Mergers
Should charities collaborate or merge to maximise their potential?
At last month’s NPC ignites conference, a panel of experts from charities and funders discussed whether working together meant formal and informal collaboration or if mergers were the best way to maximise resources for causes.
Let’s have more collaboration and less merger
Ahead of his appearance at NPC Ignites, Duncan Shrubsole, Director of Policy Communications and Research at Lloyds Bank Foundation argues that talk of mergers in the social sector is detracting from the value of collaboration.
When (not) to merge a charity
Our research has found many positives for charities from mergers but they're not always appropriate. Thinking about when they aren't helps us to understand the range of collaboration options that are available to charities.
Let’s talk mission and merger
Reflections from Iona Joy, Head of Charities, as we launch new research on merger in the charity sector.
Let’s talk mission and merger
Merger has a negative reputation in the charity sector. It shouldn't. This research, based on interviews with 50 charities, has found that mergers can be a powerful tool achieving more for causes. It sets out the different models of merger available, dispelling the myth that mergers are always takeovers and makes clear recommendations to charities, funders and regulators to enable more mergers to happen.
What role for mergers in federated charities?
A structure that that benefits from its diversity can still make use of consolidation argues Richard Litchfield, Chief Executive of Eastside Primetimers.
‘Talking about merging isn’t itself a risk’
Organisations often only go public on mergers once the bumps have been ironed out and the deal is done. But this makes it very difficult for others to learn from the process. We recently spoke to the CEOs of two charities who are considering a merger, and are bucking the trend by talking about it openly. Read what insights they have to share.
There’s more than one way to merge a charity: Part 1
Charity mergers are a divisive topic—viewed by some as a silver bullet, others as taboo. But both camps often overlook the myriad of reasons mergers can happen, and the form such consolidation takes. Showcasing early findings from our ongoing mergers research, Oliver Carrington looks to inject some nuance back into the discussion.
There’s more than one way to merge a charity: Part 2
We need to improve the health of our conversations about mergers. Here Oliver Carrington talks through the different types of mergers that can help a charity at various stages of its development, giving real-world examples along the way.
When two become one: Mergers—an insider’s view
Charity mergers are often viewed as a last resort at the brink of closure, rather than as a smart strategic move made from a position of strength. Having experienced a merger first-hand, Oliver Carrington highlights the positive side of the process, arguing that there should be more of them happening in the voluntary sector.
