Emergency Charitable Giving Charities Packing Boxes

Emergency Giving: Is Your Organisation Prepared?

Emergency Charitable Giving Charities Packing Boxes

Natural disasters, conflict, pandemics and adverse weather events can stop us in our tracks and change the world around us in the blink of an eye. Charities, not for profits and governments often prepare for such events; however, as good corporate givers and workplaces that care, organisations need to have an emergency giving plan ready to enact should the need arise. Of course, we hope never to use these, however it’s always preferable to proactively prepare than react. Effective disaster-giving plans start with a well thought out plan. Beginning with the ‘5 W’s and the 1 H’ is often an excellent starting point: 

  • Who – who is developing the plan and needs to be involved in the implementation?   
  • What – what are we going to try and achieve?   
  • When – when will this plan come into play?   
  • Where – where exactly will all this play out, and through what channels?   
  • Why – what are the reasons for this plan, how will we communicate this, and are we clear on this as a response team and organisation?   
  • How – how will all this be implemented in an emergency context.
It’s no secret that communication, particularly in times of emergency, is critical. Planning your organisation’s communications, toolkits, and marketing will remove some stress and ensure your team is more prepared to act in times of need. Key team members and budget considerations are also crucial to decide ahead of time. Who will be making decisions, and who are the key go-to’s? Corporate giving items to plan, such as implementing special matching, increasing donation matching and setting up special appeals, are also essential to predetermine.

Once you have drafted your plan, compare it with other organisations by reading best practice case studies to see if any items could be added.  

 

Here’s Some Charities That Can Help During Emergencies   

Below are just some of the numerous charities that can help provide relief in times of emergency; however, there are so many more that specialise in certain areas of aid and assistance. If your organisation has a donation platform such as Good2Give, you can search for charity lists there.   

 

Top 5 Corporate Emergency Giving Tips   

  1. Have a disaster giving response plan ready   
  2. Consider your budget for special matching – double or triple   
  3. Have draft communications prepared and ready to go   
  4. Have your charity partners or a list of charities chosen in advance   
  5. Get ready to set up appeals   

   

Looking For Longer Term Impact? Consider Setting Up A Grants Program

For communities, grants inject much-needed financial investment that can be a game changer for a specific cause or social issue.

 

 

Useful Links   

  • The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) information here and here  
  • Australian Tax Office information
  • Real-time information includes State & Federal government links 
  • International risk reduction information  
  • Harvard Business Review corporate giving disaster research