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The Business of Giving

Exploring philanthropy, non-profits and socially motivated business, from the Gates Foundation to your donation. A fresh look at the economy of good intentions.

January 15, 2010 at 4:14 PM

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Northwest companies among top donors to Haiti relief

Posted by Kristi Heim

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported today that corporate donations to Haiti relief efforts have grown to $60 million. So far more than 120 companies have contributed to the cause, and 22 of them donated more than $1 million each.

Combined with record giving from individuals using social media and technology, and contributions by non-profits, help to Haiti is on track to be one of the largest relief efforts ever.

InterAction, the leading alliance of U.S. humanitarian and development groups, said today that organizations have committed and raised a combined total of $100 million to support the relief work.

Microsoft pledged at least $1.25 million in cash and in-kind donations to relief efforts in Haiti today as its disaster response team is reaching out to help relief agencies. Microsoft encouraged its 55,000 U.S. employees to make donations, which the company matches up to $12,000 per employee.

Akhtar Badshah, senior director of global community affairs, said Microsoft was also working through the organization NetHope, a network of large relief agencies and technology companies, supporting efforts to restore power and communications in Haiti.

So far, 1,600 Microsoft employees have contributed more than $280,000 to 100 non-profits working in Haiti, which are matched by the company.

California-based biotech Amgen, which has a research center with several hundred employees on Elliott Bay, said it will donate $2 million toward relief efforts. The Amgen Foundation will also use a disaster relief web site for staff around the globe to contribute funds to designated organizations, and the foundation will match them dollar for dollar.

"It is amazing to see how many companies have responded to the urgency of this tragedy," said Stephen Jordan, executive director of Business Civic Leadership Center at the U.S. Chamber. "We are encouraged by the early outpouring of support but we are well aware that this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint."

Other leading donors were:

--Digicel ($5 million) Digicel is the largest wireless service provider in Haiti (the other is Bellevue's Trilogy) and Digicel lost two of its employees in the earthquake.
--Trilogy International Partners ($3 million, plus $1 million from Chairman John Stanton and his wife, Theresa Gillespie).
--Deutsche Bank ($4 million)
--General Electric ($2.5 million)
--Citigroup ($2 million)
--Credit Agricole S.A. ($1.45 million)

The full list is here.

On Monday Starbucks announced a $1 million donation from The Starbucks Foundation to the American Red Cross for Haiti.

The non-profit Mobile Giving Foundation is now supporting text message donations for at least 17 different humanitarian organizations helping Haiti. Donations of $5 and $10 made by text message have now surpassed $20 million. A list of the organizations accepting mobile donations is here.

Eliminating the usual processing time for mobile donations, Verizon Wireless today said it transmitted almost $3 million to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts, which represents the dollars pledged by its customers via text message donations so far.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air set up a program for frequent flier members to donate their miles to charitable groups involved in the relief effort in Haiti. Between now and Feb. 15, up to 5 million miles donated to the program will be matched one-for-one by the airlines.

The RealNetworks Foundation is donating $50,000 to Medical Teams International (MTI) for earthquake relief in Haiti. Nordstrom donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

PCC Natural Markets (PCC) made a $25,000 donation to the American Red Cross.

The Hunger Site and GreaterGood.org sent $125,045 to Partners in Health today, a combination of online donations received through GreaterGood.org and contributions given by The Hunger Site and GreaterGood Network stores.

Amazon.com has a box on its homepage for contributions to Mercy Corps' Haiti relief efforts, which had helped channel close to $500,000 from customers by Friday afternoon. The Gap Foundation donated $150,000 and offered to match employee contributions, Best Buy contributed $100,000, Western Union $50,000 and Nike $25,000.

Bellevue-based wireless service company Trilogy International Partners, which operates in Haiti through its Voilà subsidiary, is providing the Mercy Corps team with a base of operations in Port-au-Prince.

In partnership with ITT, Mercy Corps will deploy five high-capacity water filtration units to provide much needed clean water in Haiti, and ITT is contributing a $100,000 donation, plus a double match for employee gifts.

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