Discover how nonprofits can brace for the potential impacts of a second Trump presidency. The speaker introduces a practical five-step REACT framework designed to enhance organizational resilience. Learn what scenarios to prepare for, who should be involved in contingency planning, and how to ensure alignment with your mission. Gain insights from a personal anecdote about overcoming challenges during COVID-19 and access a downloadable template to kickstart your planning efforts. Don't wait—get ready for the uncertainties ahead!
Nonprofits must proactively develop contingency plans using the REACT framework to navigate the potential disruptions of a Trump 2.0 presidency.
Engaging in crisis response exercises fosters organizational resilience and ensures that responses are aligned with mission and values amidst political uncertainties.
Deep dives
The Importance of Contingency Planning
Contingency planning is a crucial strategy for non-profit organizations, particularly in the face of potential political changes. As organizations anticipate a second Trump presidency, they must understand how his policies can impact their missions and funding sources. Toward the end of his first term, measures like Schedule F, which converted civil service positions into political appointees, disrupted federal functions and grant processing. By proactively developing contingency plans, non-profits can better navigate uncertainties and continue delivering services to vulnerable populations.
Strategies for Effective Contingency Planning
The five key steps to successful contingency planning are encapsulated in the acronym REACT: recruit the right participants, envision realistic scenarios, adapt the agenda and materials, conduct the session, and transfer insights. Selecting the appropriate group, whether from staff or board members, is foundational to the planning process. Participants should generate plausible scenarios based on current political realities and assess their potential impacts on the communities they serve. Documenting insights and assigning follow-up actions during the session will solidify the outcomes and prepare organizations for responsive action.
Building Organizational Resilience
Resilience in organizations is fostered through consistent practice of crisis response exercises and contingency planning sessions. Engaging in structured frameworks like the REACT and CREATE models prepares teams to address various potential crises while aligning them with their core values and missions. This structured approach includes checking in with generative questions, reviewing session goals, and examining scenarios collaboratively to inform future strategies. Ultimately, even if anticipated scenarios do not unfold, the planning process empowers organizations to remain agile and better equipped to face unforeseen challenges.
If you listen to just one episode this year, make it this one. As Donald Trump prepares to take office, the nonprofit sector faces a potential shift that could disrupt services, funding, and the communities you support. In this urgent solo episode, Dolph Goldenburg provides a strategic roadmap to help progressive nonprofits prepare for these seismic changes within the next two months.
Goldenburg shares a practical, five-step REACT framework and offers real-world strategies to keep your organization resilient, even under pressure. This episode digs into essential questions, like:
What scenarios should I prepare for under a new Trump administration?
Who should be involved in creating our organization’s contingency plan?
How do I ensure that our responses are aligned with our mission and values?
You’ll also get a downloadable template to guide your own contingency planning sessions. Don’t wait—get your organization ready for day one, day 100, and beyond.