While tragic, recent natural disasters like the tornados in Oklahoma and Hurricane Sandy have shown that individuals can step up in times of need and make a tremendous impact on communities facing great challenges.
From donating funds and supplies to volunteering, crowd-sourced support has enabled communities to rebuild faster and stronger. But even with donations from the masses, these disasters still require exponentially larger support to address all the consequences that communities face when struck with a natural disaster. Between 1980 and 2010, there were a total of 640 natural disasters in the United States, affecting more than 850,000 people and resulting in more than $17.5 billion in economic damage per year – not exactly figures that individuals and nonprofit organizations can efficiently address themselves.
However, more and more corporations have begun to prioritize natural disasters as a key focus area of their corporate citizenship efforts. With strong community ties, abundant resources, and expertise in addressing specific challenges, corporations are appropriately equipped – and their support is critical!
May 8th marked World Red Cross Day, an annual point in time that honors Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement nearly 150 years ago, and recognizes the great efforts made in international aid. In honor of World Red Cross Day, the Edelman B+SP Corporate Citizenship Center of Excellence discussed how the private sector has supported recent natural disaster relief efforts. Examples of companies who have made disaster relief a priority of their citizenship efforts by allocating funds and leveraging expertise include:
- Chesapeake Energy*: As a major company founded and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy shares an intimate connection with its local community. In 2012 alone, Chesapeake contributed more than $32M to 1,300 charitable organizations and projects, and employees donated more than 47,500 hours of their time in the local community. With the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma City, it was only natural for Chesapeake to join relief efforts for the city. The company donated $1M to the American Red Cross the day of the tornado, and has also organized employee volunteers and lent technical equipment to help clear rubble.
- Xylem*: Through Xylem Watermark, the company works to provide and protect safe water resources in communities around the world through community-based and emergency response projects, as well as protecting water resources through disaster risk reduction efforts. For their disaster relief efforts, Xylem partners with Mercy Corps to establish and support disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster relief projects. In 2012, Xylem and Mercy Corps piloted six DDR projects between communities and local governments to help them identify and mitigate disaster risks.
- Toys ‘R’ Us: Natural disasters can be extremely stressful and confusing events for children. Realizing this, Toys ‘R’ Us and Save the Children partnered to create the Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Fund, to provide product and monetary donations specifically to aid Save the Children’s efforts to protect children, ensure their safety in shelters and at community recovery sites, and support their emotional recovery during times of disaster response. Through this program, Toys ‘R’ Us has provided approximately $4.3M in support of disaster response.
It is, unfortunately, only a matter of time until the next natural disaster strikes. But thanks to skilled organizations such as the Red Cross, passionate individuals in communities across the world, and corporations that are eager to leverage their resources and expertise, we can be sure that a collective relief response will be ready.
How have you provided support to natural disasters, and are there any companies that have impressed you with their natural disaster relief efforts?
This post is produced by B+SP’s Corporate Citizenship Center of Excellence, a team of experts, idealists and actionists committed to driving mutual benefit for business and society through the development and support of purpose-driven corporate citizenship efforts. To view the previous post by the Center of Excellence, please click here.
*Disclosure: Current Edelman client.
