HOW RESILIENT IS YOUR NOT-FOR-PROFIT IN AN EMERGENCY?

The bushfire crisis has offered valuable lessons to all not-for-profits, including those not directly involved in the emergency response, according to social change consultant Rod Brooks, general manager at Wendy Brooks & Partners.

Issues that not-for-profits commonly face when there is a spike in attention or giving include:

• Lack of crisis management planning, leading to uncoordinated responses and threats to organisational resilience

• Inability of websites to deal with increased traffic

• Out-of-date websites and social media

• Problems with the giving platform used (often caused by a sudden, unexpected spike in donations)

• Difficulties managing and coordinating volunteers

• Not being able to get goods and money to those who need them quickly enough

• Slowness in thanking donors, especially major donors, causing stewardship problems

• Difficulties keeping board members up to date with the situation on the ground

Rod Brooks

media relations because there is no designated media spokesperson. Wendy Brooks & Partners has produced a detailed checklist to future-proof your organisation and avoid these pitfalls in future crises.

For the full version of this report, and to read the Wendy Brooks & Partners futureproofing checklist, follow this link to the website of the Funding Centre, an Our Community enterprise: fundingcentre.com. au/help/bushfire-fundraising.