
Provide clarity without overexposure
Maintain confidence among staff, partners, and funders
Reinforce continuity of services and mission
Support leadership change without disrupting operations
What This Looked Like in Practice
causeFX supported leadership transition communications across multiple audiences and leadership phases.
This included:
Internal communications to staff addressing leadership changes
External messaging for funders, partners, and the broader community
Coordination with the Board to align messaging and timing
Digital updates reflecting leadership changes accurately
Ongoing collaboration with interim and incoming leadership
The work required adaptability, context retention, and careful coordination to ensure communications remained consistent despite shifting leadership roles.
Outcome
Centers navigated leadership transition with stability and continuity.
The organization was able to:
Communicate leadership change transparently without creating disruption
Maintain confidence among staff, partners, and funders
Preserve continuity of programs and services
Establish a strong, long-term working relationship between current leadership and causeFX
Communications supported both the transition itself and the organization’s ability to move forward under new leadership without losing clarity or trust.
Why This Matters
Leadership transitions rarely follow a single, linear path. Interim periods and search processes introduce complexity that can strain communications if not handled carefully.
This case study demonstrates how communications can function as continuity infrastructure across multiple leadership phases, supporting organizations through change while relationships, authority, and direction evolve.
