December 14, 2016 | Read Time: 4 minutes
Nonprofit mergers can be messy. Staff members often object to uniting fully with another group; board members may be reluctant, too. Even outside supporters might protest a merger, especially when news of the union takes them by surprise. Mishandling communication about such a transition carries many risks, including the loss of longtime donors, or of the entire deal falling through.
That’s why experts say nonprofits should create detailed, comprehensive plans for how, and when, to notify staff members, donors, government agencies they work with, and the general public about merger plans.
Pine Street Inn, a homelessness-prevention group, did just that when it joined forces in 2013 with hopeFound, another charity that worked with the homeless in Boston.
The two nonprofits had partnered for many years to provide services, and hopeFound’s leaders felt that combining forces with Pine Street Inn was in their group’s best interest. Pine Street developed affordable housing, which put it in a better position to secure government funding.
In the weeks before the merger, Pine Street Inn Executive Director Lynda Downie, two members of her communications staff, and a consultant drafted documents and spreadsheets that outlined, in detail, how employees and external supporters would be informed about the merger. All notifications took place in the few days before the official announcement to the news media and the public.
The Chronicle spoke with Heidi Daniels, vice president of development and external affairs for Pine Street Inn, to ask how the nonprofit drafted its communication plan and what she would advise other groups planning a merger. Here’s what she suggested.
Make a comprehensive list of all of the audiences you need to inform. Ms. Daniels’ team first listed all the groups and individuals to notify about the merger, including staff members at both nonprofits, donors, vendors, government officials, and others.
That was important, Ms. Daniels said, because Pine Street wanted to tailor its messaging to address key concerns these people might have.
Write down all of the questions that could come up. The team tried to anticipate issues key constituencies might raise about the merger — including whether the mission of either group would change and if employees would be laid off or services cut — and crafted short responses.
For example, one question was: “Why should I still give you money?” The response was: “Because we will still have the same number of homeless people who need the same services. The combined mission is the same, the goals are the same, the needs are the same, and the resources needed to meet them are the same. We need you more than ever to make this new system work well for those most in need.”
Draw up a “position statement.” Ms. Daniels and her team then developed basic messages to explain why the merger was necessary. Their “umbrella message” read: “By combining Pine Street Inn and hopeFound into one organization to deliver a comprehensive and coordinated range of services, we will better support Boston’s homeless men and women, accelerating their transition from the streets and emergency shelters into permanent housing.”
They also drew up a few supporting paragraphs to convey a critical message: that the partners could now provide assistance more efficiently, and “that by joining forces, we’re going to have a stronger impact and a more full array of services,” Ms. Daniels said.
The team shared key messages and answers to likely questions with senior staff members who would field inquires from employees, the media, or supporters.
Establish a timeline for who needs to be notified and when. The Pine Street team made a spreadsheet listing which individuals or organizations should be contacted before the public announcement and in what order. They decided that after notifying employees, it was most important to inform Boston’s mayor and other elected officials, because Pine Street depends heavily on government support. Next came key foundation supporters and nonprofit partners, individual donors, vendors, and the people Pine Street and hopeFound served.
“You don’t want anybody to be blindsided,” Ms. Daniels said.
Determine who will contact supporters and which kinds of communications will be sent. The team detailed who would make calls and send messages, and to which people.
Some supporters got special communications. For instance, the mayor received a personal phone call from Ms. Downie, as did officials at the Boston Foundation and Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, both key Pine Street partners. Other elected officials received calls and emails from the group’s director of community and government relations. Various individual, foundation, and corporate donors got calls and emails from trustees, fundraisers, and other staff.
“Having all those ducks in row really made it go as well as it did,” Ms. Daniel said.
Download the “Key Messages” about the Pine Street Inn/hopeFound merger and answers to the expected questions.
