Non-Profits in Times of Crisis

In times of dramatic change or crisis, the stakes are particularly high for non-profits. 

There is much that separates the work of non-profits from business, and these distinctions need to inform how we respond in times of dramatic change or crisis.

According to ViTreo, a Calgary-based fundraising consultancy, non-profit organizations are uniquely vulnerable. Most operate with tight margins and are dependent on fundraising and the generosity and support of donors. Not all have reserves or a strong balance sheet to fall back on. 

A recent CCN article went so far as to declare the pandemic may mean the extinction of many charities. Government funding has been redirected, corporation donations have all but dried up and philanthropists are seeing a dramatic change to their personal and financial position.  

Even as non-profits, from the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity to TELUS Spark to The Grand YYC are forced to layoff program personnel they are attempting to retain fundraising and marketing staff. Now is not the time to take your foot off the fundraising gas pedal. (And if you are, or can be, a donor now is the time to reach out and find out where your favourite charities are hurting the most.)

Additionally, non-profits exist deeply in community and in many ways, are granted a “social license” by the communities they serve. For example, a shelter for vulnerable populations can only operate because it has earned the trust of those experiencing homelessness, the trust of funders and the trust of governments under which they operate their program. If the shelter fails to operate in accordance with expectations, that trust can take years to rebuild.

I used the word “expectations” because non-profits are often held to a standard well above baseline. The challenge of unpacking stakeholder expectations combined with financial urgency, creates a particular pinch-point for non-profits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Non-profits must go beyond pandemic response. They must respond in a way that aligns to their values.

The recent disclosure of L’Arche founder Jean Vanier’s sexual assault against women provides a strong case for a values-first response. The organization deeply values the mutual relationship between those they serve and the organization itself. Their response was spin-free and highly empathetic to the people they serve. There was no greater example of this mutuality than a CBC national radio program featuring a client alongside a L’Arche volunteer. It was the first time I’d heard a person with intellectual disabilities on a national radio program.

For non-profits facing crisis:

1. Lead with the facts, be proactive and honest about the impact on your organization and your stakeholders.
2. Underpin your strategy with your values; what you hold to be true. How can your approach mirror the values you hire for, deliver programs with, and live by every day?
3. Start at the heart of your organization: the stakeholder group of greatest consequence to your Mission. For L’Arche, that was their staff and volunteers living in community with clients. Listen and be prepared to adapt your response accordingly.

These are vulnerable times, but we can counter that vulnerability by grounding back down into our core values and the people we serve. That unrelenting focus will see our organizations emerge stronger, with a stronger grasp on our core purpose.

For non-profits struggling to develop their response and stakeholder communications, COVID-19 Communications is here to help with rapid pandemic planning, stakeholder mapping, communications planning and training. All delivered remotely, meeting our clients when and where they are. Our team is largely suspending their regular day-to-day business operations to support as many entrepreneurs as we can through this crisis. Please reach out.