A nonprofit merger or partnership can expand programs, strengthen financial stability, reduce duplicated work, and help organizations serve their communities more effectively. But before discussing how to combine organizations, boards and executives need to answer a more fundamental question: is a merger or partnership the right option for their mission?

Some organizations begin these conversations with a potential partner already in mind. Others are responding to financial pressures, a leadership transition, changing community needs, or an opportunity to expand services. At this stage, the work is about assessing options and determining whether collaboration would create a stronger path forward.

A nonprofit should consider hiring a merger or partnership consultant when it needs help evaluating those options, assessing potential partners, aligning leadership, or managing a transition that exceeds its internal capacity. Support can begin before a decision to merge has been made and continue through negotiation, planning, and integration if the organizations choose to proceed.

What Does a Nonprofit Merger or Partnership Consultant Do?

A merger or partnership consultant helps boards and executives assess whether collaboration makes strategic sense, determine an appropriate structure, and move forward with a clear plan when there is a sound case for doing so.

Depending on the stage of the process, the consultant may help organizations:

Clarify the goals they hope a merger or partnership will achieve
Evaluate whether collaboration is a suitable option
Assess organizational readiness and potential-partner compatibility
Compare a merger with other partnership approaches
Identify financial, operational, cultural, and governance questions
Support discussions and negotiations between potential partners
Define leadership and decision-making responsibilities
Develop communication and implementation plans
Coordinate organizational integration if a merger proceeds
Establish measures of success and monitor progress

A consultant does not replace the board, executive team, legal counsel, accountants, or human resources professionals. Instead, the consultant helps connect their work and supports informed decisions throughout the process.

Glick Davis & Associates provides nonprofit partnership and merger consulting that includes feasibility analysis, potential-partner assessment, negotiation support, organizational integration, and capacity building. That work can begin while clients are still evaluating whether a merger or partnership is a good option for them.

Hire a Consultant When You Are Evaluating Whether to Merge or Partner

Organizations do not need to commit to a merger before seeking support. An early assessment can help a board understand what it wants to achieve and whether a merger, another form of partnership, or continued independent operation best supports those goals.

Questions to consider include:

What problem or opportunity are we trying to address?
How would a merger or partnership benefit the people we serve?
Could we achieve the same goals while remaining independent?
Would shared services, a joint program, or another partnership be sufficient?
Do we have the financial and leadership capacity to manage a transition?
What would need to be true for the board to support moving forward?
What findings would cause us to pause or decide against the arrangement?

A consultant can structure this assessment, help leadership compare options, and identify information needed before a decision is made. The purpose is to reach a well-supported decision. That may mean pursuing a merger, choosing a more limited partnership, or deciding that neither is appropriate at this time.

Hire a Consultant When Assessing a Potential Partner

A shared mission is a useful starting point, but it does not establish whether two organizations are a good fit. Boards and executives also need to understand each other’s goals, financial position, programs, leadership expectations, and ways of working.

A potential-partner assessment may consider:

Mission alignment and community needs
Complementary programs, services, and geographic reach
Financial sustainability and funding relationships
Governance practices and leadership expectations
Organizational culture and staff concerns
The resources required to make the arrangement work
Each organization’s willingness to share authority or change existing practices

A consultant can guide these discussions and help the organizations identify areas of alignment and unresolved concerns. This gives leaders a clearer basis for deciding whether to proceed to more detailed planning and negotiation.

Hire a Consultant When Internal Leaders Are Already Overextended

Nonprofit executives rarely have extra capacity available to assess a partnership or manage a merger. They must continue managing employees, finances, fundraising, programs, contracts, compliance requirements, and community relationships while also planning the future organization.

Early assessment requires time for research, partner discussions, and board deliberation. If a merger proceeds, integration adds decisions involving:

Organizational structure
Staffing and reporting lines
Compensation and benefits
Financial systems
Technology
Donor databases
Program delivery
Contracts and grants
Branding
Policies and procedures
Board governance
Office space and facilities

When assessment or integration becomes an additional responsibility placed on already overextended leaders, deadlines may be missed and important risks may receive too little attention.

An outside consultant can manage the assessment or integration schedule, coordinate work across teams, prepare decision materials, and document responsibilities. This gives leaders more room to focus on mission delivery and the decisions that require their direct involvement.

Hire a Consultant Before an Agreement Is Finalized

Once organizations decide to pursue a merger or partnership, they need to translate their shared goals into a workable arrangement. Consulting support at this stage can help connect the proposed terms with the practical responsibilities, resources, and changes they would require.

A consultant can help the organizations determine:

How governance and leadership may be structured
Which responsibilities each organization will hold
Which operational issues must be addressed before proceeding
What implementation is likely to cost
Which unresolved risks could affect the decision
How progress and results will be measured

The La Piana Merger and Alliance Toolkit notes that successful integration begins during negotiation. Planning at this stage helps organizations identify terms that may be difficult or expensive to implement before an agreement is finalized.

Hire a Consultant When the Boards or Leadership Teams Are Not Aligned

A merger can bring together boards and executives with different histories, decision-making styles, expectations, and ideas about the future.

Common areas of disagreement include:

Which organization’s CEO will lead
How the new board will be structured
Whether both organizations will retain representation
Which programs will continue
Whether the organization will adopt a new name
Where employees will work
How leadership positions will be selected
Which policies and systems will be retained

These discussions can become personal, particularly when leaders feel responsible for protecting an organization’s history or identity.

A neutral consultant can structure conversations, document agreements, identify unresolved questions, and help leaders evaluate choices against the shared mission. The consultant should not make the decisions, but can help both organizations reach them through a fair and clearly defined process.

Hire a Consultant When Organizational Cultures Are Different

Financial and legal compatibility do not guarantee that employees will work well together after a merger.

Differences may appear in:

Leadership styles
Communication practices
Approaches to decision-making
Expectations around accountability
Employee benefits
Workplace flexibility
Program philosophy
Attitudes toward risk and change
Relationships with clients and community partners

If cultural differences are not addressed, employees may divide into legacy groups, resist new policies, or leave the organization.

Research shared by La Piana Consulting identifies shared culture, operational coordination, communication, and acceptance of change as common merger challenges. It also notes that integration often takes longer than organizations initially expect.

A merger consultant can use staff interviews, surveys, joint planning sessions, and culture assessments to identify differences before they become larger problems.

Hire a Consultant When the Merger Involves Complex Operations

Some mergers are relatively contained. Others involve multiple locations, regulated services, government contracts, collective bargaining agreements, facilities, clinical programs, or complicated funding arrangements.

Outside support may be especially useful when the merger includes:

Healthcare or behavioral health services
Government-funded programs
Multiple legal entities
Shared facilities or capital assets
Unionized employees
Different accounting systems
Restricted grants
Licenses or accreditations
Large numbers of employees
Significant technology or data integration

A merger consultant should work alongside qualified legal, financial, regulatory, and human resources advisors. The consultant coordinates these areas but should not provide legal or accounting advice unless appropriately qualified.

Hire a Consultant When Communication Risks Are Growing

Employees, donors, funders, volunteers, clients, and community partners will want to understand why the merger is happening and how it may affect them.

Without a communication plan, people may fill information gaps with assumptions. Employees may worry about job security, donors may question whether their gifts will still support the same mission, and clients may fear losing access to services.

A consultant can help leadership determine:

Who needs to receive information
What information can be shared
When announcements should occur
Who will deliver each message
How questions and concerns will be handled
How often progress updates will be provided
How the combined organization will describe its mission

The organization should communicate internally before making major public announcements whenever possible. Messages should acknowledge uncertainty while clearly explaining the purpose of the merger and the expected benefits for the communities served.

Hire a Consultant When Integration Is Losing Momentum

Some organizations begin integration internally but later find that progress has slowed.

Warning signs include:

Deadlines repeatedly move
No one clearly owns the integration process
Leadership avoids difficult decisions
Employees receive conflicting instructions
Technology and financial systems remain separate
Staff turnover increases
The new board is not functioning effectively
Donors or funders are becoming concerned
Programs operate differently depending on the legacy organization
Leaders cannot explain whether the merger is meeting its goals

A consultant can assess the current state of the merger, identify where progress has stalled, and rebuild the integration plan around the most urgent issues.

Organizations can bring in support after a merger has legally closed. However, it is generally easier to prevent integration problems than to repair them after trust has been damaged.

What Should a Merger Integration Plan Include?

A practical integration plan should identify the work, responsible parties, deadlines, dependencies, and measures of success for each area.

Integration Area	Questions the Plan Should Address
Governance	What will the new board structure, committees, and decision rights be?
Leadership	Who will lead the organization, and how will responsibilities be divided?
Staffing	Which positions, reporting lines, compensation systems, and benefits will change?
Programs	Which services will continue, combine, expand, or close?
Finance	How will budgets, reserves, accounting systems, debts, and reporting be combined?
Operations	Which policies, procedures, facilities, and technology systems will be used?
Culture	How will the organization establish shared values and working practices?
Communications	How will staff, clients, donors, funders, and partners receive updates?
Measurement	Which indicators will show whether the merger is producing the intended results?

The plan should be reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available.

How to Select a Nonprofit Merger or Partnership Consultant

Boards and executives should ask prospective consultants:

Have you helped nonprofits evaluate whether a merger or partnership is appropriate?
How do you compare alternatives to a full merger?
How many nonprofit mergers and partnerships have you supported?
Have you worked with organizations similar to ours?
Which phases can you support, from feasibility and partner assessment through integration?
How do you approach board, leadership, and staff alignment?
How will you identify cultural and operational risks?
Who will lead the engagement?
How often will we receive progress reports?
How do you work with attorneys, accountants, and other advisors?
Can you provide references from previous nonprofit merger clients?
What deliverables, fees, and timelines are included?

Look for a consultant who understands nonprofit governance and mission-based decision-making. Corporate merger experience alone may not prepare someone for donor restrictions, volunteer boards, grant obligations, community relationships, and the absence of traditional ownership structures.

Getting the Right Support at the Right Time

The right time to seek support may be before a nonprofit has identified a partner or decided to merge. Early guidance can help leaders clarify their goals, assess available options, and decide whether a merger or partnership is worth pursuing. If they proceed, that groundwork can inform negotiation and implementation.

Glick Davis & Associates has guided 32 structured partnerships, joint ventures, and mergers involving 77 nonprofit organizations. Our partnership and merger services address feasibility, negotiation, financial considerations, organizational structure, staffing, culture, operations, and post-merger integration.

Whether your nonprofit is weighing its options, assessing a potential partner, or managing an integration already underway, contact Glick Davis & Associates to discuss the next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should a nonprofit bring in a merger or partnership consultant?

A consultant can become involved as soon as the organization needs help evaluating whether a merger or partnership is a suitable option. Support may include clarifying goals, assessing readiness, comparing alternatives, and evaluating potential partners. Consultants can also assist during negotiation and integration.

Do we need to decide to merge before hiring a consultant?

No. A consultant can help your board assess whether a merger makes sense in the first place. The assessment may lead to a merger, a different type of partnership, or a decision to remain independent.

Can a consultant help us consider alternatives to a merger?

Yes. Depending on your goals, a consultant can help assess options such as shared services, joint programs, or other structured partnerships. The aim is to determine which approach supports your mission and is practical for the organizations involved.

What is the difference between a merger consultant and a merger attorney?

A merger consultant guides the strategic, operational, cultural, and organizational parts of the process. An attorney provides legal advice, drafts or reviews agreements, and addresses regulatory requirements. Most nonprofit mergers benefit from both forms of support.

How long does nonprofit merger integration take?

The timeline depends on the organizations’ size, structure, programs, technology, workforce, funding, and regulatory requirements. Some operational changes can happen within months, while cultural, governance, and systems integration may continue for a year or longer.

Can a consultant help after a nonprofit merger has already closed?

Yes. A consultant can assess stalled integration work, clarify responsibilities, address cultural concerns, rebuild the implementation plan, and establish measures for tracking progress. Earlier support is preferable, but post-merger assistance can still be valuable.

Who should oversee the merger integration consultant?

Oversight may sit with a joint merger committee, the new board, the board chair, the chief executive, or an integration steering committee. The responsible group should have clear authority, receive regular progress reports, and make timely decisions when issues are escalated.

Glick Davis & Associates

When Should a Nonprofit Hire a Merger or Partnership Consultant?