Mergers, Strategic Partnerships & Sustained Collaborations (CoP) Community of Practice
A Community of Practice for the Non-Profit & Philanthropic Sector
In a world of constant change, Mergers, Strategic Partnerships & Sustained Collaborations represent a profound shift in thinking. This is not about loss or failure, but about strategic, community-driven acts of resilience. It is the conscious creation of shared structures designed to store and channel vital resources. This ensures that missions and the communities they serve do not merely survive lean times, but emerge stronger, ready to thrive.
Our mission
A thriving ecosystem of non-profits, charities, and philanthropic foundations that are resilient, resource-secure, and powerfully impactful, achieved through intentional strategic collaboration and consolidation.
Why This Community of Practice Exists
Leaders across the social sector are asking critical questions:
How can we build enduring strength without sacrificing our unique identity?
What models of partnership can amplify our impact without increasing complexity?
How do we navigate the cultural, operational, and human dimensions of coming together?
This Community of Practice is the dedicated space to find answers. We move beyond theory to practical, peer-supported strategy.
Our Core Focus Areas
Pathways to Resilience: Exploring the full spectrum from strategic alliances and shared back-office services to joint programming, full mergers, and everything in between.
Designing Shared Structures: Building the legal, financial, and governance frameworks that turn collaboration into sustained capacity.
Cultivating Leadership & Culture: Navigating the human side of consolidation with empathy, ensuring team and community buy-in.
Stewarding Resources & Mission: Ensuring that every collaborative act directly channels resources toward greater mission impact and community well-being.
Who Should Join?
Executive Directors, Board Chairs, philanthropic leaders, and senior strategists who are:
Proactively curious about building long-term organizational resilience.
Considering or navigating a partnership, restructuring, or merger.
Committed to a community-driven approach where the well-being of staff and constituents is central to the process.
What You Will Gain
Peer Learning & Trusted Exchange: Connect with leaders walking a similar path in a confidential environment.
Practical Tools & Frameworks: Access templates, case studies, and expert-led discussions on due diligence, integration, and cultural alignment.
A Forward-Thinking Network: Build relationships with a vanguard of leaders redefining what success and sustainability look like for the sector.
Collective Wisdom: Contribute to and draw from a living repository of knowledge that reframes consolidation as a strategic imperative for impact.
Join Us. Redefine Resilience.
This is more than a discussion group, it’s a strategic alliance in itself. Together, we will build the competence, confidence, and community needed to design a future where our organizations, and the people they serve, are unshakably strong.