In the modern era, hearing about a corporate mistake that resulted in a public relations crisis isn’t that unusual.
But, when it happens to charitable and non-profit organizations, the ramifications can be swift. And dwindling donations mean the people, groups or causes they’re meant to help can suffer.
Is your animal welfare organization ready to handle such a PR crisis?
Crisis Management
It’s understandable that when you’re trying to help our animal friends, time is of the essence. And, sometimes that means you don’t consider what could happen if a stakeholder defrauds your foundation or a volunteer is arrested for animal abuse.
Just like your corporate counterparts, a mistake within your foundation could put you front and center in a crisis that lands you all over the media.
But, if you have an animal welfare public relations crisis strategy already in place, you can minimize the disaster as soon as it starts.
Designing Your Response
The best response to a crisis should begin long before the disaster happens. By employing an agency that specializes in animal welfare PR, you can get in front of any impending problem. There is no worse feeling than being surprised by a disaster.
That is why a PR crisis plan isn’t a “should have,” but a “must have” for your organization.
A knowledgeable PR agency can help you build your positive reputation and trust prior to any disaster that will allow your foundation to weather any storm. People will often overlook or forgive organizations for mismanagement or mistakes if they viewed them in a positive light prior to the crisis.
PR can also help you identify the people who need to be a part of your crisis management team and will work with you to prep the steps you’ll need to take when a crisis hits. Having a thought-out plan will help you and your team work through the problem rather than hiding and expecting the issue to go away.
It will also help you regain some of the goodwill you lost when the crisis hit. The main objective of this plan is to help you and your foundation remain calm in the face of a potential disaster.
At Orange Orchard, we understand your animal welfare foundation and want you to be able to get back to the job of saving our animal friends. Call us at (865) 977-1973 or contact us online so that we can help you prepare for any worst-case scenario.