CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
FPLG COVID-19 RESPONSE
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
[UPDATE: August 25, 2020]
The key to successful crisis communications at this point in late August 2020 is to continue a two-way dialogue encouraging a “culture of inquiry” and collaboration. A special challenge is to be transparent about why your decision-making process for the organization must remain fluid due to rapidly changing circumstances on the ground: the COVID-19 pandemic’s surges of spread and the promise of more government aid without delivery.
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[UPDATE: June 25, 2020]
“COVID-19’s parallel unfolding crises present leaders with infinitely complicated challenges and no easy answers. Tough trade-offs abound, and with them, tough decisions about communicating complex issues to diverse audiences.”
Experts advise keeping up the (hopefully already begun) open, straightforward, and honest communication with all stakeholders as the COVID-19 pandemic crisis continues. In a crisis like COVID-19, “when information is unavailable or inconsistent, and when people feel unsure about what they know (or anyone knows), behavioral science points to an increased human desire for transparency, guidance, and making sense out of what has happened.”
Just as important, it’s key to make this a two-way dialogue: encouraging a “culture of inquiry” and collaboration.
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[March 31, 2020]
Well ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, some organizations had adopted crisis-communications plans. But even for them, the sheer magnitude of this emergency has rendered some aspects of that prudent planning ineffectual.
As with the topic of crisis management, there is an established body of knowledge and experience from past crises that can guide the nation’s nonprofits as they develop and implement communications strategies through these unprecedented times.
Be honest about what you don’t know but are working to figure out…..It’s OK to say you don’t know something. We’re all figuring things out, so if you don’t know when you’ll reopen or reschedule a program, communicate that. And be sure to follow up. Updates that let folks know when you’re likely to announce dates, what you’re monitoring and how you’re making decisions will further build your relationship with audiences.
— Erin B. Hart (7/8/20)
Since many nonprofits can no longer count on earned income, contributed income will be your savior. If… you ask. When you don’t ask, you don’t get. And since other nonprofits are asking, your constituents may switch their loyalties to those who gave them a ‘feel good’ pay-off at a time they really needed one.
— Claire Axelrad, J.D. (5/11/20)
When a disaster or crisis arises, your organization should have a well-considered plan of action to communicate both internally and externally to all stakeholders including the public and media. This plan identifies who will (and will not) speak on behalf of the organization, how the messages will be developed, how all staff and board members will be prepared to deal with inquiries, and how the response will be evaluated afterwards so that improvements can be made to the plan, as needed.
— The Standards for Excellence Institute (undated)
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
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Communicating During a Crisis (July 8, 2020) Erin B. Hart, Spitfire Strategies
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COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS SWAP (current) Donor Relations Guru
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Communications During COVID-19 and Other Disasters (June 24, 2020) hackernoon.com
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Nonprofit Communications During COVID-19 (June 22, 2020) Jennifer van Gennip, Charity Village
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How to Communicate with Supporters During COVID-19: Nonprofit & Brand Examples (current) Melaina Chromy, Qgiv.com Blog
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Nonprofit Leaders, Get Used to the Uncertainty and Focus on the Big Picture (June 15, 2020) Alan M. Cantor, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
- An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector: Administrative Policies (undated) The Standards for Excellence Institute
- Best and Worst Nonprofit Coronavirus Crisis Communication Strategies (May 11, 2020) Claire Axelrad, J.D., C.F.R.E., Bloomerang Blog
- How to Communicate with Supporters During COVID-19: Nonprofit & Brand Examples (April 2020) Melaina Chromy, Qgiv
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Communicating During a Crisis (undated) Nonprofit Risk Management Center
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A leader’s guide: communicating with teams, stakeholders, and communities during CVOVID-19 (April 2020) Ana Mendy, Mary Lass Stewart, and Kate Van Akin, McKinsey & Co.
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How to Power a Crisis Communications Plan With Your Nonprofit’s Website (April 8, 2020) Katy Teson, Wired Impact
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Be the Calm in the Storm: How to Communicate with Staff and Stakeholders During a Crisis (April 8, 2020) Meera Chary and Preeta Nayak, The Bridgespan Group
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How to Create a Crisis Communications Plan for Your Nonprofit (March 20, 2020) Tatiana Morand, Wild Apricot
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Tips to Manage Your Nonprofit’s Communications During COVID-19 (March 23, 2020) Farra Trompeter, Big Duck: Smart Communications for Nonprofits
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Coronavirus Crisis Communications Triage Kit (March 2020) The Communications Network
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Eight Pearls of Wisdom for Donor Communications During COVID-19 (March 19, 2020) Carol Buckheit, Just Giving Communications
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4 Ways to Engage Major Donors During the COVID-19 Crisis (March 18, 2020) Suzanne Hilser-Wiles, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
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Crisis + Emergency Risk Communication (2014) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
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Funders Must Step Up – Right Now!
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Small Business Association Disaster Loan Guidance and Resources
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