Is It Right for You? Presenters: PETER PEARS ON & S UE HALL - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Is It Right for You?

Presenters: PETER PEARS ON & S UE HALL

Merging a Friends & Foundation

Introduction

A Little Bit About Library S trategies

What Do Friends Typically Do?

• A volunteer Board conducts most activities
• Conduct membership campaigns
• Used book sales
• Volunteers in libraries
• Author programs, small events
• Advocates & ambassadors for the library

What Do Foundations Typically Do?

• Foundation Board is well-connected in the community &

hires staff to do the Foundation’s work

• Conducts maj or fundraising activities including

annual fund solicitation, grant writing, capital campaigns, maj or gifts, corporate sponsorships and planned giving

• Hosts maj or fundraising events
• May have a role in advocacy and public awareness

Friends & Foundations Working Together

• Make sure both organizations

are clear on the roles & responsibilities of each group

• Honor the work of each group
• S

ign “ Letters of Agreement” detailing respective roles

Friends & Foundations Working Together

• Have a representative from each
• rganization serve ex-officio on the
• ther’s Board
• Allow ex-officio Board members to

report back to their own Board

• Conduct an annual j oint Board

meeting

Friends & Foundations Working Together

• When communicating with the

community, reference the other

• rganization and its role
• Involve Friends and foundation

Board members in each other’s strategic planning

• Consider a j oint activity (special

event, advocacy effort)

Where Can Conflict Exist?

• Roles & responsibilities that are unclear
• Both organizations conducting similar

activities

• Poor communication
• Territoriality

Minimizing Conflict between Friends & Foundations

• Open the lines of communication
• Clearly articulate “ Who does

what? ”

• Exchange Board liaisons
• Meet annually

Well… That Didn’ t Work!

• Be up front about exploring a merger
• Communicate “ decision to explore

merger” to key stakeholders simultaneously

• S

eek an outside facilitator to manage the exploration

• S

et a timeline and appoint a Merger Exploration Committee

Advantages to Merging

• Minimize administrative/ staffing needs
• Reduce library staff involvement
• Coordinate messages of public/ private

support

• S

implify the recruitment of Board members for j ust one organization

• Clarity for the community at-large

Reasons Not to Merge

• Both organizations are clear about

their roles and provide good support to the library

• One of the organizations has a bad

reputation in the community

• One of the Boards is strongly
• pposed to merger

Challenges to Merging

• Distinctly different Board

cultures

• Increased operating costs
• Lack of support for the process
• Naming the new organization

The Merger Process

• Process should be facilitated by someone with

no vested interest

• Conduct personal interviews with

representatives to gauge support & identify barriers

• Design a process that focuses on the
• pportunities and the challenges and identifies

strategies for reaching common ground

The Merger Process

• Initial meetings with both groups

individually

• Joint meeting once each group has agreed

to merge

• Joint session should focus on Board size,

composition, activities & committee structure (retain members from each

• rganization)

The Merger Process

• Boards should establish timeline for merger

process

• Appoint an Implementation Committee made up
• f representatives from both organizations
• Implementation Committee deals with legal

issues, new By-laws, Board recruitment and name of the merged organization

First Activities of the New Organization

• Recruit and conduct orientation for a

new Board

• Create a Development Plan to

establish vision and 3-year goals

• Announce new organization in the

community

Real Life Examples

• A Community with one Friends & one

Foundation

• A community with one foundation &

multiple Friends groups

• A community with a successful merged
• rganization

THANK YOU!

Peter Pearson, President The Friends of the S aint Paul Public LIbrary – peterp@ thefriends.org S ue Hall, Library S trategies Director – sue@ thefriends.org www.librarystrategiesconsulting.org