Loom Consulting

Insights from the sector

Practical thinking on mergers, collaboration, governance and leadership for Australian for-purpose organisations.

Innovation Is a Leadership Question

Innovation is most useful when treated as everyday leadership, not a separate project. Why boards should connect innovation to sustainability while they still have choice.

9 Sept5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

Before You Collaborate, Know What Makes You Different

What for-purpose organisations should understand about brand, merger and strategic partnership. If you are not clear on what makes you different, you cannot know what to protect or share.

27 Aug5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

Are You Ready to Be a Collaborator?

A board-level question for charity and for-purpose leaders. Collaboration is easy to support in theory. The harder question is whether leaders are prepared to change to make it work.

10 Aug6 min read

Leadership Through Change

Leadership Change: Seize the Moment

CEO transition can be one of the most important moments for a Board to step back and ask whether the current structure remains the best way to deliver impact.

6 Aug5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

When 15 Charities Chose One Voice

What the Emergency Action Alliance shows about collaboration, trust and impact. When many organisations ask for support during the same crisis, a shared voice builds clarity.

26 July5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

Why Merger Conversations Stall Before They Really Begin

Merger conversations often lose momentum when leaders move too quickly into structure, control, or legal detail before trust is established. Why purpose and timing make all the difference.

1 July6 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

The Strongest Case for Merger Is Impact

A merger should not only be considered when distress has already narrowed choices. In the for-purpose sector, the stronger starting point is impact. Inside the conversation with Rachel Nicholls.

1 July5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

Pressure Changes Partnerships Faster Than Strategy Does

Partnership conversations change once pressure enters the room. Why human systems, shared purpose, and early alignment matter more than strategy decks.

1 June5 min read

Operating Models

What Happens When the Model Stops Holding

On the surface, things are still working. But underneath, the model that held everything together doesn't quite work anymore. Inside the conversation with Neil Deacon on organisational sustainability.

13 May5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

Getting Your House in Order Before Considering a Merger

One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is looking outward before dealing with what's happening internally. Why stabilising your house must come before considering a merger.

30 Apr5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

The Part of Mergers No One Talks About

Most nonprofit mergers don't fail because of strategy — they fail because people move too fast, or without clarity. Inside the Sussex Street and Palmerston merger with Conrad Liveris.

15 Apr5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

What a Successful Nonprofit Merger Actually Looks Like

Behind almost every successful merger is years of conversation, careful governance, and clarity. Lessons from the Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) and Royal Rehab Group merger.

29 Mar5 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

When Mergers Scale Impact: Lessons from the FareShare and SecondBite Merger

The FareShare and SecondBite merger offers a powerful example of what happens when organisations move beyond informal collaboration and make structural decisions to scale impact.

15 Mar5 min read

Sustainability & Scale

Why Australia Needs a Collaboration Fund

Australia doesn’t have a shortage of purpose — it has a shortage of supported collaboration. Why treating collaboration as funded infrastructure changes everything for the for-purpose sector.

4 Mar5 min read

Leadership Through Change

When “Unpleasant” Isn’t Failure, What Tough Moments Teach Leaders in the For Purpose Sector

Unpleasant moments are rarely about failure — they are about exposure. What discomfort reveals about governance, sustainability, and the courage required to lead through change.

22 Feb4 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

A Merger Isn’t a Silver Bullet

There is a persistent myth that merging will fix what is broken. But bringing two struggling organisations together without clarity simply creates one larger struggling organisation.

16 Feb4 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

Why Most Charity Mergers Don’t Fail Because of Money

When people talk about charity mergers, money usually takes centre stage. But in practice, finances are rarely what cause a merger to unravel. They falter when purpose and decision-making drift apart.

12 Feb3 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

When “More” Isn’t the Answer, Why Smart Mergers Matter for Not-for-Profits

What if growth isn’t always about doing more, but doing better together? Four hard truths boards need to hear about why thoughtful mergers preserve purpose.

29 Jan4 min read

Leadership Through Change

Scaling Good: Navigating Change in the For-Purpose Sector

Doing good well requires clarity, courage, and a willingness to challenge tradition. Why thoughtful mergers and commercial thinking protect your mission rather than dilute it.

18 Jan4 min read

Mergers & Collaboration

How to know if your NFP is ready for a merger

Before you commit to a merger, you need to know whether the conditions are actually in place. Here's how to read the signs — and where most organisations get stuck.

16 Sept4 min read