Merging Advancement Offices in Higher Education
Six Strategies for a Smooth Transition
When two universities or colleges merge, combining Advancement offices isn’t just about fitting two puzzle pieces together—it’s about realizing the puzzle has missing pieces, duplicate pieces, and probably a few pieces from an entirely different puzzle. It’s a test of leadership, cultural integration, and your ability to manage people who suddenly fear for their jobs, status, and relationships with donors they’ve cultivated for years.
And the stakes? High.
For one side, a merger might feel like an exciting new chapter. It’s a strategic move to build something stronger. For the other, it can feel like a loss. Loss of autonomy, loss of identity, or even a quiet acknowledgment that something wasn’t working. These transitions are rarely neutral; they carry emotions, such as grief, uncertainty, even a sense of failure. And if those emotions aren’t acknowledged and managed, they will manifest in ways that stall progress, erode trust, and ultimately impact fundraising.
Why It Matters Now: Higher Ed is Fast Changing
Such mergers are becoming more common. Higher education is facing unprecedented financial pressure, declining enrollment, and a rising number of institutional closures. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, undergraduate enrollment has declined by more than 1.3 million students since 2019, and experts predict that hundreds of colleges and universities could close or consolidate in the next decade (Inside Higher Ed, Chronicle of Higher Education). The Federal Reserve of Philadelphia went so far as to suggest that 80 colleges and universities might close over the next 5 years (cite here).
That means many advancement teams are no longer just merging internally. They’re integrating into entirely new institutional brands following an organizational merger or consolidation. Alignment with the broader brand isn’t just a best practice—it’s essential for donor trust and long-term fundraising success.
Research shows that 50% to 85% of organizational mergers fail, and it’s not because of bad intentions, but because leaders underestimate culture, human behavior, and the psychological attachment people have to “the way we’ve always done it.” And if you think nonprofits are immune, think again. Philanthropy runs on trust, loyalty, and relationships which just makes disruption even riskier.
But don’t worry, there’s an upside: get it right, and a merger isn’t just about survival—it’s a massive opportunity to reimagine, strengthen, and future-proof your fundraising operation.
So, how do you do it? Here’s your playbook.
1. Convene the Board in a Conversation About Vision, Priorities, and Narrative
While Advancement may not set the institutional vision, it has a unique perspective that positions it to lead the board and executive leadership in a critical conversation about how that vision translates to external audiences, donor priorities, and philanthropic investment.
At its core, fundraising isn’t just about raising money; it’s about connecting donors to a compelling future that they want to be part of. If the board isn’t thinking about that future in donor-centric terms, Advancement must step in to bridge the gap.
- Why it matters: University boards are often composed of donors themselves. They bring a high-level institutional perspective, but they don’t always understand how a merger, rebrand, or restructuring will impact donor trust, alumni loyalty, or philanthropic priorities. Advancement is in the best position to help the board see the merger through a donor lens.
How Advancement can take the lead:
✅ Facilitate a visioning session with the board. Instead of waiting for leadership to hand down a new direction, Advancement can proactively guide a conversation that helps the board articulate:
- What fundraising success looks like post-merger.
- What the university’s most compelling priorities should be for donors.
- How the institution can maintain donor trust and inspire continued investment, especially with different alumni affinities.
✅ Bring donor insights to the table. Advancement leaders have real-time data on donor sentiment, giving patterns, and alumni engagement. Use this data to inform board discussions, challenge assumptions, and highlight potential risks and opportunities. If donors are hesitant about the merger, the board needs to hear it. If there’s an opportunity to rally major donors around a bold new vision, the board needs to know that, too.
✅ Shape the institutional narrative. Advancement leaders understand that fundraising is driven by storytelling and emotional connection. While leadership may focus on operational efficiencies or financial sustainability, donors want to know:
- What does this mean for students? What does this mean for alumni from both institutions?
- How does this strengthen the university’s mission?
- Why should I continue investing?
Advancement can lead the charge in ensuring that the university’s messaging resonates with the hearts and minds of donors—not just the bottom line.
It comes down to this: Advancement isn’t just a passive recipient of institutional vision; it should be a strategic partner in shaping how that vision is developed, communicated, and funded. By leading the board in this conversation, Advancement ensures that fundraising priorities are embedded in the university’s future from day one.
2. Protect Legacy Donors Like an Endangered Species
Donors are not spreadsheets. They are humans who feel personally connected to an institution through relationships, and usually with the fundraisers who’ve been cultivating them for years. Ignore this at your peril. Donor attrition after a leadership or structural change is real, and once they’re gone, they’re expensive (and sometimes impossible) to get back.
📌 Reality check: Research from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy proves donor loyalty is the single most important predictor of long-term fundraising success (Giving USA).
How to avoid a donor exodus:
✅ Over-communicate the transition. Personalized outreach, direct conversations, and making sure donors feel reassured—not left in the dark—are key.
✅ Host exclusive donor events to introduce leadership, answer questions, and reinforce the message: “We’re stronger together.”
✅ Show continuity. Merge your messaging to emphasize shared values, mission, and impact. Don’t make it about the merger but make it about the donor’s ongoing role in the institution’s success. Sometimes this means segmenting messaging to the two different constituencies to ensure the messaging resonates given their previous institutions.
3. Address Role Overlaps Before They Become a Crisis
Nothing sparks office politics faster than two people realizing they have the same job. If you don’t tackle this upfront, expect resentment, turf wars, and an exodus of talent (read: the people who know your donors best).
📌 Reality check: Gallup research shows that employees who lack role clarity are 27% more disengaged and 45% more likely to burn out (Gallup). This is an incredibly expensive mistake waiting to happen in lost productivity and staff turnover.
What to do instead:
✅ Rip off the Band-Aid early. Map out redundancies, consolidate responsibilities, and have clear, direct conversations about what’s changing. Don’t let people guess where they stand.
✅ Give people agency. Instead of forcing roles on employees, involve them in shaping their new responsibilities. People are less likely to resist change when they feel like they have some control over it.
✅ Be transparent about career paths. If someone is losing a title or direct reports, tell them why. Better yet, give them a new opportunity that makes them feel like they’re moving forward—not being sidelined.
4. Create a “Third Identity”
You’re not absorbing one team into another. You’re creating something new. If you fail to do this, employees and donors alike will see the merger for what it feels like—a takeover where one office gets swallowed, and the other stays in control.
📌 Reality check: Successful advancement mergers aren’t just about restructuring. They are about creating a new, shared identity that feels like a fresh start.
How to make this work:
✅ Rebrand the team. This can be as simple as a new tagline or as big as a new name but make it something everyone can rally around.
✅ Co-create guiding principles. Get your staff involved in defining values, behaviors, and expectations for the new team.
✅ Build new traditions. Whether it’s new staff retreats, a different approach to donor engagement, or fresh internal messaging, make sure people feel like they’re part of something evolving, not being absorbed.
5. Play the Long Game: Cultural Integration Takes Years
You can merge budgets in a day, integrate CRMs in a few months, and restructure org charts in a quarter. But changing culture? That takes years.
📌 Reality check: McKinsey research shows even the most successful mergers take three to five years to fully integrate (McKinsey & Company). The worst mistake you can make is assuming the hard part is over once the paperwork is signed.
What this means in practice:
✅ Set realistic expectations. Leadership needs to communicate that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Culture shifts happen gradually, not overnight.
✅ Create measurable milestones. What does success look like after 6 months? A year? Three years? Have a plan for tracking progress.
✅ Invest in team integration. Don’t just expect people to “figure it out.” Create cross-team working groups, encourage collaboration, and make time for people to build trust. Consider hosting in-person retreats early and often to foster integration and begin to build a new team culture.
6. Bring in a Neutral Facilitator (Before the Drama Hits the Fan)
There’s no way around it: Mergers are fertile ground for drama. No matter how well you plan, tensions will flare, leadership will butt heads, and employees will resist change. The worst thing you can do is pretend it’s all going smoothly.
- Did you know? Organizations that engage neutral facilitators for major transitions increase their likelihood of success because they bring unbiased structure, process, and accountability.
Why an outside consultant is worth the investment:
✅ They mediate high-stake conversations, so you don’t have to (and so your team doesn’t implode).
✅ They offer best practices and uncover blind spots that leadership is too close to see.
✅ They help align decision-making with strategy—not personal agendas.
Final Thought: This Is About More Than Systems—It’s About People
At the end of the day, advancement offices don’t exist to push paper, process gifts, or hit campaign goals. They exist to build relationships that drive philanthropy. And relationships are built on trust, continuity, and connection—things that are all at risk in a merger.
So don’t just focus on logistics and structures. Focus on the people. The fundraisers, the donors, the alumni, the culture. Because if you get that right? Everything else will fall into place.