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"Crisis Communication Planning and Strategies for Nonprofit Leaders examines the unique position of nonprofit organizations in an intersection of providing public services and also being a part of emergency management practices. This text discusses the evolution of crisis communication planning, the unique position of nonprofit organizations and the crises they face, along with provision of conceptual and theoretical frameworks to generate effective crisis communication plans for nonprofit organizations to utilize within diverse crises. Through the use of innovative real-life case studies investigating the impact of crisis communication plans, this book provides the foundational knowledge of crisis communication planning, theoretically supported strategies, crisis typology, and planning resources. Each chapter focuses on critical strategic planning concepts and includes a summary of key points, discussion questions, and additional resources for each concept. With this text, nonprofit organizations will be able to strategically plan for organization-specific and emergency management related crises, develop effective crisis communication plans, garner internal and external support, and generate assessment strategies to maintain the relevancy of these plans within their future endeavors. Crisis Communication Planning and Strategies for Nonprofit Leaders offers a new and insightful approach to crisis communication planning to assist nonprofit organizations that are called upon to fulfill a variety of community needs, such as sheltering, food distribution, relief funding, family reunification services, volunteer mobilization and much more. It will be an essential resource for nonprofit organizations"--

"Crisis Communication Planning and Strategies for Nonprofit Leaders examines the unique position of nonprofit organizations in an intersection of providing public services and also being a part of emergency management practices. This text discusses the evolution of crisis communication planning, the unique position of nonprofit organizations and the crises they face, along with provision of conceptual and theoretical frameworks to generate effective crisis communication plans for nonprofit organizations to utilize within diverse crises. Through the use of innovative real-life case studies investigating the impact of crisis communication plans, this book provides the foundational knowledge of crisis communication planning, theoretically supported strategies, crisis typology, and planning resources. Each chapter focuses on critical strategic planning concepts and includes a summary of key points, discussion questions, and additional resources for each concept. With this text, nonprofit organizations will be able to strategically plan for organization-specific and emergency management related crises, develop effective crisis communication plans, garner internal and external support, and generate assessment strategies to maintain the relevancy of these plans within their future endeavors. Crisis Communication Planning and Strategies for Nonprofit Leaders offers a new and insightful approach to crisis communication planning to assist nonprofit organizations that are called upon to fulfill a variety of community needs, such as sheltering, food distribution, relief funding, family reunification services, volunteer mobilization and much more. It will be an essential resource for nonprofit organizations"--

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of crisis communication and management along with its inclusion into the field and practice of emergency management. This paper also discusses the inclusion of nonprofit organizations and the need for these organizations to engage in crisis communication planning and strategy creation to address the diverse and numerous crises that nonprofits are at risk of experiencing.Design/methodology/approachThis paper utilizes a systematic literature review of crisis communication planning tools and resources focused on nonprofit organizations to derive best practices and policy needs.FindingsThe resources analyzed provide foundational insight for nonprofit organizations to proactively develop plans and strategies during noncrisis periods to support their organization when a crisis occurs.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of this paper include limited academic research and practical resources related to nonprofit organizations and crisis communication planning. As such, several potential avenues for empirical research are discussed.Practical implicationsThis paper provides considerations for nonprofit organizations engaging in crisis communication planning and aspects leaders need to partake in to reduce or eliminate the risk of facing an operational or reputational crisis.Social implicationsThis paper highlights the critical need to generate a crisis communication plan due to the diverse crises nonprofit organizations face and their connection to the emergency management structure. Understanding the crisis and utilizing a crisis communication plan allows nonprofit organizations a way to strategically mitigate the impact of a crisis while also providing essential services to their respective communities and maintain their overall stability.Originality/valueThis paper is unique in its analysis of crisis communication planning resources and creation of a planning framework to assist nonprofit organizations in their planning efforts.

AbstractCommunity foundations are uniquely positioned within their localities to provide immediate needs and realize their communities' strengths, resources, and challenges, affording them opportunities to be highly effective in responding to crises. Many community foundations act not only as grant‐makers and social investors, but also as community mobilizers, experts, facilitators, and leaders, who work on identifying areas of greatest need to catalyze meaningful social change. As the COVID‐19 pandemic has quickly spread across the United States, many community foundations are spearheading immediate relief efforts locally and mobilizing millions of dollars throughout the U.S. This article highlights the initial response efforts of specific community foundations to the COVID‐19 outbreak, including operations, shifts in funding priorities, and fund allocation oversight. Moving forward, it will be increasingly critical for community foundations and all philanthropists to strategically prioritize funding initiatives, voice local concerns to policymakers, and advocate for both state and federal policies related to nonprofit support.

Abstract
During the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), nonprofits needed to quickly rethink their strategies concerning the sustainability of their organizations along with communication regarding the crisis. The pandemic presented unique opportunities for understanding how service-oriented nonprofits, who must share timely and accurate information across stakeholders and work closely with partner organizations, can deliver services during crisis periods. Utilizing a case study approach, the focus of this study is the impact of COVID-19 on the Federation of Virginia Food Banks (FVFB), which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit state association of food banks affiliated with Feeding America, by examining the use of crisis communication strategies utilized or not-utilized during the crisis response and recovery activities. The findings present practical implications for nonprofit organizations and their crisis response and recovery networks and a better understanding of the needs for nonprofit organizations to engage in crisis communication planning for diverse crises and planning resources.

AbstractThe coronavirus pandemic (COVID‐19) had detrimental health and economic impacts on communities across the globe. Consequently, public, profit and nonprofit organizations had to quickly adjust to the new situation and adopt new operating strategies and service delivery mechanisms. This study examines a nonprofit food network in Virginia and the impact of COVID‐19 on food bank services and distribution operations. Guided by the adaptive systems approach, this case study utilizes the Federation of Virginia Food Bank (FVFB) and focuses on operational challenges within the network and the impact of the CARES Act. The data obtained from stakeholder interviews and a survey of local and regional providers suggest communication and adaptive management were crucial in the continuation of network operations. Furthermore, understanding the multifaceted needs of vulnerable individuals, beyond nutrition and food insecurity, is important for nonprofit service partners in a network. The study proposes a conceptual framework for effective operations in a nonprofit network during crisis and highlights the need to create collaborative capacity.

AbstractPublic administration upholds four pillars of an administrative practice: economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and social equity. The question arises, however, how do administrators balance effectiveness and social equity when implementing policy? Can the values contributing to administrative decisions be measured? This study leverages the expansion of medical cannabis programs in the states to interrogate these questions. The awarding of dispensary licenses in Pennsylvania affords the ability to determine the effect of social equity scoring on license award decisions, relative to criteria that represent the other pillars. The results show that safety and business acumen were the most important determining factors in the awarding of licenses, both effectiveness concerns. Social equity does not emerge as a significant determinant until the second round of licensing. This study then discusses the future of social equity provisions for cannabis policy, as well as what the findings mean for social equity in public administration.

AbstractThe current U.S. climate of racial and social injustice has prompted a renewed call for diverse and equitable ways to rethink community philanthropy. Community foundations are vehicles for community philanthropy which offer vast benefits for social improvement and community development. The board of directors ensures these organizations fulfill their mission, making decisions on funding priorities and holding the organization functionally and fiscally responsible. Drawing on constructs of diversity and representative bureaucracy and a case study of Florida community foundations, we suggest that diversity is understood in different ways and the presence of diverse board members may be linked to advancing the interests of diverse communities and in achieving outcomes that assist in the needs of certain social groups. Increased understanding of diversity can improve foundation and philanthropic effectiveness and bring broader social change by promoting equity and social justice among community‐based philanthropic organizations.

AbstractThe myriad applications of artificial intelligence (AI) by the private and public sectors have exploded in the public consciousness in the postpandemic period. However, researchers and businesses have been working on AI technology applications for decades, and in many ways, governments are rushing to catch up. This article presents an argument that the future of AI policy in the United States will be driven in large part by current and future state-level policy experiments. This argument is presented by drawing on scholarship surrounding federalism, regulatory fragmentation, and the effects of fragmentation on business and social equity. The article then presents the case of autonomous vehicle policy in the states to illustrate the degree of current fragmentation and considers the effects of layering new AI policies on top of existing rules surrounding privacy, licensing, and more. Following this consideration of existing research and its application of AI policy, the article presents a research agenda for leveraging state differences to study the effects of AI policy and develop a cohesive framework for governing AI.