Contingency Planning Essentials For Your Association Clients

Do your association clients have a contingency plan in place to prepare for extreme events?

After several years of catastrophic weather, a global pandemic, civil disobedience, and violence, the need for contingency planning in community associations seems obvious — but many associations, and some managers, continue to stick their heads in the sand.

“Both the management industry and associations can do so much better, and I learned that first-hand coming through Hurricane Ian,” says Brad van Rooyen, founder and senior member of Tampa, Fla.-based HomeRiver Group and its national specialist for community association management, which operates more than 230 associations in three states.

“Associations and managers have a responsibility to have plans in place.” But where to start?

One hurdle to contingency planning in associations may be a lack of understanding — boards often think they’ve covered the bases if they’ve done “disaster planning” in anticipation of natural disasters, like hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes.

Increasingly, though, associations are being confronted with civil disobedience or unrest, mass shootings, and supply chain issues.

“By and large, most will look at the bigger picture items, but when it comes to these smaller items, most of them don’t think about it until it’s too late,” says Paul Grucza, principal with PDG and Associates, consultants for the association management industry. Some don’t even tackle the “bigger picture” risks.

That’s where managers need to take action. “Our job is to put contingency planning on the table in front of our boards,” van Rooyen says.

In a new article, our association experts offer practical advice on how to develop a sound contingency plan for your association clients. We’ll also discuss three contingencies that your association clients should be prepared for.

Read the full article here: Help Your Clients Get on Board with Contingency Planning

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President