Strategic Collaborations: What Your Board Needs to Know (Morristown, NJ)

Workshop facilitated by Jo DeBolt 

Now, more than ever, nonprofit organizations are thinking about strategic collaborations, alliances and mergers to improve organizational effectiveness.  Although concern for the organization’s survival may be a driving force, the most successful partnerships are mission-based and pursue greater social impact.  Board members can play an important role in this strategic conversation if they understand the full range of strategic restructuring options including joint programming, administrative consolidation and various forms of merger. This half-day session explores the benefits and challenges of strategic collaborations and restructuring, and outlines the phases of the process, with special attention on the role of board members, including how Boards can help nonprofits consider and assess the potential of a partnership, support a request for help from other nonprofits, effectively negotiate a strategic restructuring, and support implementation and integration of the strategic collaboration.  We encourage Executive Directors to bring  up to two additional Executive Committee members,  to this workshop.