Source 
Source
All articles and quotes on this page draw from IVAR’s research, particularly from our work with voluntary & community organisations.
Merger in 2020
Publications:
Thinking about... Merger, during Covid-19
Ben Cairns, IVAR | Lawrie Simanowitz, Bates Wells
01 June 2020
Thinking about merger in 2020
Ben Cairns
We have learned much over the last two decades about what makes a merger successful. How much can be applied in the current circumstances?
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Practitioner perspectives
Perspectives of practitioners who have led merger processes. We asked them to share their reflections for other leaders contemplating merger in the context of the Covid-19 crisis.
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The success of mergers depends on a clear vision for the charities’ beneficiaries, looking beyond current staff and structures.
The basics
Why merge?
Voluntary sector organisations start thinking about merger for two main reasons: as a response to funding cuts and anxiety about survival or when an opportunity arises to provide more and better services to beneficiaries.
Ideas
Vision first, structure second. Working towards a shared vision helps organisations to feel they have something to gain from coming together and, therefore, that some compromises are worth making.
Even if you enter merger explorations on the back foot, preoccupied by survival rather than growth – it is still important to identify and pursue a positive agenda about change and improvement.
Hear from a recently merged organisation
We’re now a sustainable charity that’s delivering better services for our members and our beneficiaries’
Hear from a lawyer
We’ve been working on mergers with Lawrie for over 10 years.
Lawrence Simanowitz is a partner at Bates Wells Braithwaite and has worked on 20-30 charity mergers, some of which involved hundreds of organisations.
Usually, you look back afterwards and think ‘that was the right thing to have done’
Further reading
Publications:
Thinking about… merger
Eliza Buckley, Ben Cairns, Romayne Hutchison, Lawrence Simanowitz
Bringing together the experiences of voluntary organisations and advisors that have contemplated or carried out mergers
Learn more about IVAR