Executive Director Annual Performance Evaluation

Thank you for taking part in (Replace with Organization Name)'s annual review of our Executive Director. Your honest, specific feedback helps the board support and develop strong leadership. This should take about 8-10 minutes, and your individual responses will be kept confidential and reported only in aggregate to the board chair. (Template note: replace the organization name placeholder before launching and confirm your confidentiality process with the board.)

Rate the Executive Director's performance in each area below, from a significant gap to outstanding.

How much do you agree with each statement about the Executive Director's day-to-day working relationship with the board?

Overall, how effectively is the Executive Director leading (Replace with Organization Name) toward its mission right now?

Compared to one year ago, how would you describe the Executive Director's performance?

• Declined significantly
• Declined somewhat
• Stayed about the same
• Improved somewhat
• Improved significantly
• I wasn't on the board / can't compare

Which of these areas is most important for the Executive Director to focus on developing over the next year, and which is least important right now?

• Strategic planning and vision-setting
• Financial oversight and budgeting discipline
• Fundraising strategy and donor cultivation
• Staff development and organizational culture
• Board communication and partnership
• Succession and leadership pipeline planning
• Community and external relations
• Change management and innovation

Based on current performance, what is your recommendation regarding the Executive Director's contract or continued tenure?

• Renew without conditions
• Renew with a formal development plan
• Extend probation / revisit in 6 months
• Do not renew
• I don't have enough information to recommend

What should the Executive Director start doing, stop doing, and continue doing to be more effective in the next year? Please be as specific as possible.

Probe the reasoning behind the respondent's overall effectiveness rating and contract recommendation: ask for a specific recent example that anchors their score, what the Executive Director could have done differently in that situation, and how the board could better support them. If the respondent indicated a decline in performance or recommended anything short of unconditional renewal, dig into what changed, when it started, and whether it's an isolated incident or a pattern. If they say they don't have enough information, ask what would help them assess the Executive Director's performance better next cycle.

How long have you served on the board?

• Less than 1 year
• 1-3 years
• 4-6 years
• 7+ years
• Prefer not to say

Which best describes your role on the board?

• Board chair
• Committee chair
• Board officer (e.g., treasurer, secretary)
• General board member
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. The board chair will compile all responses into a confidential summary used to guide the Executive Director's development plan and the board's own governance practices.