WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to the ongoing crisis in Haiti, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) reports that as of 11 a.m. EST today the corporate aid pledges have already exceeded $16 million, including cash, in-kind contributions, employee-matching campaigns, and customer-engagement.
BCLC continues to act as the coordination hub, as it has activated the Office Depot Foundation-sponsored Help Desk (1-888-MY-BIZ-HELP, [email protected]), is hosting information sharing conference calls, documenting corporate aid contributions, and informing the public and relevant partners about the current state of corporate disaster aid contributions.
“The immediacy of corporate contributions indicates the level of concern for the victims of this tragedy,” said Stephen Jordan, senior vice president and executive director of BCLC. “We are committed to working with the authorities and international disaster responders to do what we can to advance the response process.”
Six corporate donors pledged $1 million or more in cash or a mix of cash and in-kind support:
· Abbott ($1 million)
· The Coca-Cola Company ($1 million)
· Digicel ($5 million)
· Lowe’s Companies, Inc. ($1 million)
· Microsoft ($1.25 million)
· UPS ($1 million)
Twenty eight other companies have already pledged assistance, including:
· Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ($600,000)
· FedEx ($425,000)
· Eli Lilly and Company ($250,000)
· Kellogg Company ($250,000)
· National Bank ($250,000)
· ScotiaBank ($250,000)
· The Western Union Company ($250,000)
For a complete list of donors, please visit: http://www.USChamber.com/BCLC/Haiti_CorporateDonations.
“When disasters strike, businesses respond,” said Jordan. “We expect this number to soar in the days to come as businesses learn more about what it will take to save lives and rebuild communities.”
Regular updates about ground activity in the disaster zones are available on BCLC’s website: www.USChamber.com/BCLC/HaitiEarthQuakeResponse.htm.
Corporate donations have become a crucial component of disaster recovery. The largest amount of corporate aid ever mobilized for an international disaster is $566 million, donated in response to the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami. Domestically, U.S. businesses pledged $1.4 billion in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. More information is available at www.USChamber.com/BCLC.
