“Chance favors the prepared mind.”
Louis Pasteur
As the Network continues to grow, racking up greater wins for freedom, those who oppose our work are ramping up their efforts to slow us down. And to do so, they are not simply upping their ground game or increasing the number of op-eds they publish opposing our policy ideas. They are resorting to tactics aimed at grinding our organizations to a halt: legal threats, regulatory pressure, security breaches, de-platforming, and more.
To protect your organization’s ability to execute its mission—and your employees’ livelihoods—it is imperative to take preparatory steps now. That may include adopting proactive due-diligence measures, lining up trusted experts, or preparing a plan for when a threat surfaces. Being prepared is a sound business decision and it provides space so that you can have the presence of mind to flip the script on your opponent. With prior planning, you can turn grave threats into opportunities, making opponents think twice about targeting you.
Risk management is a balancing act, however. On the one hand, an organization can neglect to take basic precautions, easily opening itself up to threats and disruptions that slow or stop its mission. On the other hand, an organization can be so risk averse that it becomes ineffective at executing its mission in the first place.
“If you don’t invest in risk management, it doesn’t matter what business you’re in, it’s a risky business.”
Gary Cohn
Our goal is to help your organization be prepared to not simply endure a threat or crisis—but to come out even stronger on the other side and in some cases, to flip the script on your opponents, increasing their transaction costs of attacking you. Opponents tend to resort to these tactics when your organization is at its most effective. They want to disrupt your momentum. You can turn the tables, however. By ensuring your organization is prepared, you will be equipped to identify and take advantage of opportunities—whether in fundraising, media, or community engagement—to make your voice and mission heard.
State Policy Network has worked with experts to create the risk-management memos linked below to help Affiliates consider tradeoffs and prepare for threats on the horizon.