In times of crisis, clear and timely communication can protect your nonprofit’s reputation, maintain community trust, and ensure that your message reaches your stakeholders. By proactively preparing for a range of potential crises, you can minimize confusion, while at the same time signal your commitment to accountability and transparency.
Crisis or not?
A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of an organization, usually brought on by an adverse situation and/or negative attention.
- Does this issue stem directly from your work, your staff or a board member or does it come from outside and have the potential to affect your work or your team?
- Is this an issue or situation that would be best addressed by another entity or individual? Sometimes you aren’t the best messenger.
- Or, is this issue, critique, or crisis serious or damaging enough to your organization and brand, or to your leadership, to require a direct and public response from you?
How do you decide if a situation has passed a certain threshold and is now a crisis serious enough to warrant a response? Typically, you have a crisis on your hands if there are signs of one or more of the following:
- Potential for wide scope – how far could its consequences ripple?
- High intensity – how deeply could it impact your work?
- A longer timeframe – could it last weeks or months?
- High cost or potential cost – could this hit your financial, community, or coalition support?
Early warning signs
Be on the alert for the following:
- Online personal attacks or threats to staff or board
- Accusations of wrongdoing by your organization or its staff
- Pointed, specific questions about staff, compensation, funding, and non-public decisions
- Requests for unusual information or FOIA requests
- Incoming media inquiries from investigative journalists
- Social media posts or blog posts from credible external parties
Components of a crisis communications plan
A crisis communications plan is an essential tool for helping you to manage a crisis with speed and efficiency. A clear plan will help you to keep a crisis from escalating and impacting your organization’s reputation, as well as help you retake control of the narrative. Below are the core components that should be included:
- A list of your designated crisis team, including alternates, and contact information
- Chain of command for decisionmaking and review of public statements
- Authorized spokespeople who can issue public statements, talk to media
- Draft messages, talking points, and FAQs about core issues
- Draft holding statements for the media, social media, and website
- List of third party spokespeople (partners and other allies)
- List of friendly reporters or social media influencers to tap to regain control of the narrative
- List of other key audiences to contact
Other elements which can be included:
- Guidelines and principles for communication
- Media and interview tips
- Information and credentials for all digital properties (website, social channels)
Playbook for managing a crisis
When a crisis unfolds, swift and decisive action is crucial to mitigate the worst impacts. The following five steps will ensure your response is organized and aligned with your crisis communications strategy:
- Assemble core crisis response team and chain of command
- Assess the situation
- Create a plan of action and roles and responsibilities for internal and external communications (board, staff, partners)
- Develop factual and detailed messaging that reflect the status of the situation, and if possible, proactive steps to resolve the situation
- Assign social media and traditional media monitoring to keep tabs on public sentiment
Need help?
For help preparing or updating your organization’s crisis communications plan, or to run your core team through a crisis simulation or an actual crisis, please contact members of Resource Media’s crisis response team. We stand ready to support you and your team.
Liz Banse, [email protected]
Refugio Mata, [email protected]
Teresa Guillien, [email protected]
Belinda Griswold, [email protected]
