It is often said that reputation precedes you. A reputation is built by many hands – the press, the public, staff and chief executives, to name just a few. And in a sector where survival depends on building awareness and trust, a charity’s reputation is a valuable asset.
Alex Singleton, secretary of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ not-for-profit group, said: “We know from peer reviewed research that the reputation of a charity has an important role in the volume of donations the organisation pulls in.
“In a climate of austerity, a strong reputation could mean being better insulated from belt tightening and better equipped to win new government contracts.”
The 2014 instalment of Managing in the new normal, a survey of the voluntary sector conducted by the Institute of Fundraising, PwC and Charity Finance Group, found that 90% of charities feel the sector has become subject to more media interest and scrutiny. Greater scrutiny doesn’t have to mean avoiding risk-taking, however, just that you must always be prepared.
“Let’s face it, charities have to make decisions every day that affect their reputation, especially when dealing with controversial subjects,” Singleton said. “So it’s vital to have a plan to deal with criticism and to put right anything that’s gone wrong.”
Courting controversy
Is there a right way to handle controversy and come out stronger for it? Alex Smith found himself in this position back in 2013. Smith founded Harrison’s Fund after his son was diagnosed with a rare and fatal genetic disorder called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
The charity fundraises to support medical research, but as Duchenne is a disease with an unfamiliar name, Smith knew he would have to make brave choices in order to cut through the noise. So his charity ran an advert with an attention grabbing headline: “I wish my son had cancer”. Smith explained in his own words that the concept came from a place of brutal honesty - a wish his son had a disease that doctors and the public knew more about.
While many received the ad positively, others saw it as insensitive. “It was a very tough 48 hours after it came out,” said Smith. “I was attacked on Facebook, by email and by phone.” He handled the storm by facing it head on, personally responding to every message and taking the opportunity to tell his story. “It was important to explain my rationale and that I wasn’t just trying to shock people, I am a dad trying to help his son.”
The experience taught Smith to plan ahead for any potential backlash. This March, Harrison’s Fund launched another bold campaign - “I wish my son was a dog” - which tested whether donors were more likely to support a sick child or a sick animal. This time Smith said he was better prepared, readying a public statement and a plan for social media. “We put together one strategy for if it’s a good response, and one for if it’s a bad response. We were ready to react to any given situation and to talk eloquently.”
People power
Having the right public messages is evidently vital to a strong reputation, but that doesn’t mean ignoring internal messaging too. Amanda Murray, HR business partner at Zurich Insurance, says getting staff on the same page is of particular importance when experiencing organisational issues or changes.
Take the departure of a chief executive, for example. “If there is a leadership change, staff can feel quite vulnerable,” said Murray. “They may be unsure why it has happened, or about the future direction of the organisation. During these times it’s easy to focus on what is being said externally, and to forget what the internal message should be.”
More broadly, a strong people strategy is vital to a good reputation because of the picture that staff build on an organisation’s behalf. “People and reputation are linked,” Murray said. “For us, our reputation has an impact on the talent we attract to come and work here, and the customers we attract and retain.”
Singleton agreed that getting staffs’ voices out there can have a positive PR impact, but recommends making sure you put the right person forward. While getting your chief executive on Twitter is evidently important, he said it is not a reputational panacea as tweeting can often be low down their busy priority list, so it’s worth trying people more at the director of policy level.
“On social media it’s vital to build up support by engaging with stakeholders and treating them well. When a crisis hits, you’ll find that these stakeholders instinctively want to defend you.”
For further reading on how charities can manage reputational risks and take advantage of reputation building opportunities, check out our free downloadable guide: “A fresh look at reputational risks for charities”. Interested in finding out how Zurich can help you charity? Email us.
Content on this page is paid for and provided by Zurich Insurance sponsor of the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network’s Charity Leadership hub.
