With regard to the dilemma faced by Suited to Succeed, the Baltimore nonprofit desperately trying to raise funds to keep its worthwhile mission alive, allow me to make a suggestion from the for-profit world: Consider a merger.

Perhaps that’s shocking advice, but nothing should prevent a nonprofit from mimicking the best practices of for-profit organizations. In the business world, mergers, buyouts, tuck-ins, even co-branding work well for many reasons: reducing duplication of effort, obtaining synergies within varying workforces, cutting back on overhead expenses, injecting new life and new opinions into what might have become a stale mission statement. These are all valid reasons for nonprofits to consider merging, or at least joining forces, just as is done in the capitalistic, for-profit world.

So, let’s take a corporate strategy and apply it to Suited to Succeed.

This nonprofit provides career advice and good, used professional clothing to women looking to enter the workforce. Because of an increase in overhead, along with constraints on the use of their boutique space, the people who run Suited to Succeed are trying to raise additional funds to keep doing the important work of assisting women in their quest to become gainfully employed. The nonprofit currently operates in a second floor space at 19 East Fayette St.

Now let’s consider Sharp Dressed Man, another Baltimore-based nonprofit with a mission of providing men with suits and accessories, in order to assist them in their quest to become gainfully employed. This nonprofit currently operates from a large storefront at 223 W. Lexington St. The gentlemen who run Sharp Dressed Man recently had to go to some lengths to raise funds to pay off a large BGE bill.

Anyone else see what I see?

These two nonprofits have almost identical goals and similar clients, providing just about the same services. Gender, the only difference, is practically meaningless in this situation. Right now, each nonprofit is paying for utilities, rent, administrative costs, personnel, marketing, websites and a host of other overhead and variable expenses.

Forget about a literal merger for a moment; what if Suited to Succeed were just to give up its less-than-desirable second-floor location in a building where the rent is rising precipitously, and move in with Sharp Dressed Man? What would that look like?

Assuming the gents have enough extra space — and I’ve been there, the space is slightly larger than needed — the ladies could fit right in. The men will have part of their rent paid and the women will save money by paying lower rent. That’s the main reason this could work so well. There might be a small increase in utilities with more activity, but it would be marginal. The guys and gals can share personnel and other expenses. Perhaps the women have some advice for Sharp Dressed volunteers to assist their male clients that had not previously been considered, and vice versa.

Pardon me for saying so, but this looks like a classic win-win waiting to happen.

And who benefits? Certainly, both nonprofits, by having their total joint expenses reduced. Most definitely the clients of these organizations profit by gaining better space (particularly for the women), potentially improved insights from a larger and more varied staff, and maybe even access to expanded programs — from the additional resources saved going back into improving and growing the respective offerings.

The idea of nonprofits behaving more like for-profit businesses is appealing on many levels. Always having money as the standard of value will ensure that these mission-based organizations are able to provide the services needed in an efficient and effective manner. Just because charitable organizations are not legally allowed to make a profit does not mean they should squander valuable resources.

Paula Fargo (Paula@curryprint.com) is the owner of Curry Printing & Copy Center and Copy Cat Printing in Baltimore.