This time of year, a look back can show progress and what remains to be done. Acacia Network can look back to 1969 to see its growth from a small local non-profit into one of the country's largest CDCs serving the Hispanic community. With over $500 million in assets and serving more than 120,000 people this past year, Acacia is a force that changes lives every day. By creatively acquiring non-profits with compatible missions, today Acacia is a broad network providing health care services, affordable and transitional housing, and an array of related support services.

But rolling back the tape reveals when consolidation can hit its limits. Acacia was managing a complex network of 60-plus non-profit boards and corporate entities. The reimbursement structure for healthcare was changing. Their real estate assets, mostly acquired through consolidations of property portfolios, were not fully strategically focused.