What’s Your Plan When Disaster Strikes?

Cate Bronstein added the News entry What’s Your Plan When Disaster Strikes?

When disaster hits — whether it’s a cyberattack, hardware failure, natural event, or extended power outage — what happens to your organization’s operations?

Too often, the answer is uncertainty. And that’s exactly what a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is designed to prevent.

What Is a DRP — and Why Does It Matter to Associations?

A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) outlines how your organization will respond to unplanned disruptions. For associations and member-based organizations, it’s not just about IT. It’s about preserving operations, member trust and data integrity.

A well-crafted DRP helps you:

• Resume operations quickly, minimizing downtime
• Protect sensitive member data from loss or breach
• Stay compliant with data security and privacy regulations
• Avoid disruptions to member services and engagement

In short, it’s your blueprint for resilience.

Don’t Wait Until the Emergency Hits

A DRP is not something to create in the middle of a crisis. It should already be in place — tested, updated, and ready to go.

Too many organizations have plans that are:

• Outdated
• Unclear on responsibilities
• Untested or unused

And that’s when things spiral. What’s needed is a practical, current, and actionable playbook that matches your organization’s size, systems, and budget.

What Should a Strong DRP Include?

Every plan is different, but an effective DRP typically answers:

• What are our critical systems and data?
• How quickly must services be restored?
• Who leads recovery, and what’s the communication plan?
• Where are our backups stored, and how do we access them?
• When and how do we test and update this plan?

These aren’t just IT questions — they’re strategic ones. And your whole leadership team should understand the answers.

Your Next Step: A Quick Readiness Check

Want to assess where you stand right now? Start with this simple checklist:

• Do you have a written DRP that’s accessible to key staff?
• Has your DRP been tested in the last 12 months?
• Are recovery roles and responsibilities clearly defined?
• Do you know how long you could afford to be offline?
• Have you reviewed your plan since adding new systems or tools?

If you’re unsure about any of these, it may be time for a review.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Whether your current plan needs a refresh or you’re starting from scratch, now’s the time to make sure your organization can withstand the unexpected.