PRESS RELEASE: 60% of Unsolicited Goods Donated During Disasters Go To Waste

06 Sep PRESS RELEASE: 60% of Unsolicited Goods Donated During Disasters Go To Waste

Posted at 16:59h in Blog Posts, Disaster Recovery, Press Releases by Shari Rudolph

Good360 Helps Corporations Prepare to Give Thoughtfully During All Phases of a Disaster

Alexandria, VA (Thursday, September 6, 2018) – September is National Preparedness Month and Good360, the global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, offers some key tips for corporations who are thinking about giving either product or cash during times of disaster.

When disaster strikes, the generous outpouring of corporate donations is critical to help the recovery of impacted regions. However, giving is often misaligned with and disconnected from the actual needs of individuals and communities on the ground. Studies* have shown that 60% of unsolicited goods given during times of disaster end up in landfills or otherwise go to waste.

Together, we can tackle this issue. It starts with better preparedness as donors.

Good360 currently works with hundreds of corporate partners to deliver donated goods to those in need, including survivors of disaster. We work with local and regional nonprofits and agencies to assess the ever-evolving needs on the ground, mitigating waste and increasing impact.

These tips will help your organization give better and more effectively in the wake of the next disaster:

Be proactive and plan now. Develop disaster-giving plans during blue sky times and understand how to respond most effectively.
Pre-position needed goods. Good360 and our partners form a national network where we can store highly needed goods in advance and deploy quickly when needed.
Focus on the on-the-ground needs. Work with a partner like Good360 who can efficiently gather information from the field and translate that into actionable and effective donation plans.
Determine the right mix of goods vs. cash. If your company doesn’t produce what’s currently needed or if there is a glut of a certain donated product, then consider donating cash so that other needed goods can be sourced.

For more information about Good360’s disaster recovery work, visit www.good360.org. If your company would like to learn more about Good360’s effective giving programs, contact Jim Alvey at jalvey@good360.org.

*Studies from the National Science Foundation and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

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National Preparedness Month

Shari Rudolph

shari@good360.org

Shari Rudolph is Chief Marketing Officer of Good360 and is an accomplished retail, digital commerce and media executive with a strong track record of building audience, revenue and brands. Shari’s previous experience includes management consulting as well as various executive and leadership roles at both start-ups and large media and retail e-commerce companies in Southern California, New York and Silicon Valley. She is also an adjunct professor teaching classes in marketing, advertising and entrepreneurial studies and she earned her MBA from The Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA.