The beginning of 2025 has been a brutal time for changemakers. With the Trump administration’s litany of executive orders targeting underrepresented and marginalized communities, the already great strain on nonprofits and equity-focused organizations has amplified tenfold.
In times like these, amidst jeopardized funding, the spread of misinformation, risk of retaliation, and more, storytelling can be more difficult than ever. However, it’s also more important than ever. The stories you tell allow you to reach the right people, connect them to what their communities are going through, and inspire them to take action.
As long as we keep telling stories, change is more than just possible – it’s inevitable. Here are 4 key steps to ensuring your communications move the needle during times of crisis and uncertainty:
1. Deliver clear, informative messaging that reinforces your mission and vision.
- Clarify what may change about your work. Clearly describe to your audiences how the recent developments will impact your organization and the people you serve. For instance, let them know if certain services or initiatives will be scaled back, and why.
- Clarify what won’t change about your work. At the same time, reassure audiences your commitment to your cause remains the same. Emphasize how you’re adapting to maintain stability, and how your action plan will move you toward your long-term vision.
2. Keep your message focused and action-oriented.
- Counter misinformation with clear, fact-based messaging. Monitor social media and stay in direct communication with your audience. This will keep you ready to draft and share factual messaging in response to breaking developments.
- Keep your messaging proactive, solutions-oriented, and hopeful. Remember that to inspire people to take action, your storytelling should give them a sense of hope – not leave them feeling hopeless. Share messaging that inspires, rather than angers or saddens, by focusing on the solution rather than the problem.
- Recognize how your audience is feeling. Thoughtfully acknowledge the very real emotions your audience may be feeling and let them know what you’re doing to combat the challenges.
- Give clear next steps. Tell your audience how they can be involved in the solution; give them specific, actionable steps such as donating, volunteering, attending an event, or sharing information. Additionally, make it clear where they can go if they have questions.
3. Be prepared for rapid response.
- Develop a decision tree for when to speak out, when to stay silent, and when to mobilize action. What kind of situations necessitate a response from your organization? How do you decide when to simply share info and when to ask your audiences to get involved? Establishing a framework for these types of questions will allow you to utilize your time more effectively and intentionally.
- Establish a process for responding to fast-moving developments. Designate in advance who communicates to which audiences, who is responsible for drafting content, who reviews content, and how quickly you should aim to respond.
- Create and use templates when possible. For common or anticipated scenarios, draft template language ahead of time that your team can adjust as needed. This ensures your responses will be both swift and consistent.
4. Remember to communicate to your internal audiences.
- Keep your staff, board members, and other stakeholders in the loop. Like your external audiences, make sure your internal audiences are regularly updated on developments. Be clear about how your organization will be impacted, what their role and responsibilities are, and where they can go if they have questions.
- Provide internal guidance, including key messaging for your internal audiences to pull from, templates they can use, and guidelines on how to respond to concerns or misleading narratives.
To dive even further into effective storytelling during a crisis, watch the latest episode of our How to Change the World podcast, where host Catherine Alonzo shares the essential pillars, common mistakes to avoid, and real-world examples of crisis communications done well.
For a handy version of this guide you can easily reference, download this free PDF. The guide also includes curated resources – including blog posts, podcast episodes, and expert insights – that offer deeper guidance on communicating with clarity, resilience, and impact.
Need additional guidance or support with your communications? Reach out to info@javelina.co and let us know what you need.