Case Study

We were hired by a mid-sized international nonprofit association, with members from international local governments/municipalities, to conduct in-depth market research and feasibility assessments to determine the organization’s readiness for global expansion. We were then invited to become an extension of its management team as in-house internationalization experts to guide the executive team and board of directors to develop the organization’s international strategy. As a result, the CEO and board of directors have approved the international strategy and we are assisting them in implementation as they expand into new markets around the world.

The nonprofit association in this case study is a professional organization that has been promoting best practices in support of local governments for over 100 years. Based in the United States, the organization has been successful in its domestic operations and has established a strong reputation. Outside of the United States, however, and despite its international mission, the association has not (yet) been able to establish a solid presence in foreign markets.

The organization’s leadership recognized an opportunity to expand its reach internationally, with the goal of sharing their expertise and knowledge in other countries. However, they were unsure if expanding internationally was feasible and if they were ready for such a venture.

They also lacked experience and knowledge of the global landscape and the different challenges that they might face. Thus, they sought to find consulting experts to help them validate their pursuit of international expansion and develop their global strategy.

The association hired Factum Global, an international consulting firm with expertise in helping organizations expand globally. Our team started with an international readiness assessment, which helped the organization identify its strengths and weaknesses in terms of international expansion.

Based on the findings, we conducted thorough market research to understand the global landscape of the organization’s industry and identified potential target markets for the organization.

Next, our senior executives worked alongside the organization’s senior management and board of directors to develop a global strategy. Over the course of several months, including meetings with members, staff at all levels, relevant committees and the Board, the firm helped senior leadership socialize and “sell in” the global strategy to all key decision-makers.

Throughout the process, our team had direct involvement and interaction with senior executives and the board of directors. Factum Global truly became an “extension of the senior management team,” a core element of our value proposition as a firm. This ensured that the global strategy was aligned with the organization’s goals and that the leadership was fully on board with the plan.

Our team is now in the process of helping the organization begin to implement its global strategy. This involves assisting with internal transformation and change management efforts to better position the organization for future global success.

In addition, we are providing fundamental internationalization training to all staff and governance, and working closely with the organization’s leadership to ensure that everyone is on board with the new strategy and to ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources to execute the plan.