Lewis Horowitz and Julia Abelev co-authored an article in NWLawyer titled “Merging Wisely: Best Practices for Structuring Successful Nonprofit Mergers.” The article outlines a roadmap for non-profits on how to get from pitching the idea to the donors to successfully merging organizations. Horowitz and Abelev discuss best practices for each stage of the non-profit merger and the steps to take that will empower a non-profit in merging and building a new future.
A merger in the non-profit world is no less complicated than the merger of a for-profit corporation. But the metrics of success are different. Values-based organizations structured around achieving a mission — as opposed to bottom lines — may need to think even harder about whether a merger aligns with their goals, clients, and world view.
The moving pieces in a non-profit merger require looking several steps ahead at every point, always balancing the interests of the board, donors, and staff. With proper planning, a non-profit merger can be an invaluable tool for increasing an organization’s social impact and finances.