---
title: "The Fragmentation Question"
number: 11
statement: "Is the charity sector over-fragmented, and when do mergers, shared services or coordination layers improve outcomes?"
progress: "Comparative evidence on outcomes before and after consolidation or coordination, across several fields."
conditions: ["fragmentation"]
status: open
bounty: "Unfunded. The Question Bounties program will attach prizes once it is funded."
---

## Why it matters

[Fragmentation](/diagnosis/fragmentation/) is easy to see and hard to judge. A plural sector experiments more. A fragmented one may waste more. The answer probably depends on the field.

## Where to start

Nonprofit mergers, shared back-office services and collective-impact coalitions all leave records. Outcome data before and after is the missing piece.