Your Reputation Reservoir - Put Out the Fire Before it Starts

Written by Ellen Graf-Martin

I live in two places with similar problems. And in both places, the heat is rising.

In my hometown on Vancouver Island, we’ve faced record-breaking heat domes and droughts leading to terrible wildfire season. It is devastating for a temperate rainforest. When we visit, we find ourselves listening to the creek behind my mom’s home, ensuring it’s still flowing; we know that source of water is the only thing standing between the forest behind our home and an ignition point.

In my "chosen" home, my husband’s hometown in the Waterloo Region, we are facing a depleted and contaminated water supply. Yet, from our living room window, we can see a water tower. We trust that if an emergency strikes, the supply is right there. 

But every summer, the air gets thicker with the smell of wildfire smoke - we’ve just gotten used to it. Every year, we hear the supply is dropping. Your organization likely has this same problem.

The "When," Not the "If"

One of the most critical services our team provides is Crisis Communication Planning. No one likes to imagine a crisis is lurking around the corner, but in an increasingly "hot" and incendiary world, it’s no longer a question of if - it’s a question of when. As an eternally hopeful optimist, this is a reality I hate. 

In this environment, your reputation is your reservoir. 

The Anatomy of a Spark

Imagine this: A disgruntled former employee doesn’t like a project you’ve invested in, and starts a rumour of financial mismanagement. They vent on Reddit and post a stinging Glassdoor review.

At the same time, a journalist for a national news organization, already researching why charitable giving is down, sees these posts. They are already skeptical, wondering if charities are misusing funds or overpaying CEOs. They start "poking around" on Reddit and in Facebook groups, asking for others to share their experiences.

And just like that, the spark is given oxygen, as your donors start to get wind that something might not be right in your organization - so they start digging too. 

That journalist isn’t just looking for dirt - they’re looking for a story. That’s their job. If the only narrative available is the one provided by a disgruntled employee, that becomes the story.

You have a deep commitment to transparency, authenticity and relationship building, but have you made that obvious online? When they start digging, what will they find? 

• A Well-Watered Garden: 

• If they find fresh articles, social posts, interviews, and videos of your leaders sharing your impact or other donors sharing their trust in your organization, that "fire" loses oxygen. One complaint is easily refuted by dozens of meaningful touchpoints that dominate search results. The complaint is pushed way down in a Google search or AI summary. The flames are doused by your reservoir of reputation. Your proactive work has done the heavy lifting, shifting your crisis management from "all hands on deck" to simple monitoring.

• A Desert with Dry Kindling: 

  • If they land in a “digital desert”, you’ve unwittingly added fuel to the flame. That’s when on a Saturday evening, you get an email from a frightened donor, requesting information - who copied in their Pastor, because their church is leading a fundraising effort for you next month - and your Board Chair.  and suddenly your leadership team is called into action to activate your Crisis Communications Plan. 

Build Your Reservoir in “Peace Time”

You must have a Crisis Communications Plan in place and practiced (and if you don’t, let’s talk.) But you also need a Reputation Building Plan -  a solid, clear, consistent and actionable Communications and Marketing Plan - established during peace time. This proactive work isn’t “just PR” or social media - it is what fills your reputation reservoir, helping engage the people who matter most right now, and standing ready as plentiful counter-evidence that makes a journalist or fearful donor realize there might not be a story there after all. This plan prepares the ground before the "forest fire" season begins.

It’s powerful. But, what should it include?

• Strong Organizational Narrative: Clear brand touchpoints that tell your story well, and consistently - whether on your website, your newsletter, on social media, or in stories you share. 

• Proactive PR: fresh podcast and radio interviews, links, and media mentions. 

• Searchable Content: stories, blogs, and videos that "feed" AI synopses and Google searches. 

• Thought Leadership: Ensuring your leaders are visible and trusted on platforms like LinkedIn, and your organization is actually engaging on other social platforms - not just posting generic or infrequent content. 

Bad news might travel quickly, but good news is what refreshes others in a dry season, and a well-known organization is tough to burn. I am confident you have plenty of “water” to build your own organizational reservoir and be prepared in and out of fire season.