Executive & Managerial Search Services

Finding the right people is one of the biggest challenges nonprofits face — and one of the most critical to their success. At Ashley|Rountree and Associates, we remove the stress and uncertainty from hiring by managing every step of the search process with professionalism, discretion, and deep nonprofit expertise. 

Based in Louisville and serving organizations regionally and nationwide, we have built a trusted reputation for connecting mission-driven nonprofits with exceptional leaders. Our extensive local, regional, and national networks — combined with a refined, relationship-centered search process — ensure that you receive only the strongest, most aligned candidates for every position. 

Each engagement begins with a thorough understanding of your organization: its mission, culture, stakeholders, and the community you serve. We listen closely and communicate openly, tailoring the search to your priorities and organizational values. This intentional approach ensures that every candidate we present is not only qualified but a genuine fit for the role and your culture. Our team works hand-in-hand with your team to lead the full search process — from job description development to candidate outreach, screening, interviews, and onboarding — saving valuable time while strengthening long-term hiring outcomes. 

We also help organizations design fair, transparent, and data-driven compensation strategies that support both equity and sustainability. Through market benchmarking and benefits analysis, we provide the insights you need to make informed decisions that honor your mission and retain top nonprofit talent.

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What We Offer

  • Job definition with evaluation, classification, position development & job description writing.
  • Candidate sourcing & outreach through an extensive nonprofit network and targeted research Initial screenings & structured interviews.
  • Candidate pools that represent diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging.
  • Salary benchmarking & negotiation based on current market insights.
  • Board and Search Committee consultation to guide decision-making.
  • Onboarding support and leadership integration with coaching to guide new leaders through their first critical months.

Why Partner with Ashley|Rountree?

  • Deep Nonprofit Expertise with decades of experience in leadership development and nonprofit management.
  • Extensive Talent Network with long-standing relationships across the nonprofit sector.
  • Strategic Partnership to collaborate closely with your board, CEO, and leadership team.
  • Proven Results in Leadership Placement & Development of Executive Directors, CEOs, and development, finance, and program leaders.
  • Commitment to Equity and Excellence through inclusive hiring practices, compensation transparency, and data-driven benchmarking.

Ashley|Rountree was an incredible help in hiring Day Spring’s new CEO. She is a smart, energetic, devoted woman who is taking us places we’ve never been and really knocking it out of the park! Her leadership has helped put us in a better place than ever before. We’re also grateful that Ashley|Rountree came to the rescue when we experienced a sudden vacancy on the leadership team. They filled the gap with wonderful interim leadership and helped onboard the new CEO in a way we couldn’t have. Ashley|Rountree is the best in my book!

Beth Barrett, Day Spring Board of Directors

Success Stories

Kentucky Center for the Arts (Louisville KY)

Challenge
Kentucky’s largest performing arts center needed a new leader to shepherd its finance department which included a complicated system of public and private accounts managed within two separate entities: a state-supported public agency and a private charitable foundation.

How We Helped
Ashley|Rountree brought in special expertise with consultants who had a deep background in accounts and finance, then we interviewed the key stakeholders who would be working with the new Chief Finance Officer and quickly built a job posting and marketing plan. We also worked with the Center’s President to outline a long-term vision of the role as a new Senior VP to oversee a broader range of needs than simply finances.

Outcome
After recruiting a pool of ten semi-finalists for interviews by staff and Board members, Ashley|Rountree was successful in helping the Center hire the finalist, an experienced finance professional with experience in both public agencies and the private commercial sector who assumed the new role of Senior VP.

Cave Hill Cemetery (Louisville KY)

Challenge
One of the nation’s oldest and most esteemed non-profit historic cemeteries, Cave Hill was faced with replacing its retiring President, who had served in that role for over three decades. This was an extremely specific and complex role that would require a leader who understood the mission of the Cemetery and its legacy in our region, as  well as someone who had a vision for adapting to a changing business model for historic cemeteries, and who understood the role of Cave Hill as a nationally-ranked arboretum.

How We Helped
Ashley|Rountree staff members formed a search team that included a national consultant who had deep networks in historic cemeteries, then we interviewed every staff member who reported to the President, key board members and donors, and also polled the community for feedback and leads on potential leaders. A three-stage search was launched nationally and a pool of twenty semi-finalists was recruited for review by the Board.

Outcome
The new President was hired and she is the first new leader in 30-plus years and the first woman ever hired to lead Cave Hill since its founding prior to the Civil War.