Disasters are becoming more intense, more frequent, and more varied than before, primarily due to climate change. A survey of members of The Conference Board Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy Institute Councils, as well as discussions from a joint meeting of the Councils devoted to disaster philanthropy, has found that companies need to be prepared for a range of future disasters, which means being more active in every stage of disaster philanthropy, particularly preparation to help build resilient communities, systems, and infrastructure.
This report finds that though companies feel they’re responding well to disasters, they are nevertheless changing their disaster response practices to deal more effectively with multiple disasters in a short period, such as investing more in disaster preparedness. Disaster relief gets the bulk of attention and resources from companies, but many understand the effectiveness of a strategic approach to disaster philanthropy that addresses all stages of the risk management process. Moreover, companies are one part of an ecosystem of organizations and actors that need to collaborate to deliver effective disaster philanthropy. Reflecting this need for collaboration, the report concludes by affirming that employees are both a company’s primary concern and its primary resource in the wake of a disaster.