Disaster Relief Partnerships

Your company can help Mercy Corps respond during emergencies

Installation of a water system in June of 2009 by ITT in collaboration with Mercy Corps. Photo: ITT Watermark for Mercy Corps

When the unthinkable happens, Mercy Corps delivers rapid, lifesaving aid to hard-hit communities and immediately begins to work toward long-term recovery. Your company can become a Mercy Corps Emergency Response Partner – a relationship that allows your employees to be involved and informed, and quickly make a difference, when disasters strike. Donations to Mercy Corps maximize your company’s commitment to helping people survive a disaster and build back better. Mercy Corps is proud to have corporate partners who share our mission to help people around the world turn the crises they face into the opportunities they deserve.

The benefits of a corporate emergency partnership

Through this program, your company can set up a pre-planned and -budgeted emergency fund that delivers benefits to both partners:

• It allows Mercy Corps to respond to disasters quickly and provide aid in an expedient, efficient way
• Mercy Corps will help your company reach your CSR and philanthropy goals
• Advance planning can help increase employee participation and engagement in philanthropy campaigns
• Mercy Corps will provide customized help to implement and promote the programs most important to your corporation and employees

Success stories

A number of our corporate partners are already participating in our Emergency Response Partner program:

• Xylem – As part of its signature Xylem Watermark program, Xylem, formerly ITT, and its employees have donated more than $5 million to provide clean water and sanitation following disasters in 10 countries.
• Gap – Mercy Corps and Gap partnered in Haiti to provide immediate relief and longer-term recovery to the people of Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake. Gap’s management team, employees and Foundation provided more than $350,000 in immediate support, followed by a cause-marketing campaign launched in Gap Outlet stores. The campaign sold t-shirts made in Haiti, with a portion of the proceeds designated to Mercy Corps programs in Haiti.
• Riverbed Technology – Riverbed employees set up a Mercy Corps Personal Fundraising Page shortly after the Japan earthquake, raising $50,000 to support the people of Japan.

How your company can become a preferred Mercy Corps Emergency Response Partner

1. Establish a pre-budgeted Emergency Fund so that your support is readily accessible to Mercy Corps when disaster strikes.
2. Become an Emergency Response Roster member and receive the most timely and up-to-date information during emergencies. If interested please send us an email.
3. Set up an online corporate fundraising page: www.mercycorps.org/fundraising.
4. Become a Program Specific Partner and immediately support active programs during and after emergencies like Comfort For Kids and Cash-for-Work.
5. Establish a matching gifts program, to match or double match your employees’ gifts during emergencies. Matching gifts help multiply the benefits of individual and company donations.
6. Engage consumers via your website, email, social media or retail channels by facilitating contributions or through a cause marketing campaign.