I have seen some excellent resources for nonprofits in the age of covid-19, including this one (a collection of helpful articles and blog posts) by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and a powerful, raw and practical video recorded yesterday by Abra Annes of Generosity Auctions about what to do if you have a spring fund-raising event that has been postponed/cancelled or is threatened (and also generally about what to do to bring in revenue now).
I also published three excerpts on crisis management from my new book, When in Doubt, Ask for More: and 213 Other Life and Career Lessons for Mission-Driven Leaders. However, those techniques are more geared to dealing with self-inflicted wounds or organization-specific setbacks, rather than acts of God.
When surveying the resources out there for nonprofit leaders, one approach that has worked well for me seems missing. As simple as it sounds, during this crisis I encourage leaders to set aside time to meet one-on-one with their most trusted and dedicated colleagues, donors, board members, and allies. Use the time not just to commiserate and check in on them, but also (this is important!) ask their advice about the path ahead for your organization, share with them how you plan to approach the next 3-6 months, outline some decisions you believe may need to be made in order to get their reactions. Solicit creative ideas, and let them critique yours.
It is best to conduct these sessions in person, in a location comfortable and convenient for the person you are meeting with, and in an unrushed manner. This may not always be possible, especially given recent mandates and recommendations from government authorities – though it is still the ideal. Talking by phone or better yet, video conferencing, is still a good option. Forget about email – as Abra noted in her video, everyone stopped reading covid-19 related emails days ago and are unlikely to start again anytime soon.
Good luck. And as my mentor Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate from Bangladesh, told me in my 20s when I was observing him deal with multiple crises with surprising equanimity, “A captain can’t show their skills on calm waters.” First and foremost, keep your ships afloat – pushing yourself outside your comfort zone if necessary (which could end up being a blessing) – and then focusing on advancing your mission in the near term (as much as possible) and, once this terrible and terrifying situation passes, far into the future.