Resources
Navigating Change Management Risk
Change fatigue presents major risks to the mission of every nonprofit as the pace of change continues to increase. But a few best practices can help nonprofit teams navigate change and continue to improve their service to the community.
Traveling via TARDIS: Managing Risk with the Risk Time Machine
Prepare for risk events while traveling in style and across time like The Doctor. Doctor who, you ask? This time The Doctor is YOU! Attend this webinar to learn how to use NRMC’s Risk Time Machine worksheet to assess a specific risk while practicing both reflection and foresight. Learn how to lead a team through … Continued
For Granted
By Melanie Lockwood Herman During one of my favorite episodes of The West Wing, President Bartlet remarks, “The most costly disruptions always [happen] when something we take completely for granted stops working for a minute.” Risk leaders around the globe continue to champion building resilient systems, support, and strategies. These leaders know that accurately forecasting … Continued
Story Time: Risk Lessons from My Pandemic Reading List
Join the Nonprofit Risk Management Center’s CEO, Melanie Lockwood Herman, for a “story time” tour through her recently-favorited risk-related reads, all of which she absorbed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore lessons from inspiring leadership development books and other popular titles, and learn how Melanie applies these insights to the discipline of risk management. Leave the … Continued
Lessons from the Pandemic: On the Road to the Next New Normal
Risk programs have been forced to adapt rapidly during the pandemic. All nonprofits have had to pivot in myriad ways to respond to the ever-changing situation. This “Black Swan” event left many nonprofits scrambling to adapt risk assessments, policies and procedures, and risk management practices. In this webinar, we explore graceful adaptations and silver linings … Continued
Your Next New Normal: 5 Things to Do to Prepare for What’s Next
By Whitney Claire Thomey At the beginning of 2020, no one could have predicted that a pandemic would knock the world off its proverbial axis or that the ripple effect would touch nearly every aspect of daily life. Organizations have been forced to grapple with an ever-evolving challenge that has required leaders and team members … Continued
Business Continuity Planning: 5 Steps to Build Resilience
Join this fast-paced webinar to learn the fundamentals of business continuity planning for nonprofits. The presenters will share 5 steps to building resilience that can be applied to any organization. They will also help you understand the key insurance-related issues and considerations applicable to business interruptions and continuity planning. Worried about the ‘next’ interruption or … Continued
Does Your Nonprofit Have Resilience DNA?
Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is “a molecule that contains the biological instructions that make each species unique.” (See www.genome.gov). Did you know that certain information about future health risks is embedded in your DNA? Popular DNA test kits offer the promise of insights we can use to change our habits and lifestyles to improve health and … Continued
The Best of NRMC’s Resilience Resources
Resilience is a subject that is top of mind for many nonprofit leaders today. At NRMC, we believe that building organizational resilience is a core component of effective risk management. Today’s RISK eNews presents a collection of resilience resources developed by our team. Business Continuity Planning Business continuity planning (BCP) is one of the best … Continued
Ready… Set… Learn! Get Ready NOW for What’s NEXT!
“You must dig the well before you’re thirsty and become curious now—not when a crisis inevitably presents itself.” – Ozan Varol, Think Like a Rocket Scientist This week the NRMC team is putting the finishing touches on a new business continuity web application that we hope will motivate and support teams trying to get ready … Continued
Business Continuity Planning: Taking it from the Backburner to Front and Center
(download The Business Continuity Planning issue of Risk Management Essentials, here.) By Whitney Claire Thomey Certain aspects of the risk management discipline are more compelling than others. It’s easy to see how Enterprise Risk Management harnesses the power of your organization’s strategic initiatives and bolsters the opportunity for your mission to grow and succeed. Having candid … Continued
Resilient and Risk-Aware: Ah-ha Moments in Cyber Risk
By Melanie Lockwood Herman This week I’ve been engrossed in The Fifth Domain: Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats, by Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake. The book is one of several I’ve been reading this Summer to inspire my team’s obsessive focus on resilience and business … Continued
Three Chords & The Truth: Methods for Approaching Business Continuity Planning
(download The Business Continuity Planning issue of Risk Management Essentials, here.) By Melanie Lockwood Herman Many nonprofit leaders are seeking a clear, ‘best practice’ approach to creating a business continuity plan for their organization. Preferably a simple, straightforward approach that won’t take too much time. Or too much effort. Or rock the boat. This article offers … Continued
Cloud Computing – BCP Boon or Boobytrap?
(download The Business Continuity Planning issue of Risk Management Essentials, here.) By Katharine Nesslage Many nonprofits are routinely taking advantage of the “Cloud” to provide low-cost software and data solutions. Gone are the days when organizations were required to purchase and maintain expensive servers on-site to house their applications and data. The allure of being able … Continued
Business Continuity Planning: Taking it from the Backburner to Front and Center
(download The Business Continuity Planning issue of Risk Management Essentials, here.) By Whitney Claire Thomey Certain aspects of the risk management discipline are more compelling than others. It’s easy to see how Enterprise Risk Management harnesses the power of your organization’s strategic initiatives and bolsters the opportunity for your mission to grow and succeed. Having candid … Continued
How to Prepare for 2021: Insights from NRMC Advisors
In early 2020 NRMC formed a Corporate Advisory Committee (CAC); the employers of CAC members provide financial support for NRMC’s educational mission. We invited members of this new advisory team for their insights on the impacts of COVID-19 and the recession, as well as their ideas about how to best prepare for 2021. For this … Continued
Find Inspiration in an Epic Fail
“It’s extremely liberating and honest to admit that we know very little about almost everything. This is not to make us feel small and insignificant, but rather to make us feel excited about how much we still have to learn.” – John Hunt, The Art of the Idea By Melanie Lockwood Herman It’s not often … Continued
Question Everything
“The ability to ask questions is the greatest resource in learning the truth.” – Carl Jung I’ve just finished reading Questions Are the Answer, by Hal Gregersen. This terrific book has inspired me to scribble more than usual. I’ve been jotting down questions on scraps of paper, adding questions to our staff meeting agendas, and … Continued
Take 10: Resume and Thrive Strategies
By Melanie Lockwood Herman and Whitney Claire Thomey The effects of a global pandemic have caused many nonprofits to quickly scale back and shutter programs, send staff home, and redeploy resources to stop the spread of COVID-19. No organization was immune from the need to make fast, and in some cases, immediate decisions about what … Continued
No Business Continuity Plan? Take These 4 Steps
If you’re regretting the fact that you never got around to finishing your nonprofit’s Business Continuity Plan, you’re not alone! Many nonprofits in the U.S. are in the same, unprepared boat. The purpose of this article is to offer a highly simplified, quick-start framework to activate when your nonprofit is currently facing an interruption to … Continued
Five Low-Tech Ways to Anticipate and Manage Active Threats
It always pays to be cognizant of what is happening around you. From the risk of an avoidable accident to the dangers of a determined perpetrator, lack of focus and awareness can be devastating or deadly. This webinar explores low-tech ways to anticipate and manage the risks of active threats. Use what you learn watching … Continued
Put on Your Thinking Map: Create a Contingency Map in 5 Steps
By Melanie Lockwood Herman A short plane ride to Columbus on Saturday offered the ideal opportunity to catch up on overdue reading from some of my favorite weekly e-newsletters. One piece from the team at McKinsey caught my eye by combining two favorite topics in a single headline: “Bias busters: Up-front contingency planning”. The authors … Continued
Crisis Management Part 2: Communicating with Care & BCP Overview
An unmanaged crisis could be the apocalypse for your nonprofit. Resolve to keep your reputation intact by acting on the crisis communication principles shared in this webinar. Learn how to select an effective spokesperson to represent your nonprofit, and how to respond compassionately during and after a crisis event. This webinar also offers a brief … Continued
Belt and Suspenders: Redundancy in Risk Practice
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “Daring and prudence, when used together, lead to new and safe structures.” – Why Buildings Fall Down I was reminded of several risk practice fundamentals this week while reading a fascinating book, Why Buildings Fall Down. The book chronicles structural failures, including the collapse of dams, bridges, stadiums, and buildings, and … Continued
Managing the Perils of Prosperity
March 31, 2016 By Melanie Lockwood Herman Organizational growth and perceptions about success go hand in hand. Like the subtitle of Tom Peters’ book, The Circle of Innovation: You Can’t Shrink Your Way to Greatness, many boards, donors and other stakeholders believe that year-over-year growth is an indicator of good organizational health. The April 2016 … Continued
Closing Time: Effective Exit Interviews
By Melanie Lockwood Herman “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end…” – Closing Time, Semisonic Upon learning that an employee or volunteer will be leaving your nonprofit, you might schedule a time for the departing team member to turn in their keys, return equipment, and receive a briefing on post employment benefits. Departing … Continued
HELP! I Need Somebody’s Risk Help
March 16, 2016 If you’ve ever heard the catchy Beatles tune, Help!, it might have caused you to reflect on times you’ve sought help in your personal or professional life. Here at the Center, we offer RISK HELP and risk management guidance to our valued Affiliate Members and consulting clients. In today’s RISK eNews, the … Continued
Business Continuity Planning for Your Nonprofit
When you’re up to your rear in alligators, it’s hard to remember that your mission was to drain the swamp. A business continuity strategy provides a “Plan B” for keeping the alligators at bay, while continuing to focus on the task at hand. BCP is a way to keep your doors open in the face … Continued