 |
| Amy Terpeluk |
Nobody should work alone. It takes a village. Put your heads together.
By nature, we’re not solitary creatures. We seek belonging, and a group of like-minded individuals who inspire, empower, educate, and safeguard us. It’s been verified by millennia of evolution and learned experience, born out of necessity, but developing into a decided advantage in virtually every aspect of life.
Why then, is a particular brand of rugged individualism the norm in the business world? Competition trumps collaboration at nearly every turn, and to a certain extent, it’s understandable. For some, business is a zero-sum game and there’s a limited market of customers or clients to entice. It’s about crushing the competition and winning, achieving higher levels of financial success at breakneck speed. In a capitalist system we’ve come to accept that it's about survival of the fittest.
But what about when the goal isn’t necessarily immediate profit or customer retention, but rather bolstering corporate reputation and making a difference in communities that your organization touches? This is when forming a team to tackle complex issues can be the most advantageous and meaningful.
Particularly for some of the clients I serve in the nonprofit realm, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful coalition building can be.
Nearly ten years ago, FINN Partners aligned with corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies to create NO MORE, the first unifying symbol for domestic violence and sexual assault awareness and prevention. NO MORE was not a formalized organization—it was a grassroots effort to support the life-changing, and in many cases lifesaving, work being done in the field. Only through a chorus of powerful voices could we begin to normalize conversations about issues that had been taboo topics for way too long. Today, this effort is now the NO MORE Foundation, a global movement encouraging people worldwide to be part of the solution to ending domestic violence and sexual assault.
If you’re a nonprofit or a business outside the Fortune 500, the reality is that even if your social issue is worthy, your strategy is rock solid, and your commitment is genuine, you may not be able to effectively move the needle without a coalition of like-minded partners mobilized to combine forces. Sometimes the biggest problems require the most creative solutions and building a coalition—though potentially counterintuitive in a business environment that preaches "if you’re not first, you’re last"—might be just what you need to make an impact while effectively raising your profile.
The size of the coalition you build depends largely on the magnitude and scope of the problem you want to solve. If it’s a hyper-local community effort, then it’s only natural that you’d tap organizations in and around your own geographic footprint. Typically, the impact can be greater if you find partners that are truly invested and have a local interest in driving positive change.
In our experience, we have seen too many coalitions start out strong but lose momentum because there is no quantifiable goal. It’s essential to work with coalition partners to develop clear goals and objectives that lead to real-world impact, and then track against the goals.
FINN has been fortunate to work with NPower, a leading nonprofit that helps individuals from under-resourced communities and veterans achieve greater economic mobility through tech jobs. They retained us almost three years ago to help create and launch a coalition focused on increasing representation of women of color in the U.S. tech sector, Command Shift: Accelerating More Women of Color in Tech. An in-depth research project, The Equation for Equality: Women of Color in Tech, informed the coalition’s goals and unveiled new strategies to achieve the coalition’s mission.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do is get started, one way or another. Identify an issue where you can move the needle, then begin to think about what steps need to be taken to reach a solution that’s meaningful. Consider then whether taking those steps will be easier and more impactful solo, or with a team behind you.
The answer is often self-evident.
***
Amy Terpeluk is managing partner, Purpose and Social Impact, CSR at Finn Partners.
Nine percent of US adults think it was okay for Donald Trump to post an image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. Oh Lord!... It’s hard to shed a tear for a billionaire, especially one with a thin skin like Citadel chief Ken Griffin... A Republican group plans to support GOP candidates who want to restore foreign aid cuts made by Elon Musk's DOGE.
The death of Ted Turner, CNN's visionary founder, highlights the network's uncertain future under Paramount Skydance ownership... Anti-Defamation League reports a 33% drop in antisemitic incidents in 2025. But hold the cheers because 2025 was the third most violent year for American Jews... AI could use some PR according to Yale Youth Poll... Omnicom Media Intelligence warns that ad frequency can result in brand damage... Wall Street gives Bronx cheer to Coinbase's decision to fire about 700 people.
Struggling WPP and rampaging Omnicom have something in common. It's 6.7 percent... Nonsensical Comey indictment and Melania's war on Jimmy Kimmel are sure signs that Team Trump is falling apart... Black Rock pulls the plug on offshore wind project to please the nation's No. 1 hater of 'ugly' offshore windmills. 
“Having been born in the US” is tied for dead last in the “What does it mean to be American” survey conducted by Ipsos US Public Affairs... Defense Secretary Hegseth's boneheaded move... FTI Consulting chief Steven Gunby is the firm's $10M man... Book bans in the US near record level... Can Kevin Warsh avoid the fate of Kevin McCarthy?
Reed Hastings, the genius behind Netflix's DVD-by-mail strategy, steps down. If O'Dwyer's had a Corporate Hall of Fame, Reed would be in it... Donald Trump's revenge tour rolls on as his team strips $11M from Catholic Charities that is used to run shelters for migrant children who have entered the US alone... Crusader Pete Hegseth should lay off the biblical stuff for a while, or at least until the world has moved on from his boss’ depiction of himself as Jesus.
