Accountability crisis
- more media scrutiny
on fundraising
Yet again the media are focusing on the
fundraising performance of non profit
organisations - this time questions are
being asked about KidsCan charity,
the recipient of the TV3 Telethon.
We are bringing this to your attention
as a matter of urgency - what would
you do if your organisation is the next
one in the spotlight. Are your
spokespeople prepared and ready to
face the media on this challenging
issue? Digging your head in the sand
and hoping that you get away with it
leaves too much to chance.
Foresee Communications is running
a workshop on Communicating for
Fundraising Success (and failure)
in Auckland tomorrow and Wellington
on 25 August. If you haven't prepared
a crisis communications plan, this
workshop will help you put one together.
Alternatively in a two hour coaching
session Foresee Communications can
help you to prepare your communications
plan and guide you through the questions
you will need to answer.
At Foresee we care about the non-profit
sector, so we're giving you these 10 hints
and tips on preparing a crisis
communications plan:
1) prepare a list of contact phone numbers,
inc outside of work hours
2) make sure you have emergency contact
numbers for sponsors and funders
3) decide in advance whether you will
address media enquiries and if not, why
4) check out all your sponsorship contracts
regarding procedures for media enquiries
(some will mention media controversy)
5) ascertain who in your organisation has
the authority to speak to the media
6) decide on your key messages and
assemble background material accordingly
7) update your website and double check
that all information is relevant, correct
and easy to understand
8) brief your receptionist on your media
procedures and the names of the right
contact people
9) review all your fundraising statistics, all
your financial information to be ready to
reassure your donors that your fundraising
practices are ethical, above board and as
efficient as they can possibly be
10) RIGHT NOW, get on the phone to your
sponsors to reassure them that you operate
under best practice and that you have
your crisis communications plan well
underway - if you don't you could be
jeopardising your sponsorship relationships.
