There's a Target on Your Back. Here's How to Own Your Narrative
February 26, 2026
The PR landscape for foundations and nonprofits has changed substantially over the past 12 months.
Social good organizations have always faced an uphill battle when telling their stories to a broader audience. It takes skill and effort to develop angles that draw the attention of journalists beyond your local market.
But the challenges facing your organization today are much different — and they're taking a much different shape.
A target on your back
If your foundation or nonprofit works in areas like grantmaking, social services, community development, or public health, you now have a target on your back.
That target is partly the result of our political environment — as the threat of investigations by the federal government and legal challenges to long-established practices have taken center stage.
But the attacks are also coming through an increasingly powerful segment of the media that isn't concerned with accurately telling your story.
These outlets don't like what you stand for — and they're focused on creating controversy and weaponizing information to turn public opinion against you.
We've seen it play out in real time. In one community, a foundation scholarship program was thrust into controversy that produced a damaging lawsuit. In another, a highly successful, foundation-led effort to help a community heal following a tragedy became the subject of unfair and inaccurate coverage — creating a major reputational challenge for a well-regarded organization.
It's not a matter of if more foundations and nonprofits will face media attacks.
It's a matter of when — and where — they will happen next.
The media landscape has shifted beneath your feet
Gone are the days when it was enough to proactively tell your story through mainstream media channels.
Don't get us wrong. A feature in The New York Times, an interview on NPR, or a deep dive in The Chronicle of Philanthropy still carries tremendous weight. These outlets carry cache with donors, potential partners, and lawmakers.
But they are only part of today's equation.
Many of the people you need to reach are getting their information from other sources — from Reddit channels, national podcasts, and political news and opinion outlets that don't adhere to traditional journalistic values and standards.
Often, these outlets are driven by partisan agendas — and they aren't against twisting the facts or ignoring important context.
While you can't stop them from attempting to damage your reputation, you can be prepared to stand up for your values and own your narrative when you end up in their crosshairs.
A two-pronged approach
This new environment requires a two-pronged strategy:
Planning for risk — positioning your organization to own its narrative in the face of unfair media and political attacks.
Proactive outreach — actively pursuing positive coverage in outlets committed to accuracy and fairness.
In this piece, we'll focus on the first prong: how to prepare your organization to respond when the attacks come. (We'll address the second prong — proactive media strategy — next week).
Four steps to owning your narrative
1. Conduct a PR risk assessment.
Start by taking an honest, thorough look at where your organization may be vulnerable.
If you're a foundation, review your grantmaking history. Look at your policies, programs, public statements, and social media presence.
The goal isn't to second-guess your past decisions. It's to identify the areas that a bad-faith actor could exploit — and to prepare your response before they do.
2. Build a proactive crisis plan.
Once you've identified your risk areas, develop key messages and an engagement plan for each one.
This isn't about drafting generic holding statements. It's about creating specific, scenario-based responses that you can activate quickly and decisively.
Just as important: create alignment throughout your leadership team and board before a crisis hits. When the moment comes, you need to respond in hours — not days — with a coordinated, confident voice.
3. Recruit your allies.
You shouldn't have to face an attack alone.
Identify peer organizations, field leaders, and community partners who share your values and would be willing to stand with you publicly. Build those relationships now — not after you're already under fire.
A coalition of voices is far more powerful than one organization defending itself in isolation.
4. Monitor constantly.
You can't respond to what you don't see coming.
Invest in monitoring tools — including AI-powered platforms — that track mentions of your organization across traditional media, social media, podcasts, and political outlets. Build a system that surfaces potential threats early so you have time to assess and respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.
Preparing is not retreating
In this perilous new environment, you have two choices: you can stay the course and hope for the best, or you can prepare for the worst and be ready for whatever comes your way.
The foundations and nonprofits that have endured and thrived over decades haven't done so by chance. They've risen to every challenge through bold leadership and resilience.
The challenges you face today will test your organization's resolve. But when you're prepared to own your narrative, you're in a much stronger position to support your mission and protect your reputation.
And as we'll explore in Part 2, preparation doesn't mean playing defense. The organizations that will thrive in this environment are those that pair readiness with an aggressive strategy to tell their story — on their own terms.
Next week: Part 2 — How to earn positive media coverage and elevate your story, even in a hostile environment.
