Hurricane Harvey, the first major storm of its kind to make landfall in the U.S. in over a decade, has caused mass devastation along the southern border of the nation. While the full scope of the damage has yet to be determined, outpourings of concern and offerings of assistance have come in from every corner of the nation and other countries, particularly from members of the business community.
Companies as close as ground zero to the farthest corners of the country are offering funds, goods, and their own employees and offices to help with disaster relief. Corporate donations have already surpassed $157 million. Over the course of the next few weeks, the funds will continue to rise with the realization that the devastation is much worse than originally anticipated.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are just a few of the organizations reaching out to help in any way they can.
1. Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have pledged $2 million to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. The retailer also plans to match customer donations on a two to one basis. This will total up to another $10 million in support that will go to the Red Cross.
Additionally, cash and products that total $10 million are already on their way to organizations, including Salvation Army, Feeding America, Convoy of Hope, and Team Rubicon.
2. Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company Foundation is pledging a total of $1 million. The donations will be spread across numerous organizations, including the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, Team Rubicon, and other local nonprofit organizations.
Additionally, the million-dollar pledge will include matching employee and retiree donations and money to be utilized in the long-term rebuilding efforts.
3. Mattress Mack
Sometimes, even a single individual can make the biggest impact. Jim McIngvale, a Houston native and owner of several Gallery Furniture locations in the area, has opened up his stores as shelters for impacted Families.
Also known by his nickname Mattress Mack, McIngvale has already welcomed hundreds of refugees from the storm, shrugging off the tens of thousands of dollars of lost revenue as an acceptable price for the chance to help his community.
The business owner intends to house and feed anyone who comes into his stores seeking shelter for as long as they need assistance.
4. Dell
This Texas company has been around for decades and has become a global brand of choice in the computer industry. Recognizing the need to help its local community, Michael Dell pledged a whopping $36 million to assist his fellow Texans.
This largess is part of a larger plan known as the Rebuild Texas Fund that is being launched through the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Through this fund, $18 million is immediately being donated.
This plan is followed by a fundraising effort that pledges to donate an additional dollar for every two dollars given over the course of the Labor Day weekend. The overall goal is to raise $100 million that will go toward rebuilding Houston.
5. Kenan Pala
After being astonished by the stunning images of flooding in Texas, Kenan Pala — the 13-year-old founder of Kids4Community, a San Diego-based non-profit — decided to take action.
He collected donations from the local community and used his own personal money to assemble 2,000 care packages for Hurricane Harvey victims. Each package contains items like toothbrushes, towels, deodorant, and hand sanitizer. Kenan is living proof of how anyone, regardless of age, can unite his or her community behind a common cause.
6. Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is focused on supply resources as their primary contribution to the hurricane relief. This includes nearly 100 boats for government agencies and rescue organizations to use throughout the devastated areas.
They have also donated tons of supplies to Convoy of Hope and the American Red Cross.
7. Walgreens
Walgreens is giving $200,000 to the American Red Cross. It has also provided a way for customers to donate in their stores. The retailer has also contributed in other ways, including providing food, medical equipment, and first aid supplies.
These supplies have been sent to The American Red Cross’ emergency shelter located at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
8. Hubbell Power Systems
For this nationwide manufacturer, any and all essential products used by utilities — products that are damaged irreparably in natural disasters — are its stock and trade. Thus, Hubbell’s team sees assisting after events like Harvey as a moral imperative.
The company has been sent hundreds of thousands of pounds of utility products to San Antonio, Houston, and all across the affected areas, along with its own teams of Storm Soldiers armed with emergency response kits to directly lend a helping hand.
With Hubbell’s help, the most devastated communities will soon have renewed access to power grids, which should be a huge help in other relief efforts.
9. TeleTech
Despite its Englewood CO headquarters, TeleTech is truly a global company, seeing the entire world as a single community worth helping. The customer engagement as a service provider has created a temporary donation center in Englewood to act as a hub for local fundraising and the American Red Cross efforts.
TeleTech also provided both technology and members of its Colorado and Wyoming offices to help elicit and coordinate donations, including over 150 volunteers in one massive fundraising event.
10. Starbucks
The Starbucks Foundation has pledged $250,000. The chain is also encouraging its customers to chip in by allowing them to make a direct donation to the the American Red Cross in any of its coffee shops across the country.
Employees can also donate money, which will result in a matching donation from Starbucks to raise even more money.
11. Home Depot
The Home Depot Foundation is pledging $1 million to numerous organizations that are helping out with relief efforts. This list includes Team Rubicon, Operation Blessing, the American Red Cross, and the Salvation Army.
The DIY company also has put together its Team Depot volunteers who are on their way to help with the cleanup effort. They will also be delivering supplies that customers and the organization have collected.
12. GoFundMe
This crowdfunding platform is pledging $100,000 to the Direct Impact Fund. They have added a page to their website where anyone can donate to this fund. The money collected will then be allocated to those who have verified campaigns on their site.
Alternatively, GoFundMe also encourages people to donate directly to these different hurricane relief campaigns.
13. Rockfish
Sometimes, even the smallest shift in operational policy can result in a huge help in times of crisis. Rockfish, a digital innovation partner based in several cities including Dallas, has turned its pre-existing employee appreciation platform into a mechanism for relief.
The “You Earned It” tool, which ordinarily lets team members reward coworkers with points that can be redeemed for goods or prizes, is now offering their employees the power to give up their gains in favor of company donations to relief efforts in both Dallas and Houston. Not only that, but Rockfish’s team is actively searching for more opportunities to roll up their sleeves and help out wherever they can.
14. ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation is donating $500,000 to the United Way of Greater Houston as well as $500,000 to the American Red Cross. The oil company is committed to continuing the drive to raise even more money to help its Texas neighbors.
15. glassybaby
This Seattle-based hand-blown glass company is almost as far removed from Houston as you can get in the 48 continental states, but that hasn’t stopped this company from working to make an impact on relief efforts.
While glassybaby is no stranger to charitable giving, donating 10 percent of all votive sales to worthy causes, the company has stepped up in response to Harvey by doubling this number. For every $50 ‘forever’ votive purchased, $10 is going directly to Harvey relief.
16. HCA Healthcare
HCA Healthcare has already pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross. Additionally, the healthcare organization has announced that it will match up to $1 million in donations made by its employee donations through the company’s employee assistance nonprofit organization.
The company is also exploring other ways that it can help with additional resources, equipment, and supplies in the coming months.
17. Bank of America
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is giving $1 million. Of this amount, $250,000 will be delivered to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund now.
As the recovery effort picks up its pace and the needs are identified, the financial institution will allocate the rest of this amount plus employee pledges and what the company matches against those pledges.
18. AT&T
AT&T has pledged $350,000, which includes $100,000 for the Greater Houston Community Fund. The money will also go to the American Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Fund and the Coastal Bend Community Foundation in South Texas.
The company’s foundation is also matching employee donations up to $50,000 each, which will be given to the AT&T Employee Disaster Relief Fund and Team Rubicon.
19. CarMax
CarMax and its foundation are giving $100,000 to the Red Cross in addition to doubling the amount of the total employee donations.
For those Houston employees that are affected by the disaster, the company is giving them up to $1,500 through its Associate Disaster Relief Fund.
20. Panda Express
The company’s foundation Panda Cares plans to give $500,000. The funds will be divided equally between the American Red Cross and the Tzu-Chi Foundation. Customers can also donate in all the restaurants through September 15 that will then be added to the total the company will donate.
21. Union Pacific
Union Pacific is committing $250,000 to the Red Cross and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. The railroad company also plans to match contributions given through its employee support network. Up to $100,000 will be added from Union Pacific in terms of matching through September 30th.
Additionally, it will match donations made to the Disaster Relief Matching Gifts Program for Hurricane Harvey. This foundation was established to divide up donations among many groups that include the Red Cross and Salvation Army.
22. Whataburger
This Texas burger-chain Whataburger is giving $150,000 to the Red Cross and $500,000 to Houston-area food banks.
One million dollars is also being added to the Whataburger Family Foundation to give emergency assistance to Whataburger family members who have been impacted by the hurricane.
23. Tegna
This broadcasting company launched Texas Cares, which will assist employees and customers impacted by the hurricane.
The initiative has already raised over $1.5 million. Tegna has also matched the first $100,000 in donations made. The money will be allocated to the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.
24. PetSmart
PetSmart has a charity organization called PetSmart Charities. This organization is giving one million dollars to animal welfare agencies that have been working to rescue and relocate homeless pets in the storm-ravaged areas.
These animal welfare organizations include the Houston SPCA, the SPCA of Texas, Rescue Bank, and Houston PetSet. Other ways that the pet retailer is helping out during this disaster is to provide donations for pet food and supplies.
25. NRG Energy
This Houston-based power company is giving back to its local community in the form of one million dollars to Houston organizations. These include the Greater Houston Community Foundation, the Red Cross, and the J.J. Watt Foundation Houston Flood Relief Fund. NRG also plans to donate another million dollars that will go toward helping customers and local businesses to rebuild and recover.
There are numerous companies donating to the hurricane relief effort and accepting donations of supplies and money from customers. It’s not about the amount you give; it’s about reaching out and doing what you can to help others. Every donation counts and goes to bringing Houston back from this extreme and historic natural disaster