New resources help nonprofit boards examine strategic alliances, collaboration

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30315
• Published date: 01 May 2017
• Date: 01 May 2017

MAY 2017

7

NONPROFIT BUSINESS ADVISOR

© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

DOI: 10.1002/nba

(See RESOURCES on page 8)

Industry News

New resources help nonprot boards examine

strategic alliances, collaboration

A coalition of leading nonprots has launched a

new campaign aimed at guiding charities through

the process of exploring strategic alliances and col-

laborative restructuring. The campaign, dubbed The

Power of Possibility, was developed by BoardSource,

the Bridgespan Group, MAP for Nonprots and

several other partners, with the goal of demonstrat-

ing how such alliances can be leveraged to amplify

nonprot impact. The campaign showcases several

successful strategic alliances and restructuring—such

as joint programming, administrative consolidation

and mergers—and provides a blueprint for nonprot

boards to follow as they consider whether a strategic

alliance or restructuring could help them advance

their organization’s work.

First and foremost, they say, is to ask some straight-

forward questions about the organization’s current

operating reality, such as:

• What is our core purpose? What problem are we

trying to solve or what new reality are we trying to

create?

• If we were founded today, would it be to ll an

unmet need within our community and world?

• If we were to close our doors today, from whom

would we hear and what would they say?

• Do we have the resources and capacities we need

to grow—or even continue—the impact that we seek

to have in the world?

The answers to these questions will help provide

clarity and direction about the organization’s funda-

mental purpose, the groups say, which will be helpful as

you explore the opportunities that may exist to strategi-

cally align or restructure with another organization.

The next step, as laid out in the Power of Possibility

guide on the campaign’s website, is to understand your

external environment, which can help you identify and

anticipate opportunities or threats to your organization

that could potentially be addressed through a strategic

alliance or restructuring.

This involves examining the external environment—

including the competitive landscape, the funding envi-

ronment, policies and regulations, and population and

demographics—on an ongoing basis to help anticipate

both the opportunities and challenges of likely change.

The third step in the process is to revisit existing

plans and strategies to uncover new opportunities for

strategic partnerships. This may include expanding

the organization’s scope, adding or combining pro-

grams and nding efciencies and ways to decrease

overlap.

Finally, the guide says, if the board has concluded

A new poll commissioned by the Independent Sec-

tor found that 75 percent of American voters want

to expand the charitable deduction to taxpayers who

do not itemize on their taxes.

The poll of 800 registered voters found that 78

percent of Hillary Clinton voters and 75 percent of

Donald Trump voters favored the expanded deduc-

tion. That matches with 2016 polling done prior to the

election that found strong support for the charitable

deduction from individuals regardless of party.

According to the Independent Sector, public opin-

ions on the matter will come into play as Washington

turns its focus to tax reform. As it stands now, the

charitable tax deduction is only available to American

taxpayers who itemize on their taxes—who also tend

to have higher incomes. The group has been lobbying

policymakers over the last year to put in place a “uni-

versal” charitable deduction that would be available

to those who don’t itemize, which would incentivize

charitable giving for a much broader section of the

public. Research has shown that such incentives do

lead to more donations, the group said.

The Independent Sector said it will be advocating

strongly to strengthen and expand the charitable

deduction, among other priorities that impact the

charitable community. ■

Poll shows widespread support for expanding charitable deduction