Over the past several years, local and national charitable organizations and other nonprofits have been under the microscope. The focus on the way donor contributions are spent has created angst among donors, board members and nonprofit organizations. A key concern is the way some have communicated during times of crisis. From the responses, or lack thereof, it seems most had no crisis communication plan.
“Many nonprofits don’t have a crisis communication plan,” Danielle Clore, director of Kentucky Nonprofit Network (KNN), said. “They think they don’t need one because nothing bad will happen, or they say they are simply too busy to spend the time necessary to develop a plan.”
The importance of preparing for a crisis cannot be overstated. It can mean the difference between a major meltdown or emerging as a better organization. Although there’s no way to plan for every crisis scenario, most organizations can determine likely situations and prepare for them. The planning process is helpful if it’s done right. One significant step is bringing together people from throughout the organization, including board member representatives. The group interaction can point out deficiencies and possible areas of vulnerability that some in the group may not have been aware of. Shining a spotlight on potential crisis situations allows the organization to change those negatives into positives and to prepare responses should something go wrong.
Some elements a crisis communication plan should include are:
• a designated spokesperson;
• contact information for managers, staff and board members;
• sample news releases, social media posts and key messages for various scenarios;
• potential media questions and answers;
• media contact information;
• a designated person to update website and social media sites;
• media call log sheets;
• a designated person to notify partners, affiliates and large donors; and
• evaluation forms to determine what went well and what did not, lessons learned, and changes needed to the plan and/or the organization.
The poor communication and seeming unwillingness of nonprofits to open up their books stymies fundraising. This hurts the community and those who depend on services provided by nonprofits.
“It does hurt fundraising, but I would take it a step further and say it damages the entire nonprofit sector by making good people reluctant to serve on boards,” Clore said.
Those who serve on boards can gain confidence in their decision-making processes by taking advantage of Nonprofit Boards 101 training offered by KNN twice a year. KNN also developed “Principles & Practices” tools for nonprofit leaders and board members. These include guidelines, recorded training and other tools to explain legal requirements for maintaining tax-exempt status and guidance on best practices for more effective, efficient and transparent nonprofit management. The guide has been downloaded more than 1,200 times since it was introduced in 2011, so clearly there is a need for the information. Additionally, KNN offers the Best Practices Partnership, a program to help nonprofits communicate their commitment to implementing best practices with donors, volunteers and for-profit and government partners.
Another organization helping nonprofits communicate transparency and accountability is Blue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF). Their GoodGiving.net website contains profiles that include information on nonprofits’ leadership, budget and other aspects that the public wants to know before donating. Introduced in December 2010, the site has grown to 215 nonprofits from throughout the state, with 160 more in the process of completing their forms.
“We’re big believers in nonprofits doing the right thing, and we know they want to,”
Lisa Adkins, BGCF president, said. “We developed GoodGiving.net to make objective, accurate and current information available to donors so they can make informed contribution choices. This also is an easy way to match donors to causes they’re passionate about.”
These are challenging times for nonprofits and businesses of all types. And when bad things happen to good organizations, it’s imperative to have a comprehensive crisis communication plan in place. Nonprofits that stonewall or hide from the media are not advancing their cause. Instead, they’re creating a cloud of doubt and confusion that may affect their reputation for years to come. With proper planning and open communication, nonprofits can gain public trust and see other positive benefits.
Here are a few tips nonprofits and other businesses should remember in times of crisis.
• Get the news out quickly.
• Be honest and forthcoming.
• Avoid saying “No comment.” It makes people think you’re hiding something.
• Communicate directly with as many internal and external audiences as possible.
• Employees and other key audiences should not hear bad news from the media first.
• Speak with one voice using a predetermined company spokesperson, with support from other individuals as needed. Disseminating information from one source helps ensure messages are consistent and accurate.
For more information on KNN’s Principles & Practices and the upcoming Nonprofit Boards 101 seminar, visit kynonprofits.org. A condensed version of the board seminar also is available for free download. Visit goodgiving.net. to learn about a nonprofit or make a donation.
Mary Hemlepp, APR, is a marketing communications consultant. She will be speaking on this topic at the Kentucky Nonprofit Leadership Forum on Oct. 25 in Lexington. Reach her at mary@maryhemlepp.com.