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No one likes to imagine worst-case scenarios, but in the world of business and nonprofit leadership, being unprepared is a risk no organization can afford. Whether it’s a serious workplace accident, a cybersecurity breach, or even a viral social media post gone wrong, crises can unfold quickly and attract intense public scrutiny. The difference between damage control and long-term reputation recovery often comes down to how—and how quickly—an organization communicates.

At GRIT, we help our clients prepare for the unexpected by developing custom crisis communication plans and offering hands-on media training to equip internal teams for high-pressure moments. In this Q&A, GRIT’s Communications & Social Media Specialist Kaylee shares preparedness-minded, actionable insights to help you lay the groundwork before a crisis hits so you’re ready to communicate confidently and effectively when it matters most.

Why is it important for businesses and nonprofits to think about crisis communication before a crisis happens?

Crises can feel like pure chaos. When something goes wrong—a serious injury, data breach, employee misconduct, or other high-stakes incident—there’s often a rush of media attention, stakeholder concern, and internal stress. It’s easy for leaders and team members “on the ground” to get overwhelmed and make decisions based on emotion rather than strategy. This is normal human nature in crisis situations since they are so out of the ordinary for most of us in our professional roles. However, the goal is to keep emotions from clouding decision-making judgment.

In this way, having a crisis communication plan in place ahead of time is essential. It gives your team a playbook for navigating the situation with clarity, control, and consistency. Without it, organizations are more likely to overshare, speculate, or go silent, none of which helps protect your reputation.

Today’s 24/7 news cycle doesn’t wait. If your organization cannot communicate quickly, someone else will—often without the whole story. Even a short, general statement as soon as a crisis occurs can go a long way in helping you stay ahead of the narrative.

What are the foundational elements of a good crisis communication plan?

A strong crisis communication plan is proactive, practical, and tailored to your organization’s structure. It should also align with your master operational crisis management plan. Here are the key components every organization’s plan should include:

• Crisis Team Overview: Identify your primary spokespeople, secondary leaders, and internal contacts. Clearly outline the chain of command and make sure everyone’s contact information is current.
• Crisis Communication Action Steps: Lay out the first actions to take when a crisis occurs. Think of this as your “go” list.
• Target Audiences: Define your stakeholders (employees, clients, media partners, etc.) and determine the order and method in which you’ll communicate with them.
• Scenario Planning: Anticipate potential crises that could affect your organization, such as natural disasters, employee misconduct, or cybersecurity incidents. Then, consider situations unique to your business or industry (for example, on-the-job injuries in construction or food safety issues in hospitality). Create template statements and designate spokespeople by topic.
• Post-Crisis Evaluation: After a given crisis has been addressed, the goal will be to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how your team will recover moving forward. Assemble plans to help with this process.
• Support Tools: Include a media request log, spokesperson bios, interview tips, holding statements, and a shared log for tracking actions and conversations. Having one central location where team members can document media inquiries and crisis-related updates ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Sound like a lot to assemble? You don’t have to work through everything on your own. A communication or public relations agency can help build and structure this plan with your internal team, tailoring it to your capacity and goals.

Can you walk us through the first 24 hours after a crisis hits? What should an organization prioritize?

The first 24 hours after a crisis hits are often the most intense and critical. Decisions made during this period can set the tone for how the situation is managed both internally and externally. That’s why preparation matters. With a strong crisis communication plan in place, your team can respond with focus instead of panic. Here’s a step-by-step guide to navigating those early hours:

1. Get the Facts, Quickly and Accurately
   Before any messaging goes out, gather all the essential details, such as:
   • What happened?
   • When and where did it occur?
   • Who was involved (employees, clients, vendors, others)?
   • Were people injured or property damaged?
   • Is the media involved or already covering the incident?
   • Have any other businesses been impacted or implicated?
   • What is the broader online conversation or narrative, including on social media?

Be sure to collect facts responsibly and avoid pressing for information that may violate privacy or create discomfort. The goal is to base your response on facts, not rumors or assumptions.

2. Align Internally and Designate a Spokesperson
   Contact the designated crisis communication leader and assemble the internal response team as you activate the media inquiries management protocol outlined in your crisis communication plan. Make sure everyone understands their role and agrees on next steps before any communication goes out. Assign one central point of contact to oversee all communications to ensure consistent messaging, and be sure to choose a calm, credible spokesperson to represent the organization. This person should be media-trained and prepped for both scripted and unscripted questions.
3. Coordinate Internal Communications
   Decide what information needs to be shared with employees, when, and how. Depending on the scale of the crisis, this might mean sending an all-staff email, hosting a team meeting, or communicating directly with managers who can cascade the message. Front-line team members, including those answering phones, monitoring email inboxes, or stationed at lobbies and points of entry, should be empowered with clear instructions on how to manage and route media or external inquiries appropriately.
4. Plan for External Communications
   Identify your audiences: clients, customers, media outlets, and any others you have outlined in your plan. Determine what needs to be shared, how often, and through what channels (e.g., email, public statement, website update, or press conference). Your crisis public relationsstrategy should align with your broader goals: preserving trust, demonstrating empathy, and showing control.
5. Monitor and Coordinate with Other Involved Parties
   If the crisis overlaps with another organization, track their response as well. Their public statements could reference your business, so it’s crucial to proactively coordinate and align on facts if possible.
6. Start a Crisis Activity Log
   Keep a detailed record of everything: when statements are made, who is contacted, what decisions are made, and what actions are taken. Use a centralized, accessible location where your internal team can contribute updates. This log can become a valuable resource for legal review, post-crisis evaluation, and internal learning.

Also remember: managing a crisis isn’t just about the initial response and recovery. Some incidents may have long-term legal or regulatory implications. Court cases can stretch on for years, and even well after the immediate crisis has passed, media outlets may come back for updates or commentary. Having a documented crisis communication strategy will help your team remain consistent and aligned if and when those follow-up inquiries happen.

What are the biggest mistakes you see organizations make when responding to a crisis?

As we already talked a bit about, the intense pressure of a crisis situation tends to make those involved react with high emotions. This is understandable, of course, but it often creates even more problems at the worst possible moment. There are plenty of examples of these missteps from the biggest brands out there. Still, smaller businesses and nonprofits should consider these moments as cautionary tales and avoid doing the following things. 

• Saying “No Comment”: This can make you look guilty or like you’re hiding something.
• Sharing Too Much Too Soon: Getting all the facts out quickly is tempting, but oversharing before you’re sure can cause more harm than good.
• Speculating: Stick to what you know. Guessing can lead to misinformation that you’ll have to walk back later.
• Becoming Defensive or Uncooperative: Even under pressure, it’s essential to remain calm and professional, especially with the media, clients, or customers.

Avoiding these mistakes starts with preparation. A well-thought-out crisis communication strategy gives you the tools to stay composed and on message.

How should organizations approach social media during a crisis?

Social media can feel like both a lifeline and a landmine during a crisis. On one hand, it’s a powerful tool to communicate directly with your audience. On the other, it’s a fast-moving environment where misinformation can spread rapidly, and hurried responses can spiral out of control. That’s why strategy is everything.

In many crises, word begins spreading on social media long before your organization has had a chance to issue a formal statement. (And, sometimes, a public relations crisis can even grow from well-intentioned social media posting and take place entirely online, but with lasting real-world consequences.) Even if you choose not to engage immediately, you must monitor what’s being said. Social listening can offer valuable insight into public sentiment, potential misinformation, and the overall tone of the conversation, which can help guide your broader crisis communication strategy.

When you are ready to post in response, timing matters. Any messages you share on social should align with your larger communication plan. It might feel tempting to respond to rumors or push back on inaccurate information right away. However, those responses can cause more harm than good without a coordinated approach. Before you hit “post,” ask yourself: Does this message support our overall response? Is it necessary? Is it strategic?

Not everything needs to be said on every platform. Consider optimizing your content for each channel (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, or X/Twitter). If you have a longer statement, linking out to a full update on your website or newsroom can be more effective than trying to fit context into a few lines of copy.

And don’t forget about your internal team. During a crisis, employees may post from their personal accounts—sometimes with the best of intentions, but not always with the full picture. Reinforcing your internal communication protocols and reminding team members where to direct inquiries can help prevent unintended confusion.

Above all, remember that silence can also be strategic, but it can be challenging to know when to say nothing. This is again where a crisis communication agency or PR firm can help you determine when to respond publicly, when to hold back, and how to ensure that what you do say on social media supports your organization’s credibility and composure.

What advice would you give to organizations with small teams or limited resources—especially nonprofits—when it comes to crisis planning?

The idea of building a crisis communication plan can feel overwhelming, especially for smaller businesses or nonprofits that don’t have a dedicated public relations team. But the truth is, you don’t have to do everything at once. Start by thinking of it as a project you can tackle in manageable steps.

Consider creating a project task force among key employees. Start by identifying your core crisis communication leads and spokespeople. Next, outline a few likely scenarios that could impact your organization and draft preliminary messaging templates. Then, map out your key audiences and determine how you would reach them.

A key thing to remember is that the best time to plan for a crisis is long before one occurs. Whether you’re leading a team of five or 500, taking time to outline your crisis response strategy and ensuring your spokespeople are media-ready can help your organization respond with confidence and clarity in the face of adversity. A little preparation now can give your organization the confidence and control it needs to weather whatever challenges may come.

Need help building or refreshing your crisis communication plan?

GRIT offers tailored support to meet your team where you are, from top-level frameworks to full-scale planning, plus media training designed to prepare your internal leaders for tough conversations. It’s one more way we help our clients dig deeper and lead with purpose, even in the most challenging moments.

Get in touch with our team today to explore how we can work together.