Nonprofit – Director of Philanthropy

Position Name: Director of Philanthropy

Interviewer

Candidate Name

Interview Date

Introductory Questions

– Interviewer(s) share name, role, tenure, and hand business cards for thank you messages
– Share a brief overview of the company
– Give Candidate the Job Description, highlight Job Purpose, Schedule/Travel, Major Challenges & Key Decisions, and Physical Requirements

Tell us about yourself.

What do you know about our organization?

Transitional & Verification Questions

– Clarify any unclear information from resume or application
– Verify availability for work hours and schedule, start date, and other important details

Will you now or at any point in the future require via sponsorship to work for us?

Behavioral / Situational Questions

– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups. Follow up questions may include:
- Tell us more about the action you took and the outcome.
- What did you say at that point?
- How did you react to that situation?
- Explain your role in more detail.
- Tell me in detail what steps you took.
- And what was the result?
- Describe the obstacles you faced in getting it done.
- What other options did you consider?
- Why do you think you reacted as you did?
- How do you think others felt about your actions at the time?
- Were you satisfied with the outcome of your actions?
- If the same or a similar situation presented itself, what would you do differently?

Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.

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Describe a time when you overcame a major obstacle.

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Describe a situation in which you had to get started on something but didn’t know what to do.

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Describe a situation in which you had to get started on something but didn’t know what to do.

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Business Acumen

Describe a situation where you successfully articulated the value proposition of a specific aspect of the business (or a product, idea, etc.)

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Tell me about a time when it was difficult to stay within your approved budget. What was the result?

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Conflict Management

Tell me about a situation when you had to “stand up” for a decision you made even though it made you unpopular.

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Critical Thinking

Tell me about a recent time when you approached a job or task in a completely different way than it had been done in the past.

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Emotional Intelligence

Describe a situation when it was more difficult for you to maintain self-control.

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Problem Solving

Tell me about a recent time when you needed to adjust your approach on the fly in order to complete a job or project.

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Relationship Building

Tell us about a customer relationship that was challenging to establish and maintain. How did you resolve the situation?

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Candidate’s Questions

– Be sure to leave time for their questions, generally 1-3
– Paint a positive but honest view of the pros and cons of the work and culture

Notes

Closing Questions

– Describe where you are in the process, next steps, and when they can expect to hear back
– Ask if they have any final remarks

What is one thing I should know about you that I haven’t asked?

Interviewer Assesment

Enter your overall assessment about the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and fit for this position.

Would you recommend this candidate advance in the process?