Vignetta Charles, PhD Senior Vice President, AIDS United Robert Cordero, MSW President & Chief Program Officer, BOOM!Health Monique Tula Director of Capacity.

Asking the Tough Questions: Self-Assessment toward Growth versus Responsible Closure

Vignetta Charles, PhDSenior Vice President, AIDS United

Robert Cordero, MSWPresident & Chief Program Officer, BOOM!Health

Monique TulaDirector of Capacity Building, AIDS United

John Gatto, MSWVice President of Community Health, JRI

NCIHC

AIDS United is providing funds and technical assistance to: • Help the HIV/AIDS sector demonstrate its relevance, • Create seamless prevention, care and treatment service

models,• Ensure the sector viability in the midst of vast changes in

healthcare policy, financing and service delivery models.

These investments change not only community-based organizations, but entire health service delivery systems.

Sector Transformation Program Description

Merge, go, grow

Head in the Sand Ego / Identity Funds Time

Barriers to Transformation

Okay, this is better for the communities I serve, but: Will my organizational identity

change? What happens to my staff? What happens to my job?

Tough Questions?

Amazing Panelists

Robert Cordero, MSWPresident & Chief Program Officer

BOOM!Health

John Gatto, MSWVice President of

Community HealthJRI Health

Monique TulaDirector of Capacity

BuildingAIDS United

Where do I begin?

John Gatto, MSWVice President of Community HealthJRI Health

Leading vs. Managing: Bridging the Gap

Managers LeadersDo things right. Do the right thing.

Oversee current processes. Create future.

Achieve balance. Promote change.

Think about execution. Think about big ideas.

Comfortable with control. Welcome risks.

Focus on bottom line. Focus on big picture.

Focus on what to do. Focus on where to go.

See problems as needing resolution ASAP.

See problems as opportunities.

Interaction Institute for Social Change, 2012

Results

-Completion of the task-Achievement of the goal

Relationship

-How people experience each other-How people relate to the organization-How people feel about their involvement and contribution

Process-How the work get done-How the work is managed-How the work is monitored and evaluated

Dimensionsof

Success

Dimensions of Success

Smart People Have Already Answered This!

“Too many kings can ruin an army.”-Homer

“If you fail to honor your people, they will fail to honor you.

A leader is best when people barely know he exists,when his work is done, his aim fulfilled,

they will say ‘We did it ourselves!’”-Lao Tzu

What about Me?

Am I putting the greater good above personal and organizational ego?

Will integration really result in a stronger, more flexible, & effective organization?

Will redirecting resources really advance the mission & result in improved community outcomes?

Mission over empire-building

Trust your due diligence process Trust your instincts Expect buyer’s remorse Set your measurements for success &

measure!• Fiscal efficiency• Improved use of resources• Continuity of services• Improved client outcomes• Improved sustainability

The Morning After

John Gatto, MSWVice President of Community Health

JRI Health

[email protected]

John

Merge, Go, or Grow…

Robert Cordero, MSWPresident & Chief Program OfficerBOOM!Health

Clear, achievable mission? Comprehensive services? Measurable impact? Solid fiscal management? Adapting to changes in funding? Succession plan? Alignment with the policy environment?

All of the above? OR None of the above?

Sustainable?

Take care of your employees. Take care of your clients. Tell your donors and partners. Pay your debts or negotiate settlements. Document your work. Celebrate and recognize your staff, board,

and volunteers. Complete required paperwork.

Or put the egos aside…

Go?

Go?

Engage the board(s). Seek the right partner. Get outside help. The clients must be the primary focu. Tackle the tough issues first, including mission alignment &

culture. Respect the past but focus on the future. “Form follows function”: service model? Integrate senior staff. Steward the brand(s). Role of funders.

When successful, a merger or partnership can lead to growth, sustainability, and better services.

Merge or Partner?

Grow!

Grow!

Grow!

The Bronx is BOOM!ing:https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrsCWm9V7Fs

BOOM!

Robert Cordero, MSWPresident & Chief Program Officer

BOOM!Health

[email protected] @boomhealthnyc

Robert

Beyond Due Diligence:Merging Programs and Teams

Monique TulaDirector of Capacity BuildingAIDS United

Room for efficiencies at the mid & senior program management level

Different approaches to service provision

Defending program needs with new administration

Turf wars “Us” vs “Them”

Complex post-merger environment

Leadership

Vision

People

Inputs

Management

Implementation

Process

Outputs

The role of the implementer

Creating new organizational structure Integrating teams Merging programs Combining systems & data Updating personnel manual Arranging office space Expanding IT

Where the rubber meets the road

Hard decisions=not service provision as usual

Which services were duplicated, over or under-funded, less than effective, or no longer relevant?

Vastly different data collection systems: which do we keep/let go of?

Seamless integration of services to prevent disruption for clients

The Challenge: Program Integration

But successful implementation depends on real-time decision making informed by on-the-ground events

Logic models are pretty…

Not just EDs & Boards of Directors:• Direct service• Senior and mid-level managers• Finance• Operations

Vastly different organizational cultures

Role confusion Fear of being “taken over”

The Challenge: Team Integration

Merging is more than two

organizations coming together: it’s about people coming together.

If trust is an issue, the deal won’t move forward.

Who: senior level of program directors from both organizations

Purpose: improve efficiency, reduce duplication, create seamless integration of services

Responsibilities: • Sort through & solve arising issues• Workflow analysis• Plan for future• Advocate for program staff

The Solution: Service Integration Team

Shifting people to new sites Adjusting areas of responsibility Creating opportunities for staff to

take on new or revised roles New funding opportunities that work

across program areas• HIV testing linkage to care workforce

development

Bringing the silos together

Communication is key but so is balance!• Weekly directors’ meetings• Regular program team meetings• Monthly all program staff meetings• Coordinated messages from directors• Value of good, consistent data

Lessons learned

Know in advance whether the organizational culture will support the vision

No matter how hard you try to avoid it, you lose people along the way… and it never gets easy

Lessons learned

Monique TulaDirector of Capacity Building

AIDS United

[email protected]

Monique

Tools and Resources

Resource Author Description

Sector Transformation and Organizational Sustainability

(Webinar)

National Center for Innovation in HIV Care (Vignetta Charles)

-Overview of sector transformation in the world of ASOs-Cursory discussion of models of merging, growing, and closing (Merge, Go, or Grow)-Information on resources and grants for sector transformation

Nonprofit Mergers & Alliances

(Book)

 Thomas A. McLaughlin

- Understanding how to evaluate your organization- Choosing the right partner- Deciding what form of collaboration to pursue- Why nonprofit mergers are fundamentally different from corporate mergers

Tools and Resources

Tools and ResourcesResource Author Description

Merging Wisely

David La Piana/Stanford Social Innovation

Review

- Why nonprofits should merge- Potential merger situations and examples- Potential cost of merging- Collaborating/Promoting Partnerships

Nonprofit Collaborations: What CEOs & Funders Say Works – and

Doesn’t (webinar)

The Bridgespan

Group

- Types of Collaboration- Bridgespan: surveyed nonprofits and foundations to evaluate barriers, best practices and the desire for collaboration- Also included examples of mergers and lessons learned

Tools and ResourcesResource Author Description

Nonprofit M&A: More Than a Tool for Tough Times

The Bridgespan

Group

- Market Characteristics that encourage strategic M&A- Examples of successful mergers

Strategic Restructuring for Nonprofit Organizations

Amelia Kohm and David La

Piana

- Benefits/Costs/Challenges of Strategic Restructuring Partnerships- Future impact of Strategic Restructuring on the Nonprofit Sector

Tools and ResourcesResource Author Description

Forging Nonprofit Alliances

Jane Arsenault

- Conducting Exploratory Negotiations with Possible Partners- Discovering Strategic Opportunities- Integrating Corporate Cultures- Joint Ventures/partnerships/Mergers- Finalizing Definitive Agreements and Planning the Transition

Program Sustainability Assessment Tool

George Warren Brown

School of Social Work (University

of Washington St. Louis)

- Environmental Support- Funding Stability- Partnerships - Organizational Capacity- Program Evaluation- Program Adaptation- Communications- Strategic Planning