A Story of Evolution: The Resource Center of the Americas’ Merger Decision

Abstract

Founded in the early 1980s, the Resource Center of the Americas was a well-respected and important Minneapolis institution. Yet when the Resource Center was quite abruptly forced to suspend operations due to financial shortfalls in the mid-2000s, the Center’s board of directors hired executive director Jason Stone to help determine the future of the organization. This case explores the history of the Resource Center of the Americas and the process the organization used to chart its future. The case requires participants to evaluate the available options for the Resource Center of the Americas, specifically evaluating a merger with the nonprofit organization La Conexión. Is merging with La Conexión the best option for the Resource Center of the Americas? Is the organization’s survival worth giving up a vibrant, politically active history and shifting to a more direct service approach? Or is it time to close the Resource Center permanently, preserving the rich history of the organization without altering its mission?