Crisis PR strategies are vital for charities, social enterprises, and purpose-driven organisations to help safeguard their reputation, retain public trust, and continue fulfilling their missions even in turbulent times.
For the charity and not-for-profit sector, crisis communications have unique nuances, from legal reporting responsibilities to the delicate and fragile nature of cause-driven work and stakeholder relationships.
By preparing thoughtfully, planning far ahead for possible negative and damaging events, and leveraging well prepared strategies and a robust framework – charities can respond effectively and even emerge stronger from adversity.
We’ve previously looked at crisis communications for charities, but with the current political and economic climate knocking at the doors of most charities – it’s important to revisit your crisis PR strategy and to make sure that everything is in place and ready to activate should the unthinkable happen.
What is crisis PR for charities?
Crisis PR, or Crisis Public Relations, refers to the strategic approach organisations can use to communicate and manage public and stakeholder perception and their brand or organisational reputation during unexpected, high-pressure events that threaten public trust or internal operations.
For charities, crises often revolve around significant events such as financial difficulties, misconduct, cyberattacks, public controversies, or operational failures. For clarity, charity crisis pr strategies are not about hiding problems or minimising horrific events – they are about dealing humanely and professionally with situations that arise, addressing the immediate risk of harm to clients and beneficiaries, and then ensuring that your charity or nonprofit organisation can continue to help more people.
There are a number of well-known charities who have faced their PR crises including Oxfam, Save the Children, and many more.
The stakes are particularly high for charities. Loss of trust can result in depleted donations, disengaged volunteers, service disruption, and diminished credibility, threatening the charity’s very existence. Effective PR goes beyond damage control: it’s about preserving the charity’s purpose and fostering resilience.
And the risk of something negative happening are extremely high. The very nature of charity work means that we are most often supporting vulnerable adults and children. We are seeing people often when they have experienced, or are experiencing, some of the worst situations in their lives.
Why proactive preparation is essential
Preparation is the cornerstone of effective crisis management and should form the basis of your charity’s crisis PR strategy and the related communications procedures.
- Charities often operate with extremely limited resources and high levels of public scrutiny; making them vulnerable to reputational damage.
- A proactive approach including risk assessments, scenario planning, internal protocols, and training – enables rapid, coordinated, and confident responses when crises strike.
- A lack of preparedness can further compound harm and distress. This can cause confusion, misinformation, and erosion of stakeholder trust. Sometimes this can lead to irreversible consequences.
Common crisis triggers in the charity sector
Whilst there is a wide range of situations that can lead to crisis events, there are a number of common factors that we have seen contribute to PR crises within the charity sector. These include:
- Financial mismanagement or fraud
- Staff, volunteer, or trustee misconduct
- Data breaches or cyber threats
- Service failures or harm to beneficiaries
- Controversial partnerships or statements
- External attacks or negative media attention
Anticipating these scenarios is critical, as is rehearsing responses, briefing staff and volunteers, and preparing holding statements and following official protocols and procedures.
A framework for effective crisis PR strategies for charities
An actionable framework helps support charities to navigate any crisis consistently, transparently, and responsibly.
1. Activate a crisis communications team
- Assemble a core group from leadership, communications, HR, legal, and relevant service lines.
- Grant sufficient authority for swift decision-making and avoid bureaucratic delays.
- Ensure all team members know their roles, out-of-hours contacts, and escalation procedures.
2. Assess the situation
- Gather facts and don’t rush to communicate until the picture is clear.
- Confirm what’s happened, who is affected, and what laws, contracts, or ethical standards are relevant to the situation.
- Identify legal reporting obligations: charities may need to notify the Charity Commission, funders, insurers, and other authorities.
3. Communicate externally & internally
3a. Draft a holding statement
- Issue a brief initial statement acknowledging the crisis and the charity’s commitment to resolving it.
- Commit to transparency and regular updates; specify when further information will be released.
- Avoid speculation or blame; focus on facts and empathy.
3b. Internal communication
- Brief trustees, staff, volunteers, and partners promptly and clearly.
- Cascade key messages across all relevant teams, especially those interacting with service users or the public.
- Equip frontline staff with guidance for handling inquiries or media approaches.
4. Engage stakeholders
- Think about how to segment your stakeholders for specific or nuanced messaging; donors, beneficiaries, volunteers, commissioners, supporters.
- Customise messages: donors may need reassurance, beneficiaries may need practical updates, and commissioners may require compliance responses.
- Use a multi-channel approach (phone, email, SMS, social media, meetings) with clear accountability for who is responsible in ensuring that each stakeholder group receives the correct messaging in a timely manner.
6. Monitor & manage media relations
- Activate and brief the most appropriate official spokesperson. Identify them internally as the point of contact should any public or media enquiries come in.
- Monitor media and social channels for emerging sentiment, misinformation, or controversy – but only engage as per the charity’s predetermined crisis PR strategy.
- Proactively engage journalists and influencers with the charity’s narrative and updates if appropriate and inline with your charity’s crisis PR strategy.
7. Rebuild for long-term recovery & reputation management
- Keep stakeholders updated as actions unfold and lessons are learned.
- Capture and share any learning and any changes being made to processes or standar operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent recurrences. This helps to demonstrate your commitment to accountability, transparency, and positive change.
- Understand how you can rebuild trust through new initiatives, service improvements, or external audits.
Additional preparation measures
While you cannot plan for every eventuality, it is highly likely that all charities will face a PR crisis at some point during the delivery of their services and so it’s important to have both a general crisis PR strategy for your charity alongside specific strategies that apply to specific circumstances.
Take time to plan in advance, discuss scenarios with the relevant staff and volunteers and schedule regular meetings or working groups – every quarter or annually, depending on the risk assessment of how frequently you think your charity could face a crisis situation.
- Run routine scenario planning and tabletop exercises.
- Provide regular training for staff, volunteers, and trustees on crisis protocols.
- Maintain an up-to-date crisis communications checklist and contact cascade.
- Review third-party PR support options for rapid expert response if needed. This could include having a PR agency on a retainer.
Crisis PR planning is not a luxury
Crisis PR isn’t a luxury, but it is a fundamental and very real risk for charities whose reputation underpins every aspect of their work and their ability to engage stakeholders and raise funds.
By planning thoroughly, acting decisively, and communicating transparently, charities can withstand even the most challenging circumstances. This ultimately safeguards their mission and the communities they serve.
The framework above offers a practical process: activate, assess, communicate, engage, monitor, and rebuild. Resilient charities are not defined forever by their crises, but by how they respond and their commitment to navigating them with integrity and effectiveness.
Sailfin charity consultancy offers support services to charities and not-for-profit organisations including organisational development, brand and communications, and training and support.