Support for Mergers & Strategic Collaborations
APA has launched an M&A practice to support our member organizations as they navigate the surge in interest in mergers and strategic partnerships that is sweeping the field this year. Leaders are asking whether strategic collaboration could help them expand their impact, reduce duplicative infrastructure, or respond to financial pressures—but most don’t have the guidance or resources to take the next step. Our new M&A practice exists to meet this need.
Across our Alliance Community, 18% of nonprofit orgs are currently exploring mergers and another 39% plan to explore mergers over the next 12 months.
The Survey
Amid a surge in interest in these types of partnerships, APA surveyed Alliance member organizations in July, 2025 to better understand the types of supports that will enable nonprofits to take action. Responses from 105 organizations offer a clear picture of both the opportunities, barriers to overcome, and concrete ways funders can help—from supporting early exploration and due diligence, to empowering intermediaries to provide the strategic support needed to take advantage of these opportunities.
The Playbook
To further support organizations on this journey, we developed a playbook of best practices for exploring mergers and acquisitions in the social sector in partnership with Monitor Institute by Deloitte. This playbook codifies best practices for M&A in the social sector, spanning strategy, diligence, integration, and case studies from six Alliance member organizations.
M&A Practice Overview
To help support our 150+ member organizations as they explore mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic partnerships, we are:
Facilitating a knowledge-sharing series providing candid insights from organizations who have completed mergers and strategic partnerships
Building a digital database for organizations to share the capacities they are looking to import and export
Compiling a list of trusted service providers who can help organizations will diligence, consulting, and financial modeling