Summary: Nonprofit Mergers: A more perfect union For decades, the nonprofit sector has sought cost savings and a better continuum of care through the strategic merge of two or more organizations. Some well known mergers have been phenomenally successful, while others feel like Absolute blunders. Our featured conversation this week is with Erik Speakman, a partnership and merge specialist who has successfully led facilitated many successful mergers. In our conversation we discuss: • How to know whether two organizations might be good partners • What are the costs associated with merging (and who funds them) • Why mergers driven entirely by funders are often less successful • The importance of due diligence that goes beyond just programs and financials to include organizational values and culture • The danger of merging without first developing a true partnership • The importance of relationships throughout the process • Consolidating two CEOs, boards, staff, and locations • Other pitfalls that sabotage organizations with an interest in merging Links: • Speakman Consulting: o Web: http://www.speakmanconsulting.com/ o Phone: 404-936-1211 • Nonprofit Mergers by David La Piana: https://www.amazon.com/Nonprofit-Mergers-Part-Considering-Negotiating/dp/0940069725/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470066873&sr=1-2&keywords=la+piana Article of the Week Denise Spivak, the Senior Director of Programs and Outreach with CenterLink, introduced us to the NonprofitPro website with this week’s Article of the Week: 6 Steps to Volunteer Happiness by Katrina VanHuss. Happy volunteers make great ambassadors and supporters for an organization, and this article helps us understand how to recruit, engage, and retain truly happy volunteers. Links: • 6 Steps to Volunteer Happiness: http://www.nonprofitpro.com/post/6-steps-volunteer-happiness-low-price • Volunteer Management Practices and Retention by the Urban Institute: http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/Management_Brief.pdf • CenterLInk: www.lgbtcenters.org
