1. The role of business in emergency relief
2. What to give
3. Contributions that cannot be accepted
4. After you give
(1) The role of business in emergency relief
(Source: UNDP/IAPSO, UN Photo, IRIN)
Humanitarian aid operations are typically faced with three major challenges when a large-scale emergency occurs: (i) Mobilise additional resources; (ii) Rapidly build up capacity to respond; and (iii) Ensure that resources and capacity are available to address emergencies without depleting resources for other ongoing needs. All of these areas could benefit greatly from the involvement of the private sector:
Mobilising Resources: The speed of decision-making in the private sector allows rapid disbursement of funds and deployment of resources, ensuring timely humanitarian action that not only saves lives but is also more cost-effective (e.g., ensuring clean water and sanitation can avert escalation of diseases).
Building Capacity: Business can contribute greatly to emergency relief efforts by providing essential products, services and technical expertise that are not available or are in insufficient supply within existing humanitarian aid operations. Business can also make a difference by contributing funds and expertise to sectors which are often under-resourced - such as agriculture, economic recovery, education, health, and water and sanitation.
Ensuring sufficient funds: The finite pool of resources currently available from the public sector for emergency relief efforts is increasingly insufficient to meet the needs assessed by the UN; by contributing financially, the private sector can play a huge role in meeting the needs of the affected populations.
The opportunity to contribute and play a valuable role exists in all business sectors and for different types of companies.
Note: In general, business can play two main roles in humanitarian aid operations – as paid service providers or as contributors of financial resources, in-kind goods, services or expertise. This guide focuses on those businesses that wish to make a financial or in-kind contribution to humanitarian aid operations based on philanthropic or corporate citizenship commitments or motivations. Businesses interested in a commercial relationship with the UN should consult the UN procurement services website.
a) Natural disasters
In the case of natural disasters, the report "Disaster management and planning: An IBLF framework for business response" produced by The International Business Leaders Forum’s (IBLF), a UN Global Compact partner organisation, provides a valuable overview of how business can most effectively plan for and respond to emergencies, including through social and philanthropic activities. The report also offers guidance on the types of contributions and activities that a company should pursue to proactively prepare for an emergency as well as to aid in the rescue, relief and recovery phases.
In addition, companies are encouraged to review their own operations to identify potential opportunities for disaster reduction. The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) is a valuable resource for information on how best to undertake such efforts.
b) Armed conflicts
For emergencies resulting from conflict, business can play an important role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. The UN Global Compact’s initiative on Business in Zones of Conflict provides practical guidance for business and creates unique opportunities for knowledge sharing across sectors. Visit the UN Global Compact website’s section on Conflict Prevention to learn more.
Involvement in humanitarian aid efforts is a tangible demonstration of an organisation’s commitment to social responsibility, and enhances its corporate image in the eyes of its stakeholders. Specifically, business can benefit from working with the UN in the following ways:
1. Contribute to the well-being of affected populations across the globe by helping to ensure more efficient and cost effective humanitarian aid
2. Collaborate with a humanitarian organisation that is global in reach
3. Demonstrate a commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility to investors, customers and
community stakeholders
4. Experience greater employee morale and retention, and enhance recruitment efforts
(2) What to give
In practical terms, there are four main ways that businesses can contribute to emergency relief:
Cash donations allow the organisation receiving funds to determine where and how to best assign resources based on immediate need. This includes enabling organisations to decide whether to allocate funds to immediate relief measures or to long-term rehabilitation and development efforts that help move affected communities towards normalcy.
Please visit the UN Foundation website to make online and tax-deductible donations to the
Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and ensure predictable humanitarian assistance worldwide.
Please note that a financial contribution to cover transportation, storage and distribution costs for in-kind goods is required by most UN agencies .
Business can provide services such as air operations, fleet management, shipping, logistics support, etc., to help the efficiency and effectiveness of relief and rehabilitation efforts. Also, companies may contribute highly specialised technical expertise by allocating the appropriate full time staff to agencies that are able to accept such resources (e.g. UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, WHO, FAO and WFP. For more information on these agencies, visit the "UN Role in Emergency Relief" section of this guide."
While many individuals choose to independently donate to humanitarian causes, businesses can facilitate such contributions and enhance their impact by adopting employee giving programs that include payroll deductions, matching contributions, and fundraising activities. Cause-related marketing programs targeting customers are also a unique opportunity to build awareness of a particular humanitarian crisis and demonstrate to customers your company’s commitment to addressing that crisis.
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(!) Opportunities for in-kind support vary in the different phases of emergency response.
In-kind support can play a valuable role after an emergency, but the needs vary significantly based on the stage of the response. The diagram below shows examples of the types of resources that are required at three stages: Rescue, Relief/Recovery and Reconstruction. It is also important to note that long-term reconstruction costs are often 10 times that of the earlier Rescue and Relief/Recovery phases.
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(3) Contributions that cannot be accepted
(Source: UN Photo)
While the UN system welcomes financial and in-kind contribution offers, particularly following a crisis, it also receives many offers that do not meet the needs of the affected populations. Cash contributions can always be quickly deployed to where the resources are needed most. In-kind donations, on the other hand, require greater use of scarce staff resources precisely when their skills and attention are in the greatest demand. Items that do not match an actual need can clog transportation channels and delay the transport of more vital items to affected areas. Therefore, it is important before approaching the UN with a donation to re-examine whether your contribution is truly needed and usable by the UN and the people you are trying to assist.
Your organisation should also consider the relative costs and delays involved in transporting in-kind donations, particularly if your organisation does not have locations near the emergency area. For instance, the cost of sorting, labelling, and transporting food may be higher than the cost of immediately buying it in the country of need or in a neighbouring country. In-kind donations that the UN is able to effectively use are typically worth $10,000 - $1million in value.
There are several general recommendations regarding what cannot be accepted that are consistent across the UN system:
1. Goods or services that are not aligned with the goals of the UN
2. Goods or services that require significant additional financial commitments by the UN, e.g.
a. In-kind products or materials that do not include arrangements for their transport
b. Software or other services that require the purchase of license(s)/and or maintenance
3. Medicines that do not meet World Health Organization (WHO) requirements for in-kind contributions, or have expired or are near expiry.Medicines must have a shelf life of at least six months after arriving in a country and should ideally be included in the WHO Model List of essential drugs
4. Used goods
5. Untested new technologies or medicines
(4) After you give
(Source: UN Photo)
Stay informed after your organisation has contributed by reviewing emergency updates on Relief Web (www.ReliefWeb.org).Additionally, you may review the status reports on the specific program or UN agency your company has funded.Communicate your company’s contribution to your employees and serve as a resource to answer questions.
It is never too early to start preparing for the next emergency. Key steps are:
a) Prepare internal resources to respond to future emergencies
a. Appoint an internal champion / team responsible for coordinating the company’s
response in future emergencies
b. Identify the type and scale of resources available to support emergencies
(cash, in-kind contributions)
c. Create long-term partnerships with emergency relief organisations
d. Consider coordinating contributions with other businesses, working through
business associations or networks of suppliers (e.g. via Chamber of Commerce,
World Economic Forum, Rotary, and other initiatives)
e. Encourage employee contributions and volunteerism
b) Invest in disaster reduction efforts within your company and the
communities where your companyoperates
a. Review your company’s contingency plans and emergency procedures; create disaster
awareness in your employees
b. Identify ways in which you can help mitigate disasters through your business operations
on the ground, e.g. by contributing to the efforts of the International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (UN/ISDR: www.unisdr.org)
c. Learn more about efforts in disaster risk reduction around the world with the ISDR
publication “Living with Risk” and with the UN publication “Know Risk (2005)”
(www.know-risk.org)
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(!) This website is intended only for companies who wish to donate to support UN emergency relief activities.If you wish to sell your products or services to the UN, please visit the website for UN procurement services.
Promote responsible corporate citizenship - support the ten principles of the Global Compact: www.unglobalcompact.org."