Communicating in a Crisis

Nonprofits are not immune to controversy. Organizations as varied as the Humane Society, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Livestrong, Planned Parenthood, and the Red Cross have found themselves in the news due to scandal or allegations of mismanagement.

Experts advise organizations to prepare a crisis communication plan well before they find themselves dealing with a difficult situation, whether it is an event speaker’s inappropriate remarks, an investigation of potential fraud, or ties to a major donor with a clouded reputation.

Whatever the issue, “in the nonprofit sector, crisis management is really all about reputation management,” says Patti Giglio, a communications consultant who works with large nonprofits. Learn how to protect your nonprofit in 10 Tips for a Better Crisis Communications Strategy.

And read the other articles in this collection to learn how one group responded to a scandal in the midst of a capital campaign, ways to deal with a donor whose reputation is compromised, and how to put people and plans in place to respond swiftly in the event of a natural disaster, tragedy, or bruising investigation — so your nonprofit can get ahead of the debate, shape the conversation, and rebuild donors’ trust.