Voices of Note’s (VON) Rapid Response Policy
Purpose: To provide guidelines for the Board of Directors / Executive Director to
develop and implement a timely response to local, regional, national, or international
events/incidents that may impact the VON / LGBT community.
Background: Early in 2016, a horrible attack was made upon an Orlando LGBT
gathering location, which left many dead and injured. VON provided a strong supportive
response, yet timeliness was an opportunity.
Focus exists internally and externally:
➢ Internally for the continuity of the non-profit business aspects of VON (staff and
board members, finances, confidential data, office environment, etc.)
➢ Externally to protect the VON brand and provide support to the LGBT community
in all aspects.
Roles: A Rapid Response Team (RRT) structure (a VON Board Executive Committee
member, a board member, and the Executive Director.)
1) Determine whether incident/event merits a formal response from VON.
2) If yes, draft response for board review/approval.
Policy: All responses to any public/private incident/event impacting directly/indirectly
the VON or the LGBT community are to come from only one of the following individuals:
the VON Board President, the VON Board Vice President or the VON Executive
Director. (Always be alert if matter is internal, whether 911 should be called.)
“Emergency Examples”:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
The Orlando Pulse event.
A gay supported church is bombed.
A major editorial attack on LGBT, women, minorities, etc. rights.
Negative media publicity on VON.
Flooding of VON offices.
VON data “hacked”.
A “community” march on civil rights.
APPROACH
If such incident/event occurred the VON’s approach should be as follows:
1) Convene VON RRT within 48 hours of reported incident/event:
a. Members: a member of the VON board executive committee.
b. Member of the VON board.
c. VON Executive Director.
2) Determine if issue is internal or external.
a. If internal:
i. Is it a 911 situation?
ii. How to diffuse the situation?
iii. Conduct a risk assessment.
iv. Liability factors?
b. If external:
i. 911 status?
ii. How to provide support?
3) Determine who is providing the information and the source reliability.
4) Determine what impact the information has on the VON.
a. How would the VON brand be perceived with or without a response?
b. Does VON have the ability/capacity to respond appropriately?
5) Determine what position VON will take.
6) Determine what information will be shared with the public.
a. Be alert to brand perception.
b. Be alert to financial concerns.
7) All communications are to be in alignment with VON’s mission/values, accurate,
and totally truthful.
a. An initial brief, focused, and factual description of the situation.
b. Initial response action details: who, what, when, and where.
c. A statement of commitment to return to “business as usual”.
d. An expression of empathy to those affected by the incident.
e. Provide access information to subject matter experts to answer media
inquiries.
f. Be timely with follow up information.
8) Determine if any “action” will be taken.
9) Determine who will officially “speak” to the public on behalf of VON:
a. Executive Director
b. Board President
TRIGGERING ACTION
1) Once VON RRT determines a specific action needs to be taken (fund raising,
public programs, recovery efforts, etc.) then an “action team” should be created.
2) Determine members of action team, with representation from:
a. The board.
b. The chorus members.
c. Administration (possibly a “press” representative).
3) Create a detailed plan of action with beginning and end dates.
4) Provide daily/weekly reports to the VON Executive Committee
5) Provide final closeout report with recommendations going forward.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
1) Determine which media tools you will use.
2) Determine which community organizations you will work with regularly.
a. Internal:
i. Artistic Directors
ii. Chorus Member Presidents
iii. Circle of Friends
b. External: designated media groups
3) Establish a list of direct contacts with designated community groups.
4) During incident/event all questions are to be directed to the RRT.
5) Do not pay for any media exposure.
CLOSURE
1) Once incident/event has ended, RRT provides analysis of actions and results.
2) RRT makes recommendations to VON board for future incident/plan
management.