Gordon Gekko Be Damned: Making the Best of Non-Profit Mergers

This post originally appeared on “Over Coffee,” the blog from the Advertising Council of Rochester.
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Mention “merger” to a friend or neighbor, and chances are that visions of a Gordon Gekko-like corporate raider come to mind. We’ve all seen our fair share of companies being swallowed by another, typically with mixed outcomes.

But what about non-profit mergers? A 2009 poll by the Bridgespan Group indicated that one in five non-profits were considering this possibility as a way to increase efficiencies and maintain services. Closer to home, we saw the combination of Mercy Residential Services and Mercy Outreach Center last year, forming Mercy Community Services.

Although I had been on the inside of multiple corporate M&A programs over the years, my work with the Ad Council and the Mercy team represented my first foray on the non-profit side of the equation. Once we dug in, it was soon apparent that much of what applied in the for-profit world directly correlated to non-profit merger communications.

So how do you best communicate a merger? Keep my four “Cs” in mind, and you’ll be off to a good start:

1. Clarify Your Objectives. Understand your objectives in sharing news about the formation of a combined organization. Too often, teams are simply told to spread word without comprehending the underlying rationale and implications. Do you need to shore up funding from existing donors? Rebuild reputation? Keep staff from running for the exits?
   
2. Cull Your Audience. Sure, you want to tell the entire world about the merger, but unless you have limitless resources, that’s a pipe dream. Prioritize your audiences, and then zero in on the most important groups. Successfully reach them, and only then turn your attention to the “B” list.
   
3. Crystallize Your Messages. On average, a person can internalize no more than three of four messages, so resist the urge to tell your entire story in a single breath. Recognize what’s most important at this moment in time, based on your objectives and audiences, and tailor your messages for an exact fit.
   
4. Create a Strategy. How will you share your tale of wedded bliss? Put pen to paper, or electrons to screen, and plot out a simple path. Will it change as the program unfolds? Sure, but without a roadmap, you’ll never come close to your intended destination.

Go forth, merge and serve your community well. Make magic out of your communications efforts, and take one more bite out of that Gekko stereotype!

Mike McDougall, APR, is an Ad Council board member and managing partner of McDougall Travers Collins, a public relations, digital marketing and advertising firm with offices in Rochester and Buffalo. Contact Mike at mmcdougall@mcdougalltc.com, 585-955-8211 or follow him on Twitter.