Mergers in the INGO sector: when does joining forces make sense?
With the sector contracting, funding in short supply, shifting donor priorities, and increasing expectations around impact, accountability, and localisation, organisations in the international development sector are rethinking how they operate.
Strategic mergers are increasingly emerging as an option for charities seeking to strengthen their reach, reduce duplication, and ensure the financial sustainability of their missions.
This webinar, in partnership with HaysMac, is for CEOs and senior leaders from across the UK-based international development community to explore the role of mergers in enhancing strategic impact and the challenges on the merger journey.
Key areas covered were:
- The strategic case for merger – what are the core components of a merger proposal? When is the right time and what are the key ingredients for success?
- Financial fit – building financial resilience as a key element in a merger, ensuring that mergers happen at the right financial moment (and how to recognise that)
- Governance and regulation – the role of Boards in a merger, and navigating the sticking points that can get in the way of success
- Mission alignment and power dynamics – being honest about the power dynamics, how to merge when there may be inequalities in funding and scale
- Culture, identity, and stakeholder trust – ensuring that the fit isn’t just financial and strategic, but also cultural and builds trust in both workforces
- Financial sustainability and due diligence – assessing risk, integrating funding streams, and safeguarding long-term viability
- Lessons from recent sector mergers – honest reflections from organisations that have undertaken significant structural change
We heard from sector speakers Tom Dannatt (Street Child) and Jasmina Haynes (Integrity Action) sharing honest reflections of their first hand experience.
Watch the recording
