H1N1 Toolkit: Business Planning/Continuity Planning for your Nonprofit

The CDC has prepared extensive materials to help your organization be prepared for an outbreak of the flu - whether seasonal flu or seasonal flu combined with H1N1.  Nonprofits may have several objectives when planning for the flu: (a) reducing the risk of transmission among staff, (b) protecting people who are at increased risk from getting infected with influenza, whether employees, volunteers or clients/consumers, (c) maintaining regular business operations of the nonprofit when many staff or volunteers are home sick, and (d) minimizing the adverse effects of the flu outbreak at the nonprofit on partner organizations and individuals who work with the nonprofit in the community.

Some specific guidance that may be helpful includes:

• Checklist for Continuity Planning

Communications Planning for Seasonal Influenza

• The CDC has prepared a Communications Toolkit for employers on seasonal influenza.
• Comprehensive Communications Resources from the CDC
• Helpful online business continuity training tool offered by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center to help nonprofits develop, implement and test a workable plan to prevent the interruption of mission critical services.
• The International Centre for Infectious Diseases in Canada offers these helpful checklists that can be used for preparedness planning purposes