The Exit Interview Nobody Wants to Have (And How to Do It Right)

Staff turnover is one of the most uncomfortable, least-prepared-for moments in nonprofit management — and exit interviews are usually the first thing skipped when everyone's stretched thin. That's a missed opportunity, and in some cases, a legal risk.

Why the exit interview matters more than it seems

A well-run exit process protects your organization (documentation matters if a departure ever becomes disputed), and it surfaces honest feedback people were too cautious to give while employed. Skip it, and you lose both the protection and the insight.

Where nonprofits usually get it wrong

Winging the conversation instead of using a structured checklist. No consistent documentation across departures, which becomes a real problem if patterns emerge later. And treating every exit the same way, when a voluntary resignation, a layoff, and a termination each require a different process and different legal considerations.

Our Exit Interview Toolkit gives you HR checklists and termination templates built specifically for nonprofit structures, so every departure — however it happens — is handled consistently and documented properly.

This is general guidance, not legal advice; for termination decisions specific to your organization, consult an employment lawyer.