Gary Landwirth

“The genius of a good leader is to leave behind a situation which common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully.” Walter Lippman

Giving Ideas, Inc. is committed to helping nonprofit organizations by providing thoughtful, informed, and creative guidance in developing a culture of sustainable leadership. It offers a broad range of services that help organizations foster leadership development (both board and staff), prepare for leadership transition, and manage leadership change.

The founder and principal, Gary Landwirth, is a respected speaker, dedicated volunteer and a highly experienced professional in all aspects of philanthropy.

After successfully building and leading successful nonprofit organizations for 15 years, Gary developed a deep appreciation for the importance of nurturing a culture of sustainable leadership for boards and staff members.  As a founding president who successfully transitioned out of that leadership role, he saw the difficult organizational, cultural, and personal effects this kind of change brings with it, but he also saw that it can also bring a pivotal opportunity for increasing organizational effectiveness. He also saw the importance of continual leadership development as the most critical factor in an organization’s long-term success.

Gary founded Giving Ideas, Inc. in 2006 to bring his unique level of leadership development and transition expertise to other nonprofit organizations. Utilizing carefully developed tools and processes, Gary’s goal is to bring a focused and realistic approach with a low key, down to earth and honest style to the organizations he works with, gently but effectively driving process, preparation and action.

Giving Ideas Services:

Executive Leadership Transition Management

 “It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions.”   William Bridges

By implementing a process that is thoughtful and sensitive, an executive transition can become an organization’s opportunity for renewal and revitalization, a time when innovation and creativity are most possible. Giving Ideas one of a small group of nationally recognized and trained consultants that utilize a proven, highly tailored, three-phase approach to this critical and challenging time in the life of an organization.

Succession Readiness Planning and Leadership Development

Working with organization leadership, we help develop a strategic approach to planning for eventual leadership transition, by preparing an organization through leadership development and strengthening processes. Then when the beloved founder decides to retire or the organization experiences the unexpected loss of a key staff member, the organization is best ready for that change.

Emergency Succession Planning

Giving Ideas can help develop a comprehensive risk management plan for the unexpected departure of key staff leadership

Interim Executive Leadership

In some cases, it is advisable for an organization to utilize an Interim Executive Director instead of rushing into an executive search. In such cases, we can provide temporary leadership that can focus on current organizational issues so the eventual permanent executive can focus on the future.

Board Development

Behind strong organizations are strong boards. We help develop strategies for board development through a thorough assessment of board effectiveness and composition and subsequent development of practical plans of action.

Organizational Assessment

A comprehensive organization assessment, or “wellness exam” can be crucial in strengthening organizational effectiveness – a clear path towards ensuring leadership sustainability.

Executive and Process Coaching

Developing and navigating a critical path for a project or organizational change can sometimes be overwhelming. Using “fresh eyes” and years of experience, Giving Ideas can devise a plan for implementation and subsequent “coaching” to ensure that the plan is managed effectively and in a timely manner.

Financial Sustainability Planning

Financial sustainability is a mindset, not a destination. It is about the ability of an organization to maintain mission impact and financial health over time, and the two components of sustainability – mission impact and financial health – cannot be separated. Our planning model utilizes a process that integrates the analysis of these two factors and presents them in a Matrix Map that allows an organization to visualize its business model. We then analyze the model and make strategic decisions about the organization’s programs and finances that will make the organization more sustainable over time, and more responsive to both the internal and external environments.