A crisis comes into the life of every business, nonprofit, and ministry. Sometimes, the crisis is one that can be handled internally, and communication is limited to employees, management, and volunteers. Other times, the crisis gets bigger—information is leaked to the press, and you receive a call from the local TV station. “How did they find out about that?” That does not matter now—they know!
In the case of crisis communication, an old adage borrowed from a long-standing American youth organization comes to mind: Be prepared.
Whether it is a crisis that is handled internally or one that becomes public, now is the day to prepare. Tell yourself now, even as you are reading this blog, “Crisis will happen.” Not that it might happen, but it is certain to happen on some level at some time.
Have your plan in hand and ready to go on the day that crisis arrives—an employee is caught embezzling donor dollars; a child is seriously injured while participating in a ministry activity; a product you sent to another country is making people sick. These are events that have the potential for, at minimum, unfavorable news coverage to, at worst, a situation that derails the ability of your nonprofit or ministry to serve.
Do not fear the crisis. Be strong and courageous. In fact, the crisis can be an opportunity to be a light to a larger audience. But preparation is the key; preparing for such an event is the path to peace. Here are a few planning tips:
- Create a crisis communication press release. The press release should be written so you can fill in the blanks in key areas. You should use language that fits what you do. Are you a ministry to the homeless? The language of the crisis press release template should reflect that. Run the template by the lawyers and your leadership beforehand so that when you have to use it, there are no delays waiting for key parties to sign off.
- Identify your crisis communication team. Who is on your team? What are their responsibilities? Who will be your spokesperson? Who is the next spokesperson in line if your number one is unavailable? Keep all these names, plus contact information, in a common hard copy and online document. Hard copy? Yes, because the crisis could be one where electricity is knocked out. To quote the quote from earlier: Be prepared.
- Identify your stakeholders. Who are the groups of people who are most important to you, and what are the concerns that will be raised among them by the incident that occurred? What do your stakeholders expect of your organization based on your stated and implicit values? Take the time to really think this through because this will inform your objectives and strategy for each group.
- Act as quickly as possible. If you have a plan in place, this will expedite your ability to speak into the situation. The person who communicates first is the one who shapes the narrative and the perception of what happened and how you are responding.
- Above all else, show compassion. You can do this in action and word by acknowledging what happened, agreeing to work with the parties involved, including any legal ones, and committing to do what you can to help and be there. Speak positively about all those involved. Thank your stakeholders for their support. Communicate sincere, genuine concern for those impacted by what happened, never minimize, and offer clear action steps of how you are going to come alongside.
Let Infinity Concepts help you face the day of crisis with courage and compassion, honoring others and raising the profile of your ministry or nonprofit.
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