Strength Through Partnership

A nationally prominent technology-based association retained Coulter Strategy & Innovation to conduct a comprehensive analysis of association revenue and expense centers to determine a strategic path that would provide enhanced value to the association’s members and corporate supporters. In addition, we were asked to fully explore the development of strategic alliances with aligned nonprofit organizations serving the same industry niche.

The Challenge: A nationally prominent technology-based association retained Coulter Strategy & Innovation to conduct a comprehensive analysis of association revenue and expense centers to determine a strategic path that would provide enhanced value to the association’s members and corporate supporters. In addition, we were asked to fully explore the development of strategic alliances with aligned nonprofit organizations serving the same industry niche. 

Coulter Strategy & Innovation Response: After swift completion of the consulting phase of the project, Coulter Strategy & Innovation was asked by the association’s leadership to accept executive responsibility for the immediate implementation of the recommendations contained within the report. These recommendations included outsourcing certain association functions to maximize efficiency and improve program margins, undertake strategic staff reductions together with internal communications and infrastructure enhancements. To complete this project, a Coulter Strategy & Innovation principal was retained to serve in an interim association leadership role.

As part of the implementation phase, Coulter Strategy & Innovation identified and pursued negotiations with a nonprofit merger partner, and together with the full endorsement of volunteer leadership and key staff, implemented a merger agreement that created a new and more powerful association.

The Result: The client association has been merged into and fully integrated within the new organization. Together with the operating efficiencies and program revenue enhancements stemming from the implementation of Coulter Strategy & Innovation’s recommendations, the client association fully retired a significant operating deficit. The new organization is both highly influential and financially robust, and provides a greater range of member benefits than either of the predecessor organizations were able to deliver.