Nonprofit leaders and COVID-19
In light of the severity of COVID-19, you, as a nonprofit executive, have been called upon to make difficult decisions about daily operations, communications with stakeholders, and protecting staff. Because populations served by nonprofits are often the most vulnerable in our society, you’ve been tasked with making critical choices regarding which services to provide and how to provide them, taking into consideration the capacity of your organization, the needs of your program and service recipients, and the risk to your staff.
Here are three tips for nonprofit executives during the COVID-19 crisis:
Stay informed. In order to make responsible decisions, you need to know the most recent information. This is challenging in a situation that changes by the day and sometimes, by the hour. Do the best you can. Lean on your team. And give yourself some grace. We are all doing our best.
COVID-19 general information
Your state department of health
COVID-19 information and resources for nonprofits
The Council of Nonprofits has resources for everything from business continuity plans to links for communications solutions and work-from-home tools.
The Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations has a roundup of resources and is offering a series of webinars on topics including communications, fundraising, and taking your event online.
Be proactive in your communications. There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty right now and people are looking for guidance and reassurance from people and organizations that they trust. People with resources are also seeking ways to be helpful to those in need.
Communicate with each group in a way that is most accessible and familiar to them. For board and funders who are accustomed to email, use email. If you communicate with volunteers on Facebook, use Facebook. Youth recipients may be most reachable by text message or direct message on social media.
On social media, keep your audience in mind. If your accounts are primarily used by program participants and service recipients, let them know about changes to your schedule and delivery methods. Share resources and announcements from reputable sources that might help them with needs you can’t meet. If your accounts are mostly used to spread the word to volunteers, funders and donors, suggest ways that they can support your organization at this time.
Julia Campbell, a nonprofit marketing and social media thought leader, is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, March 25 entitled Nonprofit Social Media Strategy in the Time of Coronavirus. Click here to register.
Revisit policies and establish guidelines for the use of new communications platforms or platforms that you are using more often.
If your program recipients are youth, consider whether staff may set up social media accounts to connect with youth during this critical time, even if you typically have a policy that doesn’t allow staff to communicate with youth on social media.
If you are using a messaging platform such as Slack for staff interaction, designate a specific channel for COVID19 resources and thoughts. Everyone deals with anxiety differently. Some staff may equip themselves with as much public information as possible so that they feel informed to make decisions. For others, too much information can trigger panic. Empower staff to make their own decisions about participation in this type of forum and make sure you are sharing “must know” information by email or other direct communication.
Consider setting up a channel for virtual “water cooler chat” and memes. It’s a stressful time and folks need a place to vent and to have a little levity.
Take good care of yourself and your people. And if I can be of any help with communications strategy and execution, directing staff on a data project they can work on from home, or a special project during this unique situation, email me.
Be well.