#MergerMondays? Will the Center for Public Integrity continue through merger?
I’ve been trying to figure out what to share about this one….The New York Times published an article a couple weeks ago about the Center for Public Integrity. The headline is: “Center for Public Integrity Weighs Merger or Shutdown Amid Dire Financial Straits.” I realize it’s a bit presumptuous to suggest edits to a NYT headline, but I like mine better: Will the Center for Public Integrity continue through merger?
Like many nonprofit news organizations, they’re struggling. And quite publicly. My views on transparency and communications around nonprofit merger activity are evolving and highly contextual, but in this instance, it irks me that a credible news organization presented the situation this way.
I shared about another example earlier this year of consolidation between nonprofit news organizations. And I’m still concerned about this as we navigate an election year, AI, and whatever else is shifting beneath our feet. It seems that Nieman Lab’s prediction about increased consolidation activity among nonprofit news organization was right on the money. And it’s only March.
I share about nonprofit mergers to help destigmatize the topic and make consolidation feel accessible to more organizations who have never considered it. That’s what #MergerMondays is all about. When possible merger activity is presented in this kind of dooms day way, it sends a message to other nonprofits that:
#1 don’t tell anyone you’re exploring merger or you’ll end up in the paper, and
#2 it’s only worth merging if your only other option is shutting down.
So, I confess, I hesitated to share this one. Today, I was going to write about the announced merger between the Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and the People First Economy, but I’m saving that for next week. Even though I wish this article wasn’t perpetuating myths about merger only applying to struggling organizations, the struggle is real. Look at how many local news outlets we’ve lost in the last decade!
We know that organizations who collaborate from a position of strength are often more successful in growing their impact and living their values. Remember this 2021 article: “Nonprofit Mergers and Acquisitions: Not Just an Escape Plan”? But merger isn’t just for strong organizations either. If there’s something worth saving, merger is worth exploring. For an election year in the information age, I want more nonprofit news, not less. I’m very curious to see how this unfolds! I hope you are, too. Stay tuned.
