Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Nonprofit Mergers & Alliances Second Edition"Having just gone through a nationwide restructuring of our entire council network—280 mergers in a little over three years—we can affirm that Tom McLaughlin is right on target. His clear, practical, thorough guidebook would be of significant value to any nonprofit considering a merger. Tom challenges our sector to dig deeper into more effective ways to deliver our mission, and he gives us the tools to make that happen."
—Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of the USA
"Tom McLaughlin's book Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances, Second Edition is a must-read for all nonprofit executive and volunteer board leaders. It is a beacon of common sense and hope in the nonprofit sea of ineffective insanity, limited resources, and obstacles that challenge scalable and sustainable mission execution. Tom provides both the knowledge necessary for quality analysis and assessment of nonprofit mergers and alliances as well as the successful tools for implementation based on his successful experience in the field."
—T. Charles Pierson, Big Brother, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas
Everything you need to know about mergers and alliances in the nonprofit arena
Using real-world examples and case studies, easy-to-use checklists, and analytical tables, Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances, Second Edition offers clear, practical, step-by-step guidance through the merger or alliance process, from preliminary considerations to actual implementation. The book offers insightful commentary and a real-world orientation for nonprofit leaders contemplating some form of collaboration.
Take a look inside for concrete guidance on:
Understanding how to evaluate your own organization
Choosing the right partner
Deciding what form of collaboration to pursue
Why nonprofit mergers are fundamentally different from corporate mergers
Based on the author's extensive work in nonprofit collaborations, Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances, Second Edition equips you with the tools to navigate the still new field of nonprofit merger and alliance development, as well as to effectively manage the new entities created.
Synopsis
Clear, practical, step-by-step guidance through the nonprofit merger processUsing real-world examples, case studies, and enduring frameworks, Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances, Second Edition offers clear, practical, step-by-step guidance through the merger and alliance development process.
From assessing feasibility and planning for implementation to post-merger integration, this ground-breaking work points out pitfalls and offers insightful commentary in every chapter.
- Provides a comprehensive framework for designing and implementing effective collaborations of all kinds
- Offers the tools needed to effectively collaborate with potential partners
- Shows how nonprofit mergers are fundamentally different from for-profit mergers-and why board members need to know this
- Focuses on the needs of the nonprofit sector, including cultural compatibility and compassionate management practices
- Shows nonprofit managers and board members how to make their way through the merger process without repeating Wall Street's mistakes
Insightful and realistic, Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances, Second Edition equips you with the tools and knowledge you need to create effective collaborations.
Synopsis
If you're looking for a straightforward, authoritativeand reader-friendlyguide to mergers and alliances in the nonprofit world, Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances, Second Edition covers everything you need to know. From the context for nonprofit mergers and the forces that shape their use, to why failure to merge can be disastrous for everyonenonprofit merger expert and author Thomas McLaughlin guides you and your board members smoothly through the merger process.
Well-rounded and up to date, the Second Edition includes real-world examples and case studies, as well as clear, practical, step-by-step insight on:
Why you should consider a merger or alliance before it's necessary
The C.O.R.E. model, a merger/alliance analysis framework
Why it's in your nonprofit's best interest to collaborate
Nuts-and-bolts advice on partner selection
Step-by-step guidance through merger and alliance processes
Filled with easy-to-use checklists and analytical tables, Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances, Second Edition helps you monitor the entire merger and alliance process, make the right decisions, anticipate problems, and find solutions quickly to ensure the successful continuation of your organization's mission in the immediate future as well as for years to come.
About the Author
THOMAS A. McLAUGHLIN is Vice President for Consulting Services for the Nonprofit Finance Fund, a national leader in financing nonprofits, strengthening their financial health, and improving their capacity to serve their communities. He is nationally recognized as an expert in nonprofit mergers and alliances, having consulted nonprofits in over 200 such collaborations. He is contributing editor for the Nonprofit Times, for which he writes a monthly column, and is the author of Streetsmart Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers, Third Edition (Wiley). He is also a member of the faculty at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
Chapter 1 A Valid Strategic Option for the Future.
Government's Retreat.
Chapter 2 The Freestanding Nonprofit and Other Rugged Individualists.
Why Nonprofit Services Are Fragmented: A Story.
A Nonprofit's Economics Are Part of Its Strategy.
Chapter 3 Logic of Integrated Service Delivery.
Applications of Integrated Service Delivery.
Elements of Integration.
Chapter 4 Deciding to Collaborate.
Rescue Mergers.
Merger from Strength.
Deciding to Collaborate as a Function of Larger Forces.
Chapter 5 Preserving Identity.
Nonphysical Components of Organizational Identity.
What Is Not Part of "Identity"—and What Is.
Chapter 6 The Role of Funders.
What Funders Can Do.
Funding Collaborations.
Models for Funding Collaborations.
Quality Assurance through Foundations.
Chapter 7 C.O.R.E. Continuum of Collaboration.
Our Model.
Applying the C.O.R.E.
Chapter 8 Economic-Level Collaboration.
Sharing Information.
Bidding Jointly
Joint Purchasing.
Chapter 9 Responsibility-Level Collaboration.
"Circuit Riders".
High-Integration Collaboration Models.
A Cautionary Note.
Chapter 10 Operations-Level Collaboration.
Shared Training.
Joint Programming.
Joint Quality Standards.
Chapter 11 Corporate-Level Collaboration: Merger.
Authority Is Concentrated.
Offi cial Start Dates May Be Anticlimactic.
What It Means to Merge.
The Essence of a Nonprofit Merger.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Merger.
Chapter 12 Models of Collaboration: Merger by Management Company.
Structure.
Control and Governance.
Advantages of a Management Company.
Disadvantages of a Management Company.
Faulty Integration in a Management Company Model.
Chapter 13 Models of Collaboration: Alliances.
Structure.
Chapter 14 Models of Collaboration: Partnerships with and between Nonprofits.
Structure.
Control and Governance.
Special Considerations.
Partnerships with For-Profit Companies.
Limited Liability Companies.
Chapter 15 Merger Myths.
We Will Save Administrative Costs.
There Will Be Massive Job Cuts.
We Will Lose Our Identity.
Let Us Figure Out the Structure First.
Shhh.
Only Failing Organizations Merge.
Increase in Mergers Is a Product of an Economic Downturn.
Chapter 16 First Steps.
Geographic Proximity.
Absence of a Permanent CEO.
Nonoverlapping Markets.
Industrializers and Prototypers.
Compatibility of Services.
Special Assets.
Role of Culture.
Role of Class.
Quick Culture Check.
Building Trust.
Seeds of Trust: Disclosure, Consultation, and Collaboration.
Chapter 17 Merger or Alliance? How to Decide.
Corporate Control.
Chapter 18 First Phase of a Merger: Feasibility Assessment.
Informal Phase of a Collaboration.
Role of Consultants.
Form a Collaboration Committee.
Why Due Diligence?
What Is a Due Diligence Investigation?
Governance.
Finances.
Assets.
Liabilities and Obligations.
Some Financial Red Flags.
Valuations.
Carrying Out the Valuation.
Pro Forma Financials, Including Cash Flows.
Regulatory Filings.
Human Resources Information.
Assess the Feasibility.
Chapter 19 Second Phase of a Merger: Implementation Planning.
Form Subcommittees of the Collaboration Committee.
Internal Communication.
External Communication.
Some Sample Collaboration Committee Structures.
Who Will Be the Boss?
Some Tools to Accomplish a Leadership Transition.
Once the Selection Is Made . . ..
Creating the Formal Agreement.
Merger Announcement (Create a Splash).
Chapter 20 Third Phase of a Merger: Integration.
Time Required for Integration.
Common Sources of Resistance.
Chapter 21 The Seven Stages of Alliance Development.
Categories of Alliances.
Seven Tasks of Alliance Development.
Task One: Initiate, Explore, and Analyze.
Task Two: Synthesize and Plan.
Task Three: Establish Shared Objectives.
Task Four: Develop Working Committee Structure.
Task Five: Gain Quick Victories.
Task Six: Secure Institutionalize Buy-in
Task Seven: Implement and Evaluate.
Chapter 22 Postscript and Conclusion.
About the Author.
Index.