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The Corporate Response to Hurricane Katrina
Businesses and individuals responded to Hurricane Katrina with financial support, volunteer assistance, food and housing provisions, blood donations, and other goods and services. This generous show of support, expected to match the historic proportion of the storm, came immediately and will most likely continue for years.
Within weeks corporate giving had reached more than $500 million; Wal-Mart, Office Depot and General Electric were some of the largest corporate givers in the weeks immediately following the hurricane.
Below is a list of resources and disaster response tips for responding to the disaster.
RESOURCES
The Department of Homeland Security has activated its National Resource Registry where companies can register their resources available for donation at www.swern.gov/emergency/
The Business Roundtable formed a Partnership for Disaster Relief last May in the wake of the tsunami disaster. The Partnership is intended to improve collaboration among businesses and relief organizations such as the American Red Cross. According to information on their site, the Partnership for Disaster Relief is in contact with the American Red Cross, FEMA, the Salvation Army and other organizations to identify what services, supplies and equipment will be needed to help the hurricane victims. The relief organizations are continuing to assess the damage and do not yet have a complete set of needs identified. Detailed information is available on the Business Roundtable's site.
FEMA has determined that housing and transportation are the top two priorities at this time. Any means of transportation (trains, trucks, boats, planes, etc.) that can be used to import goods and resources into the disaster areas, as well as for movement of disaster victims is needed. The need for housing encompasses emergency, medium-term, and long-term solutions for housing needs. Emergency housing includes anything that can be used immediately for shelter, such as tents or mobile homes. Medium-term includes hotels, empty buildings, mobile homes or cruise ships, and long-term is geared more towards rentals on houses and apartments. More information is available at http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/resources_katrina.shtm.
The Council on Foundations has a publication titled Disaster Grantmaking: A Practical Guide for Foundations and Corporations
The following groups are providing information on their sites for those who want to volunteer:
The American Red Cross is launching the largest mobilization of resources in its history for a single natural disaster. More information is available at: www.redcross.org
DISASTER RESPONSE TIPS
The best way to help is through partnership with a major disaster relief agency such as the Red Cross. The Business Roundtable publication, Business Contributions to Emergency Relief Efforts, provides helpful information and a summary description, with contact information, of the largest nongovernmental and UN agencies involved in responding to natural disasters. Some tips for how your company can help the Red Cross or other aid organizations include:
- The best way to help is to make a financial gift.
- Make a bulk in-kind donation from the company. (Contact your local American Red Cross chapter.) Note: The Red Cross prefers bulk in-kind donations from companies that can provide new items in a quantity that meets the mass care needs of victims. Unsolicited, spontaneous donations of goods and services from individuals and community groups, although well intentioned, are discouraged.
- Leverage your financial gift as a lead, kickoff, or matching gift for one of the Red Cross cause-marketing programs described below:
- Implement the "Your Help Counts" customer donation program - Be recognized as a business leader in the community by serving as an official Red Cross donation site for customer contributions during a highly visible relief operation. "Your Help Counts'" is a turn-key program designed for simple implementation within 24 - 48 hours.
- Implement a percentage-of-sale promotion to support Red Cross relief efforts and position your brand as a leader in answering the call for help.
- Implement an Employee Giving Campaign - Illustrate to your employees that you care about the communities in which they live. The Red Cross can work with you to provide a convenient way to encourage employees to join you in supporting the Red Cross by donating through our secure online donation site.
- Include a Red Cross Bill Insert in mailings - a great way to help Red Cross reach out to your customers while gaining goodwill for your company by linking your business to the business of saving lives.
- Place a banner ad on your company's external websites and allow your customers to donate through the Red Cross's secure online donation site.
- Donate/Sponsor Ad Space - maximize your advertising dollars by aligning with the Red Cross and helping them appeal to the public for support.
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