How will your company respond?

Recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump have significantly impacted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across various sectors, prompting nonprofit and executive leaders to reassess and adapt their communication strategies.​ With some organizations opting to roll-back language that might trigger funding restriction or opposition, others are doubling-down on their commitment to a culturally conscious expression of corporate values.

Ultimately, the decision to reframe or reaffirm your company’s commitment to DEI is between you, your employees and your stakeholders. Whichever choice you make, a strong crisis communication strategy is crucial.

Crisis communication is a communication strategy that stabilizes and advances organizations by inspiring confidence, earning trust and engaging stakeholders. With DEI initiatives facing growing resistance, organizations that have immediately complied without implementing crisis communication plans have triggered feelings of distrust and disloyalty among internal and external stakeholders.

Whether your organization opts to stand-firm against anti-DEI opposition, or reassess its corporate language for funding purposes, you can leverage the power of communications to successfully emerge from this cultural crisis.

Dismantling DEI

Since taking office in January, Donald Trump has moved swiftly to dismantle DEI initiatives, emphasizing a return to “merit-based opportunity” in the U.S. His administration has ordered the termination of federal DEI programs and launched investigations into private companies and academic institutions suspected of engaging in what it calls “illegal DEI” practices.

After decades of legislative advancement preventing discrimination, a renewed focus on addressing social justice was prompted in 2020, with socio-political unrest and protests erupting in response to the death of George Floyd. Companies across America established DEI initiatives, bringing discussions about equity into the workplace and encouraging allyship as a vehicle for collective social progress.

Now, with those same initiatives under the microscope of the current presidential administration, companies are either doubling-down or rolling-back.

Companies like Amazon, Walmart and Target have rolled back DEI initiatives en masse, sparking the ire of consumers and community leaders, who have called for nationwide boycotts. Companies like Costco have stood firm against political pressure, enraging some and garnering the respect and financial support of others.

These changes don’t just affect major corporations…

Nonprofit organizations are facing funding disruptions for programs with DEI-focused goals; cultural institutions are being targeted for promoting DEI-based ideology; and educational institutions are being pressured to shut down entire offices or lose significant funding.

Legal challenges to these executive orders have begun to emerge, with federal judges issuing temporary orders to prevent the enforcement of certain aspects of the anti-DEI directives. Still, with a lot of money on the table and a lot of uncertainty about the road ahead, nonprofit and executive leaders are faced with a monumental challenge: the decision to double-down or roll-back.

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The Importance of Strategy

The decision to reaffirm your organization’s values or pivot to new standards is not as important as the way you communicate your plans to your stakeholders. Whether you’re doubling-down on DEI initiatives or rolling them back to protect your funding and your organization’s future endeavors, a strong crisis communication strategy should protect against backlash and feelings of betrayal.

What is Crisis Communication?

Crisis communication involves the way you manage and share information during emergencies or challenges affecting your organization. When implemented correctly, a strong crisis communication strategy can minimize damage and maximize trust between the organization and the people it serves.

1. Keep it simple

You’re probably afraid to upset your customers, clients and stakeholders, but fighting the urge to overshare will prevent confusion and promote clarity, with fact-first information that’s easier to digest and more manageable for your team.

2. Make it credible

When emergencies arise, the examination of your organization will reveal any discrepancies and inconsistencies. To maintain the trust your crisis communication plan will establish, integrity must be a top priority.

3. Show empathy

There’s a chance that your customers may feel unheard or undervalued during an emergency. Empathy and understanding go a long way in showing appreciation and communicating that their loyalty is important.

4. Show competency

Emergencies require swift action and responsiveness. Put stakeholders at ease with crisis communication strategies that are timely and a reflection of your organization’s accountability.

5. Make it share-worthy

When your crisis communication strategy generates feelings of belongings, your clients and customers will promote your efforts within their personal networks, resulting in increased audiences, engagement and potential to protect your brand.

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Crisis & Cultural Competence

The response to recent anti-DEI directives may be the most critical decision in an organization’s lifecycle. Each direction provides both opportunities and obstacles that can be overcome with a strong crisis communication strategy.

DEI vs. Crisis

Prior to recent events, DEI work and crisis communication were different approaches to corporate communication. Their occasional intersectionality didn’t require the extensive alignment and attention that’s warranted at this time.

Professional DEI trainers and facilitators help organizations develop culturally-responsive plans to create inclusive environments while mitigating harm caused by inequity. Leadership training and team-building activities promote collaboration, while DEI work informs organizational policies, process and procedures that encourage representation and belonging. DEI work also integrates company values in communication and marketing plans, with intentional messaging for public consumption.

Crisis management deals with risk – assessment, management and mitigation. It involves strategic planning for response and recovery, typically for emergency events or problems.

When developing a crisis communication strategy, cultural competence is of the utmost importance. At Empower Media Exchange, we believe that organizations thrive when inclusivity is prioritized.

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Creating a Crisis Communication Strategy

Strategy A: Brace for the Backlash

In many cases, organizations that work primarily with marginalized communities or companies that are disenfranchised due to systemic inequity will not stray from DEI initiatives that clarify their mission and values. While DEI is not specific to race as a qualifier, many organizations facing backlash are Black-owned or Black-serving. Those wishing to stand-firm in their commitment to DEI may experience a loss of federal funding, but are encouraged to explore all available resources for alternative funding sources, including:

• Special purpose credit programs (SPCPs)
• Community development financial institutions
• Place-based funding
• Community-ownereship models
• Crowdfunding
• Private donations and grants
  

Strategy B: Reassess and Revise

When making the decision to roll-back DEI initiatives, nonprofit and executive leaders need to first examine their current DEI statements to get a full understanding of what needs to change.

Upon review, you may find that you truly believe in the values set forth, and decide to make slight adjustments to the verbiage so that your message of inclusivity – while phrased differently – remains rooted in your values.

You might notice that the example above doesn’t stray too far from the DEI initiatives that have come under scrutiny. However, there is no mention of race, gender or other demographic factors that might give one person an advantage over others in the programs and services provided. This initiative is intentionally structured to promote diverse perspectives, fairness and inclusivity.

When making the decision to change an organization’s DEI statement or leave it as-is, nonprofit and executive leaders should consider the impact language will have on their internal and external stakeholders.

• Will employees be offended if race is removed from the statement?
  
• Do clients and customers risk a loss of services if we don’t change?
  
• Can we find a way to change the language without changing the message?
  

The Power of Communication

Whether you’ve decided to double-down on your organization’s DEI initiatives or revise your DEI statement altogether, the following steps should be taken to communicate with your internal and external stakeholders:

1. Develop a strong crisis communication strategy: Empower Media Exchange can help with that!

2. Draft an internal statement about your stance: This will be distributed internally first…ensure that your employees know where you stand and are confident in your organizational values.

3. Organizational training: Give employees an opportunity to learn about and lean into the new initiative or prepare them to stand firm in the face of opposition when defending your company’s values.

4. Stakeholder analysis: Examine your organization’s stakeholders, and their likely response to your strategy. Conduct a survey to determine whether they stand with you or need to reevaluate their role.

5. Draft an external statement: Be thoughtful, empathetic and straightforward. Determine how your statement will be delivered to the public, with careful calculation and curation.

6. Create a media relations plan: Explore the channels you should use to effectively communicate your message to the public.

7. Resource allocation: Allocate a budget and crisis team, establish clear communication channels…time is of the essence.

8. Post-crisis analysis: Breathe, and determine how your organization handled the crisis. How are your employees, customers and stakeholders feeling?

9. Feedback & adaptation: If your organization hasn’t fully recovered yet, you might adjust your response and do some additional work regain trust and support.