[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-257312-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-257312-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","hiring-a-coo-frequently-asked-questions","Hiring a COO - Frequently Asked Questions","","Frequently Asked Questions explains what a COO is and how nonprofit COO responsibilities vary by organization. It describes three common operational models, from overseeing operations and administration to overseeing programs or all internal functions. The guidance also outlines signs nonprofits may need a COO, including reducing executive workload, building capacity for strategy, balancing leadership skills, and planning succession. It further stresses preparation for delegation, authority, and reporting changes when hiring.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/hiring-a-coo-frequently-asked-questions/257312/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/hiring-a-coo-frequently-asked-questions/257312.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Jacob","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-09-13",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",8,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is a COO in this context?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"A COO is short for chief operating officer. Here, it refers to a senior manager who is second in command to the executive director (ED) or who oversees operations/administration.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What are the three basic models for nonprofit COO roles?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Most COO roles fit one of three models: the COO oversees all operational and administrative functions; the COO oversees all programs; or the COO oversees all internal functions, broadening what the ED can focus on externally.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why might a nonprofit hire a COO?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"A nonprofit may hire a COO to reduce the ED’s workload, build capacity for strategic or growth plans, balance or supplement the ED’s skills, and plan for ED succession, among other organization-specific reasons.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},257312,1790174725,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":115,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":30,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":140,"read_time":22},962084931830,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","Frequently Asked Questions: Hiring a COO  \nQ: What is a COO?  \nA: COO is short for chief operating officer. Like COO positions at for-profit businesses, nonprofit COO positions vary widely from organization to organization. 1 However, for purposes of this discussion, we consider any senior manager who either is second in command to the executive director (ED) or oversees operations/administration tobe a COO. Other titles some organizations use for this position include: deputy director, managing director, chief administrative officer, chief financial and administrative officer, associate director, associate executive director, director of operations, vice president of operations, and executive vice president.  \nQ: What do nonprofit COOs do?  \nA: The most salient characteristic of the COO job seems to be its variety. COO roles—and the organizational structures in which COOs operate—are highly varied across organizations and even within organizations overtime. The way a COO’s responsibilities are defined differs significantly depending on the organization’s strategic imperatives, design, history, and culture, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the ED, COO, and other key leaders. Nevertheless, most COO positions can be categorized under one of three basic models:  \n􀁸 The COO oversees all operational and administrative functions. In this model, the COO oversees the functions that support the programs but do not relate directly to program participants, and other senior managers are responsible for the programs themselves.  \n􀁸 The COO oversees all programs. In contrast to the first model, some COOs are responsible primarily for programs, while the ED, the chief financial officer (CFO), or another senior executive oversees the more administrative functions.  \n􀁸 The COO oversees all internal functions. This third model is the broadest: the COO oversees everything internal, freeing up the ED to focus on external matters such as fundraising, public relations, and partnerships.  \nQ: How can I tell w hether my organization needs a COO?  \nA: Nonprofits introduce the COO position to accommodate the management needs of the organization at a particular point in its development, which can be at their founding, a few years later, or decades into their operations. Usually they hire a COO to accommodate one or more of the following needs:  \n􀁸 Reducing excessive ED workload and enabling the ED to allocate time to major external initiatives  \n􀁸 Building the organization’s capacity to implement a strategic or growth plan  \n􀁸 Balancing or supplementing the skills of the ED  \n􀁸 Planning for ED succession  \nYour organization may need a COO for one or more of these reasons. However, to be ready to take advantage of what a COO has to offer, your organization’s board and ED must be prepared to delegate significant authority for  \n1 Since January of 2004, Bridgestar and its members have been exploring the COO role through regular gatherings of executives in the copilot seat in their organizations for broad-ranging conversations about their work. In addition, we recently conducted a brief electronic survey of 23 COOs and a series of 16 in-depth interviews about the COO position with nonprofit COOs and EDs representing a diversity of organizational growth stages, budget sizes, funding sources, geography, missions, and individual backgrounds and tenures  \nBridgestar, an Initiative of the Bridgespan Group  \n535 Boylston Street, 10th Floor | Boston, [MA 02116 |](MA 02116 | www.bridgestar.org)[ www.bridgestar.org](MA 02116 | www.bridgestar.org)  \nCopyright © 2006 The Bridgespan Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Bridgestar and Bridgespan are registered trademarks of The Bridgespan Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.  \nmanaging the organization to the COO. While many overworked nonprofit leaders welcome the addition of a COO position, some are reluctant to give up direct control of or contact with areas they have previou","cbCainZ1XEJbZCRp","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCainZ1XEJbZCRp","pdf",105711,"English","# Frequently Asked Questions: Hiring a COO\n## What is a COO?\n## What do nonprofit COOs do?\n## How can I tell whether my organization needs a COO?\n## What advice do you have for designing or restructuring a COO position?","[{\"question\":\"What is a COO in this context?\",\"answer\":\"A COO is short for chief operating officer. Here, it refers to a senior manager who is second in command to the executive director (ED) or who oversees operations/administration.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the three basic models for nonprofit COO roles?\",\"answer\":\"Most COO roles fit one of three models: the COO oversees all operational and administrative functions; the COO oversees all programs; or the COO oversees all internal functions, broadening what the ED can focus on externally.\"},{\"question\":\"Why might a nonprofit hire a COO?\",\"answer\":\"A nonprofit may hire a COO to reduce the ED’s workload, build capacity for strategic or growth plans, balance or supplement the ED’s skills, and plan for ED succession, among other organization-specific reasons.\"}]","Hiring a COO - Frequently Asked Questions | PDF",1789312711]