Today’s nonprofit organizations face shifting demands for services, increasing financial pressures and diverse operational challenges. We are on an uncertain journey. Regardless of where you live or your industry, many different types of crises have the potential to disrupt operations significantly. No community, organization — public, private or nonprofit — is immune. Recent events testing leadership agility and crisis skill sets include winter storm Uri, the Covid-19 health crisis, systemic racial injustice, social unrest and cybersecurity hacks.
At any time, a crisis can cause a disastrous consequence or an opportunity for your association. A crisis, by definition, is an unwanted, unexpected event. The nature of a crisis might include dangerous moments or turning points in an organization’s life cycle. Three characteristics separate a crisis from an unpleasant event: surprise, threat and short response time.
To fulfill your mission as a nonprofit leader, you must create an organization that can thrive amid change or crisis. Consequently, as a nonprofit leader, training, preparation and execution are vital to effective crisis management and communication.
By Suzanne Ogle, President & CEO of SGA
