How to Communicate Post-Tsunami – Appropriate Strategies
for Nonprofits
What is the place of communications in the wake of
disaster? For a nonprofit, the answer lies in the way
(if any) that organization is involved in the relief
effort. Reading news of, campaigns for and other reactions
to the tsunami tragedy has shaped my list of guidelines for
appropriate nonprofit communications:
- For organizations providing services in the tsunami
relief effort:
- Communicate broadly and clearly about how
donations are managed, where they are going
and what your organization's relief effort
is achieving.
Examples:
- Catholic Relief Services responded immediately
with life-saving food, medicine, clean water,
emergency shelter, basic hygiene and household
supplies. This was the first phase of CRS' phased
response -- rapid-response relief to save lives,
rehabilitation of damaged areas, and development
efforts to rebuild communities and livelihoods.
http://www.catholicrelief.org/our_work/where_we_work/overseas/asia/tsunami/index.cfm/
- Oxfam America solicits donations on its homepage,
assuring prospective donors that "over 90% of
emergency funds go directly to saving and
rebuilding the lives of those in the affected
areas." Oxfam goes further than Catholic Relief
Services, linking its call for giving to
six content areas, including these moving accounts:
- A Survivor's Story– From a camp for Sri Lankans,
a survivor describes the tsunami and the work that
Oxfam is doing to help.
- A Personal Reflection – An Oxfam employee who is
Sri Lankan reflects on how the disaster is
affecting her family.
- The First Hours– Oxfam staff in Sri Lanka
describes the disaster.
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/
- Make it clear why your organization is well-
equipped to help. Be as specific as possible.
Example: Save The Children, with a field office in
the Aceh province of Indonesia, was positioned to
provide aid in the region before others could
arrive. The agency has since expanded its focus
to include children in Sri Lanka.
- Be thoughtful in your use of graphic photos
of the disaster.
The press is working for you by publicizing
shocking photos of the disaster (not to mention
the home videos floating around the Internet).
And there's quite a bit of controversy among
the press regarding this issue.
Some journalists argue that graphic photos (such
as dead children) are too much. Others assert that
the seriousness of the disaster necessitate
the use of photos to convey the gravity of the
situation, especially to the jaded U.S. audience.
- For organizations collecting donations for aid efforts:
- Be proactive and specific in conveying the
process for distributing donations and where (and
when) the money will be spent.
Example: My local Jewish Community Center (JCC)
distributed a flyer soliciting donations for
tsunami relief. Working in conjunction with
the United Jewish Communities, the JCC explains
that "UJC's unique partnership with
local and overseas agencies enables us to help
build and rebuild communities and ensures that
we can provide a wide range of support to people
at home and around the world."
I'd like to know more specifics of how donations
will be used for disaster relief and wish that
they had included a web address where I could find
out more.
When I go to the UJC site on my own, I get a
clear explanation of why it's soliciting
donations (for its overseas aid agency, the
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee)
which is providing non-sectarian aid in the
regions by struck the tsunami. The UJC site
also details JDC's allocation of contributions
to date.
http://www.ujc.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=142336
- Explain why your organization has chosen to get
involved as a pass through for donations.
This role, which is probably an unusual one for
your organization, has the potential to confuse
your established audiences. Help them understand
what you are doing, and why.
Example: The JCC does a good job of explaining
why they are getting involved in donations for
relief support -- to filter donations to the
UJC.
- For other nonprofits continuing with their fundraising and
communications pitches:
- Be sensitive to inappropriate pitches.
You may actually go as far as to acknowledge the
magnitude of the tsunami disaster, and the
contributions your prospective donors are likely
to have made. In doing so, you craft the opportunity
to talk about your issues and/or service recipients
and the fact that their needs persist in the
face of this terrible tragedy.
Remember that your audiences have been immersed,
whether they have wanted to be or not, in tsunami
coverage. No story of yours can be more
- Relate your work to relief work when relevant --
but don't overstate.
Make sure you don't overstate a connection
between your organization, services or programs
and the tsunami disaster.
At the same time, acknowledge the tsunami. Pretending
that it didn't happen is the worst mistake your
organization can make.
- Continue with your regular campaigns and press
releases.
Yep, many journalists are busy with tsunami coverage,
even as it relates to nonprofits. But there's
only so much coverage related to this topic.
If you have a timely pitch, make it.
© 2002-2008 Nancy E. Schwartz. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications. As President of Nancy Schwartz & Company (www.nancyschwartz.com), Nancy and her team provide marketing planning and implementation services to organizations as varied as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, and Wake County (NC) Health Services.
Subscribe to her free e-newsletter "Getting Attention", (http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html) and read her blog at http://www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves.
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© 2002-2008, Nancy Schwartz & Company
Revised April 12, 2008
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