#MergerMondays: Rachel’s Light + Hospitality House

Now, more than ever, nonprofit collaboration means standing strong to accomplish our missions, even when put up against adversity.

With the growing number of people experiencing homelessness across the country, qualified and capable nonprofits are necessary. Two such Owatonna, Minnesota organizations, Rachel’s Light and Hospitality House, have stepped up to the plate, combining their resources to create one unified entity. As of January 1, 2025, The Lighthouse of Southern Minnesota is the result of this strategic merger, with the mission to provide comprehensive, inclusive and compassionate services to those experiencing homelessness in the community.

This merger is the result of extensive research, discussion and consideration of both organizations’ histories, as well as their present states and desired futures. Rather than working in parallel, competing for funding, volunteers and leadership, the organizations have taken this step to combine their strengths and become even stronger together. Now, The Lighthouse of Southern Minnesota will be able to streamline their resources and reduce duplication while offering an expanded range of programming and services.

“We’re setting ourselves up for success,” says Amanda Starks, the Executive Director of Rachel’s Light. “By uniting our resources, expertise and networks, we will be able to help more people, more effectively and create lasting change in our community.”

While the merger brings a new name, logo and brand identity, both organizations will maintain their current websites and services. 

The future is unclear, and there are certainly going to be new obstacles in the coming months and years, but one thing is for sure: nonprofits can accomplish a whole lot more together than we can separately. Here’s to #successful and #sustainablecollaboration.

The details of this merger, how it came to be and where it’s going are definitely worth a read. Check out the official announcement at Newsbreak.