(October 19, 2005) As donations to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina approach the $2 billion mark, members of the California Chamber of Commerce are part of a reported record pace of giving.
Earlier this month, total giving topped $1.7 billion, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the newspaper of the non-profit world.
The Chronicle reports that the pace of giving is slowing, compared to immediately after Hurricane Katrina, but still is a record. It took more than a month for non-profit groups to raise $1 billion after the September 11 terrorist attacks; more than $2.2 billion eventually was raised in response.
Californians, familiar with the sudden damage that can be caused by disasters such as earthquakes and fast-moving fires, have been among the most generous donors to relief for Hurricane Katrina victims, according to news reports.
Following is a sampling of what Chamber member companies have donated, compiled from news stories and e-mail responses to a Chamber newsletter story inviting members to report on their efforts.
To make a contribution to the small business disaster relief fund, please visit the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry at www.labi.org.
Acme Awning Company (San Leandro): Four of the company’s eight employees contributed to the Salvation Army and the company matched their $1,000.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) (New York) and state CPA Society: Professional associations for CPAs have joined forces to provide information and other resources, including a volunteer center to allow CPA firms to provide office space and other resources to displaced CPAs. More information at www.aicpa.org.
Amgen (Thousand Oaks): Donated $2.5 million to relief efforts, focusing on dialysis and cancer patients.
Bank of America (North Carolina): Donated $1 million to relief efforts, with $500,000 going to the Red Cross and $100,000 to the Houston Food Bank via the Houston United Way to help feed hurricane refugees at the Houston Astrodome. It also matched employee donations and collected contributions for the Red Cross at 5,800 bank branches across the nation.
California Non-Profit Center for Living and Learning (Van Nuys): Contributed $10,000 to the Red Cross, $5,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $2,000 to SPCALA.
California State Automobile Association (San Francisco): Contributed more than $500,000 to Red Cross Katrina Relief, from employees, members and company matching dollars.
Casa Herrera, Inc. (Pomona): Matched employee donations of $700, sending a check for $1,400 to the Red Cross Katrina Relief project.
Chevron (San Ramon): Gave $3 million to the Red Cross for aid in Mississippi and Louisiana and $2 million to different charities in the affected area.
Citigroup (New York): Pledged to donate up to $3 million to the Red Cross, making a $1 million donation immediately after the hurricane. Its foundation also matched employee donations to the Red Cross.
Comcast (Pennsylvania): Donated $50,000 in cash and $10 million worth of advertising to the Red Cross.
Georgia Pacific (Georgia): Donated 65 truckloads of consumer goods, including toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates and cutlery.
General Electric (Connecticut): Donated more than $18 million, including $8 million in cash and matching employee donations to the Red Cross and at least $10 million in medical devices, power generation equipment, water purification and other goods and services.
Graphic Orb Inc. (North Hollywood) matched employee donations, dollar for dollar. Everyone who donated had a vote on where the money should go. The choice was to donate a little more than $5,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $5,000 to Best Friends Foundation.
Hatch Mott MacDonald Group Inc. (Pleasanton and Millburn): Contributed $10,000 to the Red Cross.
Hendry Lindman Feltman & Associates (Irvine): Employees voted to scale down their annual fun day/team building event and donate $5,000 of the budget to the Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief. The company donated $2,500 and matched employee personal donations of $525 to Operation Orange County in Santa Ana, which is helping 100 families relocated to Orange County from the disaster area.
Intel (Santa Clara): Donated $1 million, which was matched by more than $2 million from employees and the Intel Foundation. The company continues to pay its 200 employees who are volunteering and will provide 1,500 laptop computers and other services for distribution
to shelters.
Kaiser Permanente (Oakland): Donated $2 million to the Centers for Disease Control for its public health response and pledged $1 million for long-term recovery support.
Kramer-Wilson Co., Inc. (owner of Century-National Insurance Company) (North Hollywood): Held a casual week for employees, the week of September 19. To be eligible to dress casual the entire week, employees were asked to contribute a minimum of $25. For a $10 donation, the employee could dress casual on Thursday, September 22. Employees could choose from the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army or the majority winner of any other charity. Oprah’s Angel Network and Habitat for Humanity tied in that contest. The company promised to contribute double what was collected from employees. More than half the employees contributed $5,305; the company will add $10,610 and send to the four charities. The next event will be a bake sale.
Ledyard Company (Santa Cruz): This food service distributor donated $7,005 to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund with the help of employees’ generosity and employer match and owner match. Also donated $50,000 worth of product to the Second Harvest Food Bank and $8,000 to chefs within the Bay Area who traveled to the Gulf region to prepare food for the victims.
Mattel (El Segundo): The toy company donated $100,000 to the Red Cross and $1 million in toys to be distributed by the Red Cross and Gifts in Kind International.
Maloof Sports and Entertainment (Sacramento): Sacramento Kings and Monarchs basketball teams matched the $135,000 in donations that fans raised through online and silent auctions and direct donations for a total of $270,000 in donations to the Red Cross.
Pfizer (New York): This pharmaceutical company has donated $2 million, plus sent drugs to affected areas and has collaborated with government agencies and hospitals to store and distribute drugs to evacuees. It also invited academic researchers whose labs were destroyed to conduct their research in company labs.
Professional Community Management (PCM) The Lake Forest office donated to the Orange County United Way Katrina Relief Fund to respond to human care needs and to Habitat for Humanity to aid in its work of building homes. More than 60 employees in the Laguna Woods Village office donated 350 hours of paid vacation time, worth $8,000. A check for that amount was sent to the Red Cross for Katrina relief.
SBC Communications (Texas): Provided communication services at the Houston Astrodome to relocated victims of Hurricane Katrina. It also made available up to 1,000 telephones with free local and long distance calling, free wireless service in conjunction with Cingular Wireless and SBC Yahoo DSL service and computers to provide high-speed Internet access, as well as Wi-Fi hot spots for use by public service personnel and the media.
Spectrum Solid Surfacing, Inc. (North Highlands), donated $250 to the United Way.
Verizon/Verizon Wireless (New Jersey): Has donated more than $12 million to the Red Cross, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Salvation Army, has dispatched 110 technicians to help restore phone networks, and distributed calling cards, cellular phones and air time.
Vision Service Plan (Sacramento): Pledged $15 million in monetary support and sight-related services, including: distributing eyecare vouchers entitling recipients to receive a free eye exam and glasses from a local optometrist; providing mobile eye exams to hurricane victims; for VSP members, replacing at no charge glasses destroyed as a result of Hurricane Katrina; providing financial assistance as needed to VSP-affiliated doctors living and/or working in the area affected by the hurricane.
Unilever United States (New Jersey): Donated more than $2.6 million in personal care and food supplies - including 100,000 bars of soap, 470,000 bottles of shampoo, 120,000 jars of peanut butter and 720,000 meal and snack bars - and $1 million in cash to relief and rebuilding efforts.
UPS (Georgia): Pledged, through its foundation, $1.25 million, including $500,000 cash and $750,000 in medical- and health-related supplies. The company also assigned logistics specialists to help direct people and supplies.
Wachovia (North Carolina): Contributed $250,000 to the Red Cross and matched employee donations up to $1,000 to any eligible charity.
Wal-Mart (Arkansas): Donated $17 million in cash and $3 million in merchandise, has collected $6 million from customers for distribution to charities, has posted pictures of missing friends and loved ones on its website and through its Photo Centers, and has donated the use of 18 vacant facilities for use as shelters, supply depots, food pantries and clinics.
Washington Mutual (Washington): Donated up to $1 million through corporate and employee and other matching donations. The company also expedited approvals of personal lines of credit, instituted penalty-free CD withdrawals and offered alternate and extended loan payment plans.
Wells Fargo (San Francisco): Contributed $1 million, including $500,000 directly to the Red Cross and matching employee contributions up to $250,000.
Western Canvas Products Association: This industry trade association covering the western 12 states is collecting money for the Red Cross relief effort with members of the Board of Directors matching contributions.
Small Business Disaster Relief Fund
Readers wishing to help provide grants to help small businesses damaged by Hurricane Katrina get back into business as soon as possible can send a donation to the Small Business Disaster Relief Fund set up by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry with the assistance of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.
The grants will serve as “gap funding” to cover expenses not covered by insurance in order to bring as many enterprises as possible back on line quickly.
Contributions to the Small Business Disaster Relief Fund are tax deductible, can be made by check and mailed to:
Small Business Disaster Relief
Fund/BRAF
402 N. 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Contributions also can be made through LABI’s website, www.labi.org. The website also includes the application for the grant and links to other sources of information to help the hurricane victims.
Staff Contact: Sara Lee
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