Is Your Nonprofit Ready to Recover?

October 13, 2017

Why You Need a Business Continuity Plan

In August 2016, the City of Bainbridge Island City Council unanimously issued a proclamation establishing a new preparedness vision:

to be a recognized leader in preparedness in Washington State;
to take steps to achieve this result by the end of 2018; and
to actively work to maintain this status once achieved.

A critical element in transforming this vision into reality is for every organization on the Island to have a Business Continuity Plan. Why? In the immediate aftermath of a major disaster, your first priority will be to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your home. You do not want to have to worry about the survival of your organization. At the same time, the Island's recovery from a major disaster will not be easy, and cannot happen until organizations that islanders rely on every day for goods, services, and support are functioning and fueling recovery efforts. I know that you recognize the risk, and that having a Business Continuity Plan is an important part of your organization's risk management efforts. I also know that you are very busy, and that preparing a plan takes time and effort. Hopefully, you already have an up-to-date plan. If not, then the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce (BICC), Bainbridge Island Downtown Association (BIDA), Bainbridge Community Foundation (BCF), and the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island, working in partnership with the City, are prepared to help you create a plan quickly and efficiently by:

Supplying you with a set of forms that can be filled out electronically or by hand and, when completed, can be easily be assembled into a Business Continuity Plan. These forms are available on the new Chamber of Commerce website or by visiting http://tiny.cc/getprepared. On your own or with our help, you decide which of these forms are applicable to your organization allowing you to scale your plan to your needs.
Hosting Workshops for organizations who need help in understanding how to use the forms. Signups will be received by BICC, BIDA, and BCF in October and November 2017, and the workshops will be offered in January and February 2018.

In response to the Proclamation, the City has set a goal that every business, nonprofit and religious organization, and government agency be covered by a Business Continuity Plan. When this goal is reached, the recovery process will be faster and more efficient. This will not only benefit you and your organization, but everyone living on Bainbridge Island. Let us help you be prepared!

Tags: BCP, Flood, Emergency Preparedness, Bainbridge Prepares, Earthquake, BCF, Fire