Executive Transition Creates Powerful Possibilities

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog about my upcoming retirement, and shared that my Board of Directors was using my transition to examine whether there might be a merger opportunity that could propel MAP’s mission forward more powerfully.*

For the past several months, MAP has been in discussion with Nonprofits Assistance Fund (NAF) and our boards have concluded that similarities in our vision, mission, and strategies are fertile soil for the consideration of a merger. To that end, earlier this month, the Boards of Directors of MAP and NAF voted unanimously to pursue a merger of our two organizations. We have now shared this news with our funders and received tremendous encouragement to forge ahead.

I truly can’t envision a more powerful possibility for advancing MAP’s mission! MAP and NAF programs are complementary and all the more impressive when lined up together. We’re confident that should our organizations join, there will be opportunities to deepen and expand our offerings, and to serve organizations in new geographic- and community impact-areas. For the remainder of 2016, we’ll be working on all facets of the combination in preparation for a final merger vote. The boards have already agreed that Kate Barr of NAF will serve as the executive director of the new entity.

There are many details and a final merger vote that remain, but I wanted to give you an update on this important topic we introduced earlier this year. We anticipate knowing a whole lot more in January of 2017.

From the start, MAP committed to a process that could showcase how nonprofit boards and leaders can use pivotal moments in their organizations’ journeys to create more powerful mission impact. By walking our talk, we are striving to live up to that commitment.