The Right People. At the Right Moment.
Where SocialWorks 193 stands on executive interim management: the right interim manager for NGOs and public institutions, found fast, fit-for-purpose and within the sector's reach.
Step in. Steady. Hand over.
OUR AIM: CONTINUITY
Our aim is to make the NGO sector and civil society stronger and to prepare them for the future. Executive interim management protects continuity when an organisation is most exposed to change: an experienced interim manager steps in, keeps the mission moving and prepares a good handover. It is part of Capacity Works: when leadership capacity suddenly goes missing, we make sure the capacity an organisation needs is there quickly, and that it works.
Our clients are NGOs and public institutions. They have the need for interim management, but rarely the budget, and every right to professionalism. We bring the two together with interim managers on three levels, drawn from the SocialWorks 193 shareholder network, people who know the non-profit world from the inside, on terms designed for the sector.
NGOs have the need, not the budget, and every right to professionalism. That is the gap we close.
INTERIM MANAGEMENT: WHAT IT IS, AND WHY IT WORKS
Interim management is the temporary appointment of an experienced executive to a defined role, for a defined period, with responsibility for results. Unlike a consultant, an interim manager decides and delivers; unlike a permanent hire, an interim manager starts quickly and leaves by design. In Germany it is an established market of about €2.6 billion, with assignments of around nine to twelve months. For non-profits, the documented strengths are broad experience, an independent view, calm in a turbulent period and time for the board to decide on the next permanent executive.
Sources: DDIM (Deutsches Institut für Interim Management), Interim Market Study Germany 2024.
THE GAP WE CLOSE
€1,302
AVERAGE DAY RATE IN CLASSICAL INTERIM MANAGEMENT, GERMANY, 2024
The classical market is built for corporate budgets. We offer the same level of experience on terms designed for the sector: our day rates are always below the average of the country in which the interim manager works. This is not a discount on quality but the result of a different cost structure.
No agency margin. We place people we know directly from our own network, so no intermediary takes a share of the day rate.
Lean overhead. No large search apparatus and no sales machinery: our costs are the costs of the mandate.
Liability where it belongs. The interim manager acts with the authority of the role while the board keeps its statutory responsibility, so the rate carries no premium for full Geschäftsführer liability (managing director liability).
OUR KEY TO SUCCESS
Our competitive advantage is simple: we have the network, we know the people, and they are good. Our shareholders bring experience from business, politics, science and the development sector, and because we know their track record firsthand, we do not start from zero with every mandate. Where a classical recruitment process runs through advertising, longlists and several interview rounds, we go straight to a matched proposal and have the right person in the role while the window for action is still open.
Faster to the right person, because we already know who that is.
WHY NON-PROFIT EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
An excellent corporate manager is not automatically a good interim manager for an NGO. One who first has to learn the sector's conditions loses exactly the time the organisation does not have. We suggest people with the right level of experience for the role and firsthand knowledge of what makes the sector different.
How the sector works
Mission before margin. Success is measured in impact, not profit.
Restricted funding. Earmarked grants and audit trails that cannot simply be reallocated.
Funder requirements. Public grant rules, EU and UN procedures, foundations and private donors, each with their own reporting.
How the sector is led
Governance. Charitable status (Gemeinnützigkeit = charitable status under German law), voluntary boards, members' assemblies and federated structures.
People and culture. Teams who work from conviction, and leadership through trust, not hierarchy.
Fragile contexts. Country offices, local partners and crisis regions, with security and duty of care to match.
THREE LEVELS
01
C-Level
Executive directors, CEOs and managing directors, for a sudden departure, a succession still to be settled or a new strategic phase.
02
Middle Management
Heads of programmes, finance, HR or fundraising, and country offices, when a key role is vacant or needs building up.
03
Crisis Management
Fast, time-limited support when cash, funder conditions, governance or reputation come under acute pressure, in close collaboration with legal counsel and auditors.
HOW EVERY MANDATE WORKS
Step in quickly. A matched proposal from our network within days, not months.
Steady the organisation. Take responsibility for the role, keep teams, partners and funders informed, and set priorities with the board.
Hand over cleanly. From the first week, the mandate includes a clear handover to a permanent successor or a strengthened team.
You can expect professional, fit-for-purpose and fast support at an affordable rate, through lean structures, not lower standards. The organisation stays in the lead: the board defines the mandate and remains responsible for the organisation's direction. We do not give legal advice, perform audits or certify going concern, and we work alongside counsel and auditors where such questions arise.
OUR POSITION, IN ONE LINE
Professionalism within reach.
The right person, fast.
Handover over dependency.
That is the position we take into every interim mandate under Capacity Works: capacity that works, for a stronger civil society and NGO sector.
If you are interested in working in Interim Management, please contact us: [email protected]