Mergers: Making Heads or Tails of What it Could Mean for Your Nonprofit

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 9 a.m. - Noon

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Hosted by North Park University, Chicago, IL

Half-Day Workshop: $90

3 CEUs

About this Session: Many nonprofits and funders are talking about mergers today, seeking ways for organizations to be more efficient and consolidating their overhead costs. This session will walk you through the basics of 1) determining if a merger may be right for your organization, 2) identifying potential merger partners and 3) what it takes to complete a successful merger – all through the eyes of two executive directors whose organizations merged in July 2014.

Who Should Participate: Executive directors and management staff

About the Presenters: Gretchen Slusser has been the Executive Director of Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) since 2011. Gretchen came to CGLA from thredpartners, a Chicago-based management consulting firm she co-founded in 2004. Gretchen has over 18 years of experience in designing and implementing project-based, technology and business solutions. Her industry focus has been education, financial services and high-tech. A subject matter expert with a passion for developing creative solutions that drive change has contributed to her success in the management consulting arena. She first became involved with CGLA as a volunteer and a donor, and has a long history of volunteerism and service both locally and internationally. Since she joined CGLA in 2011, the organization has adopted a new strategic plan, increased the operating budget by 28% and most recently acquired Chicago-based nonprofit Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM). Gretchen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a degree in marketing and minor in political science. She also earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute.

Mary Morten is the President of Morten Group (MG), a consulting firm specializing in social change through skills development, public policy and advocacy. Morten Group focuses on organizational and resource development including workshops on diversity and building communities of inclusion and access, executive coaching and succession planning, board recruitment and retention, and film/video production. Clients include nonprofits, foundations and corporations in Illinois and across the country. Mary has over 20 years of executive leadership experience at nonprofits and a past mayoral appointment in city government that provides clients with a unique skill set and access to decision makers. Over the last several years, Mary has served as an interim executive for several organizations: Interim Executive Director of Chicago Foundation for Women, the region’s largest women’s fund; Interim Executive Director of Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM); and Interim Vice President of Development at Howard Brown Health Center. Mary holds a BA in communications with an emphasis in radio and television from Loyola University Chicago. She is a member of the Donors Forum of Chicago, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits.