Howdy! I’m Ben Martin, CAE, founder of theNIRD.org.
This website is a hobby which has its roots dating back to November 2015, when a vendor I had recommended to several clients was acquired by another company. This event put me into the difficult position of needing to explain to my clients what they should expect after the acquisition, and what they should do to reduce the risk of a disruption in service.
I also have a deeply personal connection to high finance in the nonprofit technology sector. In 2013, I was a “reduction in force” (that’s code for laid off) at a company, as part of their efforts to position themselves for sale.
The flood of money flowing into our community’s technology companies is a double-edged sword. On the positive side, our technology companies are getting hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on improving their products. On the negative side, each deal produces a period of uncertainty and trepidation for the company’s customers and employees, which ultimately flows down to our constituents.
Nonprofit technologists lead lives that are hectic enough without the potentially chaotic effects of mergers, acquisitions, and investments. I believe that the best ways to mitigate the risk of having your organization’s operations disrupted by technology investments are:
- To be knowledgeable on the mechanics of high finance and to understand how and why these deals happen. Do you know how the effects of a merger or acquisition differ from those of a minority investment? Do you understand the rhythm of investment cycles? Can you spot characteristics of a company that might be more likely to be acquired? Can you read between the lines of press releases to get to a nearer version of the truth?
- To stay up-to-date on M&A and investment activity among nonprofit technology companies. Who has money to spend on acquisitions? How much? Why would this company acquire that one?
My hope is that theNIRD.org will help you to answer these questions.
I post news, analysis, rumors, opinions, and other content to help you defend your organization’s interests against the potentially disruptive effects of mergers, acquisitions, and investments in the technology companies you use to serve your constituents.
Thanks for visiting and reading.