Are You Ready? Disaster Preparedness for Nonprofits

I was at home alone, except for a beagle and my 3-year-old daughter. The tornado siren had been sounding for hours, but there wasn’t even any rain. Annoyed by the constant noise disrupting my daughter’s nap, I was ignoring it when suddenly the weather shifted. It started raining, and a weird pressure filled the house. I checked Facebook and saw someone post that a tornado was nearby.

Quickly, I grabbed my daughter and ran to the hallway. The moment I tried to shut the door, the doorknob flew out of my hand. What followed was the longest 90 seconds of my life.

That tornado, an EF-4, ripped through my town and the university campus where I worked. Our yard, once filled with towering pine trees, was reduced to just two. Some of our neighbors lost their homes entirely. The University of Southern Mississippi, where I worked, was devastated. Over 100 trees, including our gorgeous live oaks, were gone. The alumni house looked like it had been bombed, and pieces of the Spanish tile roof ended up in our laundry room, half a mile away. Amazingly, no one perished in that tornado.

At the time, I was juggling three jobs—my regular position, a new role I’d been promoted into, and an interim job. On top of that, I was living with a co-worker while trying to move out of a rental house our landlord refused to make livable after the storm. It was a tough time, to say the least. And yet, we managed to get things on track and raised a significant amount of money for relief and recovery.

This experience taught me a powerful lesson: Disaster preparedness is as essential for nonprofits as it is for households. Too often, strategic plans overlook the fact that things will go wrong. And as we’ve seen from the pandemic, being unprepared can put your mission at risk.
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Disaster preparedness isn’t often at the top of the priority list for nonprofits, especially small organizations with limited resources. Yet, as my experience with the tornado showed, disasters can strike without warning, threatening not only your physical office space but also your ability to fulfill your mission. Whether it’s a natural disaster, a global pandemic, or an unexpected organizational crisis, you must have a plan in place to ensure your operations remain resilient in times of uncertainty.

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The Importance of Disaster Preparedness for NonprofitS

​In the wake of disasters, nonprofits often become lifelines for the communities they serve. But what happens if the nonprofit itself is impacted by the disaster? Having a comprehensive disaster plan allows your organization to continue operating, fundraise effectively, and even provide relief assistance if necessary. It also ensures that you’re protecting your employees, stakeholders, and the assets of the organization.
Disaster preparedness means thinking ahead. You should have protocols not just for physical safety but also for operational continuity, communication, and financial stability.

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The Risk Assessment MatriX

One effective way to prepare for disasters is by incorporating a Risk Assessment Matrix (Credit to Logos Consulting Group, NY) into your planning. This tool allows you to assess various potential risks by weighing both the likelihood of the event occurring and the impact (or magnitude) it could have on your organization.
Here’s how the 5x5 Risk Assessment Matrix works:

• Likelihood: This axis ranks how probable it is that the disaster will occur (ranging from rare to almost certain).
• Magnitude: This axis measures how severe the impact of the disaster would be, from insignificant to catastrophic.

For example, a likely hurricane in a coastal city would have both a high probability and potentially catastrophic impact. By plotting these factors on the matrix (as shown in the graphic), you can prioritize which risks to focus on and develop targeted plans accordingly.
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For any potential disaster that ends up in the red zone, you will need clear, written plans and protocols, because these eventualities are high in both likelihood and potential catastrophic impact. For example, significant hurricane damage on the Gulf Coast is likely inevitable at some point (meaning you will almost certainly need those protocols) and likely to have a magnitude of impact that significantly damages your organization’s ability to function.

Why Use It?

​A risk matrix can be customized to your nonprofit’s specific operations. Whether you’re facing hurricanes, earthquakes, or cyber-attacks, you’ll want to know what could go wrong and how severe the consequences might be. This helps inform everything from physical safety protocols to safeguarding data and ensuring operational continuity.

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Disaster Preparedness ChecklisT

​Here’s a disaster preparedness checklist to ensure your nonprofit is ready to navigate any disruptions:

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​Identify Your Likely Disasters

​Every region has its likely threats. For example, in California, earthquakes are a primary concern, while the Gulf South prepares for hurricanes. The Midwest preps for tornadoes – “we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto”. Flood, fire and active shooter situations can happen anywhere. Use the risk assessment matrix to identify and rank the most probable disasters in your area.

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Create a Budget Line Item for Emergency Savings

​If your nonprofit is small to medium-sized, especially without an endowment, consider allocating a specific portion of your budget toward emergency savings, just as  families should. These funds can help cover immediate costs when disaster strikes and can be vital for long-term recovery. 

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Cross-Train Employees

If one of your key staff members is unable to work after a disaster, what happens to their essential tasks? Cross-training is crucial for maintaining operations during a crisis. Every major task in your office should have a primary person responsible and a backup person who knows how to do it. For example, if only one person knows how to send out mass email communications and their home is destroyed in a tornado, how will you communicate with your constituents?

​Document these processes and ensure that each employee’s backup knows the ins and outs of their role. This way, your nonprofit can continue to operate, even if key personnel are unavailable.

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Back Up Files and Data

​Ensure that all critical data is backed up regularly in both cloud-based storage and on physical drives that are stored off-site. If a disaster takes out your office and disrupts internet access, having physical backups of essential files will help you recover faster.

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Review Protocols as a Team

​Conduct team reviews of disaster preparedness protocols at least annually, but preferably every six months. For example, during one of our office-wide safety reviews, we discovered a back staircase that half the staff didn't know about, which could be critical in case of an active shooter or fire. You’ll be on-boarding new employees all the time and these meetings play a big role in ensuring everyone understands the safety procedures.

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Facilitate Communication

Keep a phone list of all employees’ cell numbers and key partners/vendors. Update this list at least twice a year and ensure that both digital and physical copies are available. You want to be able to reach your team quickly if normal office phone lines are down, and your team will need to reach leadership and each other.

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Make Remote Work Easy

​Ensure all employees have access to the necessary tools and technology to work remotely. This includes laptops, essential software, and communication platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that many organizations were not prepared for remote work, and this caused serious disruptions. Don’t let that happen to you in the next crisis, whatever it might be.

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Plan for Post-Disaster FundraisinG

When a disaster strikes, the demand for nonprofit services often skyrockets, and with that, so does the need for financial support. Having a plan in place for post-disaster fundraising is essential for ensuring your organization can continue to meet the increased needs of your community.
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Here are a few strategies for effective fundraising in the wake of a disaster:

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Launch a Disaster Relief Fund

Whether the disaster impacts your nonprofit directly or the community you serve, having a pre-set disaster relief fund ready to go can expedite your ability to raise and distribute critical resources. Establish a fund now so you don’t struggle setting it up in a crisis. Make sure your team knows how to pivot from regular fundraising campaigns to emergency campaigns when needed.

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Clear and Compassionate Messaging

Make sure your messaging is empathetic and focused on the immediate needs at hand. Communicate how your organization is impacted and how donors can help provide relief, recovery, and future stability. The rule is keep your donors near, dear, and clear: Meaning, be in swift communication (near), let them know you appreciate their support (dear), and provide clarity on the needs of the situation (clear).​

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Update Campaigns Quickly​

Review current and upcoming campaigns to ascertain whether they are appropriate in light of the current disaster. You may need to pause certain campaigns or pivot your messaging entirely to address immediate concerns. 

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Check Scheduled Marketing Materials

​Fundraisers and marketers must review scheduled materials during a crisis. A message that seemed relevant and positive before a disaster may become inappropriate or tone-deaf after the fact. For example, many organizations were caught off-guard when planned giving newsletters went out at the start of the pandemic, with language that unintentionally hit a wrong note. Also, blocking certain ZIP codes from out-going solicitation pieces may be necessary to be compassionate during a disaster. Ensure someone is assigned (along with a backup) to review all pre-scheduled content.

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Partner with Local or National Relief Efforts

​Collaborate with larger organizations, local governments, or coalitions to enhance your relief efforts. If possible, be in communication beforehand if these are organizations you would need to work closely with on a potential disaster that is high for likelihood and potential catastrophic impact on the risk matrix (the red areas). These partnerships can help you access more resources, extend your reach, and improve donor confidence.

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Conclusion: Stay Prepared to ServE

Nonprofits play a vital role in communities, especially during disasters, natural and otherwise. Prepare for emergencies with tools like the risk assessment matrix and follow this disaster preparedness checklist. These steps will help your organization respond quickly and effectively, ensuring that your mission can continue no matter what comes your way.

Prepare now. Don’t wait until disaster strikes—start building your plan today.

What steps has your nonprofit taken to prepare for disaster? Are there tips I missed? Let me know in the comments below!

Cheers!

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If you liked this post, you may also like these:

• Disaster Proofing Your Team
• Strategic Planning for Uncertain Times
• Planning for the Unexpected
• The Responsibility Calendar
• How to Keep Donors Connected in a Crisis: Near, Dear, and Clear