Corporate disaster relief guide: How to be ready when it matters most
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Stacked sand bags after a natural disaster with rescue teams in the background.

Disaster events are increasing in both frequency and severity. In 2024 alone, 309 major natural disasters occurred worldwide, affecting 167 million people. As global crises grow more complex, expectations of corporate response continue to rise. 

Most companies recognize this shift. According to The Conference Board, 91% of companies anticipate more frequent disasters, and 96% commit resources to immediate relief. Yet, despite this awareness, 57% of companies do not engage in strategic planning for potential future disasters.

When a crisis strikes, organizations without a plan are forced into reactive decision-making and the pressure often falls on CSR or HR leaders to answer immediately: How are we responding? Who are we supporting? Should we engage our people? How quickly can we act?

In contrast, companies that view disaster relief as a continuous strategy — rather than a one-off event — and can move with confidence, clarity and credibility. In this guide we share best practices, based on our experience with thousands of purpose-driven companies, for creating a proactive disaster relief strategy — so that your organization is ready to respond and support when and where it’s needed most.

In-office activities

The strategic advantage of preparation

With a proactive disaster framework, your organization is never starting from zero. Instead, you are positioned to reduce risks before they escalate, activate and quickly equip your people when urgency is highest, and sustain meaningful support long after the immediate crisis has passed. 

A comprehensive disaster relief framework considers all four phrases of the disaster management cycle:

  1. Mitigation: Invest in resilience to reduce risk and prevent damage before a crisis strikes. This includes strategic grntmaking to nonprofits working on climate initiatives or funding infrastructure projects in at-risk communities. By addressing root causes, you can potentially help lessen the severity of future events.
  2. Preparedness: Establish the plans, decision-making criteria and internal processes needed to respond. Identify go-to partners, streamline approval paths and create templates for giving campaigns before they are needed. 
  3. Response: Mobilize your people, partners and budget with speed and care. Prioritize clear communication with your people and fast activation of unrestricted funds to trusted partners. ‍
  4. Recovery: Commit to long-term support for rebuilding and community healing. While others move on, your continued support during this phase, which can last for years, demonstrates your commitment to community resilience.

Real-life disaster relief strategies in action

LPL Financial

LPL Financial employees volunteering

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In response to the urgent needs following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, LPL Financial launched a 1:1 matching gift campaign. Combined with contributions from employees and advisors, they successfully raised and distributed US$110,276 to multiple relief organizations. Beyond financial contributions, the firm quickly organized a two-day diaper drive to support families in the hardest-hit areas. 

When wildfires broke out in Los Angeles, the team didn’t have to start from scratch. Since LPL Financial had already centralized their communications, volunteer coordination and data tracking on the Benevity platform during the hurricane relief efforts, they were ready. By replicating this established structure, they turned past insights into immediate support and deployed aid the moment it was needed.

Newrez 

Man and woman looking at the aftermath of a natural disaster


Instead of waiting for a crisis to act, Newrez takes a proactive approach to preparedness. The company hosts blood drives at major company sites so hospitals are stocked and prepared well in advance of a disaster event. That same commitment to speed supports their own workforce through “The NEED Fund,” a program designed to quickly deliver need-based emergency grants to employees facing natural disasters, among other emergencies. 

To maintain this state of readiness across all initiatives, Newrez leverages Benevity Campaign Kits. By removing the need to build campaigns from scratch, the team bypasses administrative hurdles and can deploy response campaigns for disasters and awareness dates faster.

How to create a disaster relief campaign


  1. Define the campaign: Before employees get involved, consider using the parameters in your plan to clearly define the response campaign's scope, scale and specific objectives.
    • Determine the intervention: Decide how your organization can best help. Will you offer 2:1 matching, activate volunteering events or provide direct grants?
    • Select your partners: Identify the specific nonprofits you will support. Are they validated, responding and capable or receiving the funds effectively?
    • Set the infrastructure Leverage your enterprise impact platform to centralize the campaign. Can you track progress in real time and provide employees with a frictionless way to contribute?

  1. Involve stakeholders: Secure executive buy-in and cross-functional alignment by presenting a proposal that aligns with the approved playbook and details the strategic value alongside moral imperative.
    • Build the business case: Clearly communicate the return on investment (ROI), including employee engagement, brand reputation and community outcomes.
    • Map the logistics: Provide a comprehensive view of the program that covers deployment timelines, specific relief goals and on-the-ground partners.
    • Identify champions: Recruit leaders from key departments to champion the cause, enabling the message to be spread across every level of the organization.

  1. Prepare communications: Speed matters, but so does tone. Launch your response strategy with clear, consistent internal and external messaging that bridges the gap between empathy and action.
    • Internal communications: Direct employees to specific relief actions, like a donation page or volunteer sign-up, and use your impact platform to centralize engagement.
    • External communications: Demonstrate your company values in action. Use your external channels to rally partners, customers and the broader community to join the effort.

Disaster relief communications templates

When disaster strikes, Benevity enables you to move from overwhelmed to organized, fast. A critical part of this agility is having pre-written messaging at your fingertips. 

The templates below are designed to help you quickly create a giving opportunity to share with your people. They are adaptable and ready to be tailored to match your organization and preferred nonprofits.

Internal communication template

Subject line: Response to [Crisis]: Standing with [Community/Place]

Body:The impact of [Crisis] on [Community/Place] is devastating. We are moving quickly to support relief efforts and help these communities start the long road to recovery.

We are mobilizing our resources to help, and we invite you to join us.

How you can help right now:

  • Give: We have activated a relief campaign on [CSR Platform]. To amplify your generosity, [Company Name] will match all employee donations X:1.
  • Act: Check [CSR Platform] for volunteer opportunities or to share updates with your colleagues across [Departments/Offices].

In the coming weeks, we will share details on in-office opportunities to support the ongoing crisis in [Place].

Thank you for stepping up and living our values when it matters most.

[Name/Leadership Team]

External communications template 

Title: Response to [Crisis]: Support for [Community/Place]
Description: Mobilizing immediate resources and aid for [Community/Place]. 

Body: [Crisis] has impacted [Community/Place]. We are taking immediate action to support the region and fuel recovery efforts. 

We are deploying the following resources to drive impact on the ground: 

  • [Product/Service]: Providing [Product/Service] free of charge to those affected to alleviate immediate burdens. 
  • [Nonprofit Partner]: We are directing financial support to [Organization Name] to provide critical aid where needed. 
  • Employee engagement: We are connecting employees with validated disaster relief opportunities to amplify our collective impact. 

‍Call to Action: Join the response. Stay updated on our efforts via social media or contact us directly to collaborate on further impact initiatives.


  1. Measure and Report Impact: The work isn’t done when the campaign closes. You should quantify effectiveness to validate business and community impact, gathering feedback for future readiness.

    Analyze performance using these key performance indicators (KPIs):

    • Employee engagement rate: What percentage of your workforce took action?
    • Total impact: What is the total value of funds, hours and goods? How were they deployed and what effect did they have as part of the response effort?
    • Participation breakdown: Which departments or regions were most active?
  1. Optimize and Share: Share the results and solicit employee feedback to refine future disaster relief strategies. Just as importantly, capture qualitative impact stories from your nonprofit partners. Publish these metrics and insights to demonstrate tangible outcomes and prove the organization’s long-term commitment to action to internal and external stakeholders.

How Benevity helps turn your intent into impact

Disasters are inevitable, but being unprepared doesn’t have to be. The companies that earn the most trust during difficult moments are the ones that prepare for them. Benevity enables you to move swiftly from reactive to resilient. 

  • Curated campaign kits: Launch campaigns within hours using complete content, images and validated nonprofit lists. 
  • Automated disbursement: Deliver donations and grants to the front lines through a secure, transparent global engine. 
  • Employee and customer engagement: Empower your people to create their own campaigns to contribute through personalized giving portals. 

The Benevity Enterprise Impact Platform helps remove the administrative barriers that slow companies down during times of urgent need, allowing organizations to better focus on delivering support where it's needed the most.