- In the hours after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, 34 bodies are found in a nursing home.
- A boat carrying Elderhostelers to a Galapagos island is swamped by a large wave, killing four elderly passengers.
- In St. Louis, a customer who bought Girl Scout Cookies reports that she found a needle in one of her cookies.
Nonprofits are not immune to disasters. Here are five tips to get you started toward handling any crisis effectively.
1. Don't Wait.
Many organizations only get their crisis plans underway once a disaster has struck. Instead, brainstorm possible scenarios or types of disasters that could happen, and start planning for them. Read accounts of nonprofit crises and talk to those who weathered them. Invite a veteran of crises to speak to your staff and your board. Assign your public relations staff to draft a crisis plan and give them a deadline.
2. Realize That Crises Take a Wide Range of Shapes.
Yours might be a fire in a dormitory; a death of a client; or embezzlement by your chief financial officer. They will all require slightly different responses. Prepare for as many as you can imagine.
3. Develop a Physical Plan for Handling a Crisis and a Communications Plan.
A physical plan has to do with getting everyone out of the building in case of an earthquake. Develop a risk management program to deal with loss of life, property, and insurance issues.
A communications plan involves identifying a spokesperson, developing press releases, setting up a media hotline, and finding a place where you can have a press conference.
4. Be Prepared to Speak....to the Media and to Your Constituents.
Even if you can't say much because your lawyer is concerned about liability, plan to say what you can. Be concerned, show concern, speak concern, and always tell the truth. That doesn't mean you have to tell everything all at once, but never, never lie.
Far more is lost by refusing to speak to the media than is risked by doing so. A vacuum of information breeds media hostility and public loss of confidence.
5. Provide Media Training for Your Top Administrators and Your Board Officers
Do this before a disaster strikes. Make it a regular part of board and employee training.
Media training needn't cost a lot if you have someone on your board who works in public relations or someone who is a member of the media. The key is to do it regularly so new people are always trained and others don't grow stale.
