In September 2009, IDEX acquired the Community Self Development (CSD) Program from the renowned Seva Foundation after the fallout from the financial crisis threatened to eliminate the program. In partnering with the CSD Program, IDEX is ensuring the continuation of Seva’s valuable work in Latin and Mesoamerica.

The CSD Program envisions inclusive, productive, environmentally sustainable societies where marginalized groups define and direct their own development processes. It is called self-development because we believe that the most creative and sustainable ideas are conceived, developed, and put into action by the people who live and work in the diverse communities we serve.

As of September 2009, the CSD Program partnered with 12 organizations in three regions of Southern Mexico and Northern Guatemala. These regions were targeted due to the high levels of marginalization and the lack of comprehensive government services to meet basic human needs, particularly among indigenous populations and women.

Any program acquisition poses certain challenges and requires equal amounts of ambition and tenacity to see it through to completion. IDEX’s acquisition of the CSD Program presented a unique challenge in that the acquisition differed from more conventional institution-to-institution acquisitions. Rather, this was an institution-to-program acquisition in which the program being acquired approached IDEX out of a need for an institutional base.

Ten months later, we are pleased to provide an update to the progress of the acquisition. In addition to $150,000 in grants being disbursed to grassroots groups in Latin America, former Seva CSD partners have been given one additional year of financial and accompaniment support, providing them with significant time to plan for the future.

The acquisition also proved to be a positive learning experience, and we would like to share a few strategies that we plan to carry with us in the event of future inter-institutional partnerships:

• Conduct pre-partnership research before partnering with a new institution. In addition to researching potential cultural implications of an acquisition, careful consideration regarding how a potential partnership would fit into the organizational strategic planning processes is crucial.

• Develop documentation that all staff and board can agree on. Thorough pre-partnership research involving the input of all staff and board will result in comprehensive documentation that can serve as guidelines throughout the transition.

• Create multiple spaces to openly address both strengths and weaknesses of a potential acquisition and make sure at least one format includes stakeholders from both institutions. Sharing ideas and openly addressing any concerns will result in a smoother transition process.

• Carefully consider how annual departmental work plans will need to be adapted to accommodate the partnership. An acquisition requires significant additional time and energy, which can pose challenging to busy organizations with a small or medium-sized staff. Determining schedule adjustments before moving forward with an acquisition will also aid in making the transition a smooth one.

• Ensure that time is set aside for relationship building among staff from the two institutions before entering into substantive discussions. If a fast-track decision-making process is a high priority due, make sure that equal emphasis is placed on decision-making and relationship development among staff.

• Develop a clear strategy for seeking bridge funding from institutional donors with a strategic interest in supporting innovative partnerships between nonprofits.

September will mark the year anniversary of the CSD Program acquisition, and we plan to take a comprehensive look at the successes of the acquisition and make note of other positive lessons that have come out of this ambitious project.

IDEX extends a sincere thank you to its staff and board for their tireless efforts over the past 10 months that have helped make the transition a successful one.

For more information on the groups involved visit, CSD Grantees.

Blog post by Julie Rinard, IDEX Consultant, and Erin Zaleski, Journalist & IDEX Volunteer.