Strategic alignment isn’t enough for a merger to succeed

On paper, everything looked great. As we approached the 2024 merger of the King Baudouin Foundation United States and Give2Asia, we knew we had much in common — this had driven the idea of joining forces in the first place. But in focusing on our similarities, we missed key differences in people and organizational culture. It soon became clear that, without addressing these differences, moving forward as a single entity, Myriad USA, would be tough.

Our two organizations certainly had a lot in common. We each had more than 20 years of grantmaking experience and strong reputations for our respective geographic expertise. We both had parent foundations — the King Baudouin Foundation and The Asia Foundation — similar mission statements, and a shared belief that local knowledge counts. Working together for many years, we’d even aligned our fee structures and services.         

We also knew the merger would enable us to do far more than we could as single entities. KBFUS served mainly individual donors and family foundations and focused on Europe, Africa, and Latin America, while Give2Asia worked in Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East and had a deeper track record of serving corporate donors. As Myriad USA, we could become a one-stop shop, offering donors streamlined services and a single team with global expertise. The marriage made perfect sense.