We’re more than a week out from the initial earthquake in Haiti.
I wonder if anyone has a really good story to tell about an employer that is raising money and making a difference. Has your company mobilized its workforce to help with the crisis? Have you seen the best of your fellow employees? Are there leaders who have inspired you with their actions?
Tell us a story about your company. We need some good news.
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Well a fellow islander (Trinidad) and the whole country is really doing alot to help- government and private citizens. Just last night there was a charity cricket game between ourselves and Guyana and that raised probably US$100,000.
As for our company, our employees took it upon themselves to raise money and between today and tomorrow to bring in things like canned food, water, etc. Management itself went online and donated from the company to Red Cross.
Oh and in addition to cash, we (mgmt) are contributing in kind as well.
I just heard a great story last night from a friend. A close friend of his is retiring next week and is planning on going to Haiti to help. What a great way to start retirement!
My company, Reed Smith LLP, matched $25K in staff contributions, then sent an additional $50K to the top five NGOs ($10K each) in employee donations: Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health and UNICEF. The best part was that this program came together so quickly — I’m proud of the way our leadership stepped up and took decisive action.
I work for an Indian Tribe in Florida. Our employees have come thru numerous times to help out with holiday canned food drives, a summertime peanut butter/jelly drive to help out families with kids as they go back to school, hurricane relief efforts to send clothing and food over to Haiti after the hurricanes last year (which included sending over some of our paramedics – who saved the life of an infant who was found with his dead mother!), toy drives and a clothing drive to help out a destitute Indian Tribe in South Dakota. We have great and generous employees. Most of these efforts are coordinated in HR and most by me personally. After the earthquake I started receiving calls from employees wanting to know what (not if or when) we were going to be doing. We have since started a collection at all of our offices for employees to donate. Our casinos are collecting too. People like to help out if they can but often don’t know how or what to do. I think for a lot of people, the willingness is there but not the direct motivation. Having HR and the company’s leadership come forward with a plan seems to help get people involved in doing something and anything helps at this point.
Here is what my company has done, as well as some other retailers.
Publix Super Markets here told SN yesterday its customers and employees had donated more than $2.9 million to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund following last week’s earthquake.
http://supermarketnews.com/retail_financial/haiti_quake_0120/
Thanks for everything you have been doing related to this issue, Laurie.
I hope you will help support this HR Carnival for Haiti initiative as well.
http://www.thehumanracehorses.com/2010/01/18/reflections-of-hope-and-discord-dr-king-and-haiti/
What can we do?
Here is a challenge for human resources professionals who blog or who are web savvy. Let’s use the HR Carnival format to help focus donations to the most immediate needs. It may sound crazy, but here is how we could make that happen.
Select a charity that is soliciting donations for aid in Haiti
Apply your HR and social media skills by doing a “background check” on that organization. Here is a great place to start your research.
Write up your findings, positive or negative, and post them on your blog no later than January 26th.
Send me your links, and I will aggregate them into a special HR Carnival for Haiti here on January 27th.
If you don’t want to do some investigation and recommendation, profile a charity anyway, or share your thoughts on what else people can do to aid the situation in Haiti.
Personally, I am going to do a profile of Doctors without Borders.
Target donated $500,000 and will be sending over a million meals to Haiti (assembled as part of a volunteer event here). They’ve also spread word internally about the donating money via text message that the Red Cross is doing.
I don’t work for them, but I was impressed that Avon has donated a million dollars to relief in Haiti, to be split between Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
I sent $50 to Oxfam, and will probably send another $50 next month to another organization.
I’m pretty sure alot of people in my company have helped out— I’m a bit skeptical as to the many “organizations” that ask for money during catastrophies– but I think Doctors Without Borders would be where I’ll donate. Getting in medicine is very important right now—-
@Karen Awesome. I love your perspective on this one. You’re closer (geographically) than most of the readers. Keep us posted.
@HR Hooligan Cool. Very cool.
@kentropic AMAZING. Very impressive.
@Glen Wow, amazing. I think you need to find a way to let the general public know about what your organization is doing. That’s inspiring.
@Michael Awesome. Thanks for this!
@Tim Love Target.
@Elle Love Avon.
@MattyMat Agree that Drs without borders is such a good group.
My company, Hewitt Associated joined the media market in Chicago to host a telethon today. 1500 employees volunteered to “man” the phones from 5am-11pm. The company even provided free child care for the evening shifts. We did this for Katrina (raised 2.5 M) and the Indian tsanami. At noon CST the total so far was 1.3 M. Radio and TV stations are broadcasting from the call center and publicizing the heck out of this. We also have volunteers at call centers at locations other than our headquarters. Our tag line is “Making the World a Better Place to Work”. Unlike the shoemaker’s children, we start at home. I am proud to be associated with this company.
We have about 600 employees. We are collecting donations from employees and family members to Operation USA, a relief organization based on L.A. We are also collecting copies of receipts for those who want to donate elsewhere. Our company will match 100% what is donated and could possibly add in extra money. This was done after Hurricane Katrina and almost $20K was donated. So far we have almost $7K collected (meaning a contribution of at least $14K); I think that is good in the economic times we are facing.
@Bobolink I have a long history with Hewitt and I know one thing: the people at that company are always awesome. Good job.
@Ginger That is great. Excellent commitment!
we’re up to 2.3 as of 8pm cst! what’s your connection to HA?
I work for Herzing University, and they just donated $10K! Got an email from our President Renee Herzing this morning with the news, and providing information so we could make our own donation if we were inclined.
Cat’s Cradle, in Carrboro, NC, is hosting a “Haiti Relief Concert” on Saturday (tomorrow) – it starts early, like at 6 p.m. I think they are requesting a $10 donation – go to http://www.catscradle.com for more info….
shows start early and play til closing hour…. some of the best acts around.
I work for Amex and the company is doing some good work for Haiti. For card members who make a donation to Haiti from January 12 through February 28, 2010, the exchange fee, which Amex usually keeps, is also being given to the charity that the card member donates to. We also donated $250,000 to the efforts in Haiti. Amex also has a dollar for dollar gift matching program that employees are utlizing. Amex matches employee charitable donations dollar for dollar up to $8,000 per year. The company’s International Customer Crisis Recovery team is also working to assist customers in Haiti.
We had a monetary collection at work.
In addition, last Sunday, the Embassy of Haiti was collecting essential items. I guess I feel privileged to live/work in DC. A lot of people donated, from what I observed.
I am glad to see that the spirit of taking care of one another hasn’t been lost.
My heart goes out to those who are suffering.