Businesses have two roles in preparing for and responding to disasters. The first role is protecting the company’s assets if a disaster strikes the business itself or its key stakeholders. The second role is corporate citizen. Business Roundtable developed a Family Disaster Preparedness Checklist to educate employees about personal/family disaster preparedness and encourage them to take specific actions.

As corporate citizens, businesses have a lot to offer in a crisis. Perhaps a company may have technical or organizational expertise, or a distribution network, that can speed aid to a stricken area. Or a company can provide its own products—food, medical supplies, construction equipment or other resources—which can be put to use in a recovery effort How Can My Company Help?

Many businesses also are in a position to offer cash assistance to disaster-ravaged areas. Some large corporations build disaster-relief giving into their fiscal plans, or match employee contributions. International aid experts say that in many disasters, it is better to send cash (see the Dos and Don'ts of Effective Giving) than to send materiel or in-kind relief.

Every company has a key resource needed in every disaster: people. Volunteers make a significant difference—if they are properly trained and their engagement is coordinated with the appropriate agencies. For more information on the key issues to consider when establishing a volunteer training program, read Preparing Employees To Be Disaster Ready Volunteers. When the immediate danger has passed, a disaster-ravaged community will look to local business leaders to foster long-term recovery. When a company takes part in a rebuilding effort, it can emerge as a stronger, more-respected corporate citizen than before the disaster.

Companies also play an important role in educating their workforces to prepare for disasters. Business Roundtable developed a Family Disaster Preparedness Checklist to educate employees about personal/family disaster preparedness and encourage them to take specific actions. For more information on issues companies should consider contributing to recovery efforts, click here.