The Quick Guide to Dealing with Crisis

Dealing with Crisis

The current economic climate may represent an opportunity for some but for many it brings threats.  This Quick Guide contains a collection of links to articles on coping with crisis of various kinds, from PR disasters through to the ultimate crisis – winding up the organisation.  There are relevant stories on Governance Pages and three interesting videos from NCVO talking to a trustee, a volunteer and a staff members of three organisations facing the cuts.

Coping with the Cuts

The website Know How Nonprofit has a selection of key advice guides such as ‘How to Cut and Control Costs’  and ‘How to Fundraise in Tough Times’.

Under the heading ‘Coping with the Cuts’, NCVO has collected a number of stories from different perspectives, such as volunteer, trustee and staff member.

Recession Resources

NAVCA (The National Association of Voluntary and Community Associations) has compiled a useful list of  resources and links to help you survive the recession.

The Development Trusts Association merged with bassac to form Locality.  They have produced a quick and easy to use ‘Early Warning Guide’. It’s quick to complete, with answers arranged in a simple traffic light (red, amber, green) for instant results.

Crisis Management

The Guardian has a useful 10 step guide to dealing with a PR crisis.

KnowHow NonProfit have an extensive guide to Crisis Management

PR Week have a useful article, Crisis Communications: Five Steps to Better Crisis Management

Going Out of Business

The ultimate crisis that every trustee dreads is the ultimate calamity – going out of business (or winding up).

Sandy Adirondack’s Website has a page of useful links under the heading Financial Difficulties and Winding Up.

KnowHow NonProfit has a guide: ‘How to Close Down a Project or Organisation’ that takes you through 12 key steps.

There are more north America resources, where the principles are similar but the legalities will be different.

The first article is from Board Cafe – an American not for profit newsletter called Thinking About Going Out of Business.

Blue Avocado revisited the topic in 2008 with Thinking the Unthinkable: Maybe We Should Shut Down

The follow up article in Blue Avocado looks at the practical steps you will need to take if you do wind up; called Closing Down the Right Way

Canadian Voluntary Sector Newsletter, Vantage Point, has a number of articles on closing:

“Conscious Closure”: stewarding organizations through the cycles of life

Bowing Out Gracefully: How to wind up your organization and live happily ever after

Closing with Class

Times Gone By

Be aware that with the North American articles,  their general points are applicable, but bear in mind that any references to the law will need to be treated with caution.

Finally, there are some relevant stories on Governance Pages.  Click the tag crisis to view relevant stories.

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A Word About Words

This site is aimed at those who govern (control) small organisations - whether they are charities, companies, both or neither. Those who govern them may be called a variety of names. We have chosen to use mainly 'management committee' and occasionally 'committee member' or 'trustee'. more...
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