Nonprofit Mergers: Smart Strategy or Last Resort?

Nonprofit mergers and acquisitions aren’t a sign of weakness—they're a powerful strategy for long-term viability and community impact. In this leading edge conversation, we bring together two sector leaders: Tim Davis, President and Managing Partner of Glick Davis and Associates, and Jeffrey R. Wilcox, CEO and Founder of Interim Executives Academy. Together with host Julia Patrick, they chart a bold roadmap for organizational transformation through strategic partnerships, timely interim leadership, and cultural integration.

As Jeffrey begins, “A sustainable nonprofit must first be viable. And to be viable, you must be survivable.” He challenges nonprofits to move beyond survival thinking and embrace strategic collaboration before financial or leadership crises strike. Tim Davis builds on that, offering a real-world example of three regional nonprofits merging their missions to secure larger grants and extend their reach: “Instead of three groups asking for $10,000 each, they made a unified ask for $100,000—and won.”

The conversation digs into the uncomfortable truths of nonprofit M&A—ego, fear, and lack of information—but offers actionable strategies. Tim emphasizes that success is cultural, not just financial: “Unless you build the culture between organizations, one side is always unhappy.” Meanwhile, Jeffrey explains the unique power of interim leaders to guide organizations through this kind of transformation: “Interims help people reach the conclusion themselves—it becomes their idea, their ownership.”

This episode doesn’t just present M&A as a lifeline for nonprofits in distress—it reframes it as a proactive, bold strategy for those who want to own their future. With funding shifts, demographic changes, and leadership transitions accelerating across the sector, Tim and Jeffrey argue that now is the time to build viable, mission-driven collaborations that will withstand what’s ahead.

Whether you’re a board member, CEO, or funder, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and equip you with the mindset and tools to explore mergers—not out of desperation, but from a place of strength.

 00:00:00 Welcome and introduction of guests
 00:01:50 What is transitional leadership and why it matters
 00:03:14 How Glick Davis supports nonprofit mergers and turnarounds
 00:04:23 Rethinking sustainability: viability vs survivability
 00:06:02 Why nonprofits must start M&A talks sooner
 00:08:10 Real example: nonprofits merging for financial literacy impact
 00:10:13 Navigating ego and mission in M&A conversations
 00:11:35 The interim leader’s role in M&A facilitation
 00:13:04 Educating stakeholders before merger decisions
 00:15:55 Secret sauce of nonprofit M&A: culture building
 00:18:27 Knowing when your org is no longer viable
 00:22:54 What great interim leaders really do 

#NonprofitLeadership #StrategicMergers #InterimExecutives

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