2019 Pledge of Ongoing Support Through Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program Enables Red Cross to Prepare for and Respond to Disasters
New York, NY [December 4, 2019] — The American Red Cross is proud to recognize and thank IBM for supporting Red Cross Disaster Relief with an annual pledge of $500,000 through the Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Thanks to forward-thinking contributions in advance of disasters, the Red Cross is prepared to help meet the needs of people affected by disasters big and small, anytime and anywhere across the U.S.
ADGP members—along with their employees and customers—pledge financial and in-kind donations in advance of disasters, powering the Red Cross with strong infrastructure, trained volunteers, innovative technology and critical resources necessary to provide relief and support to those in crisis. These annual contributions allow the Red Cross to respond whenever and wherever disasters occur. Their support also helps families during the recovery process and helps communities prepare for future emergencies.
“Every day in the face of disasters, the generosity of ADGP members like IBM ensures the Red Cross can provide comfort and care to people in their darkest hours,” said Don Herring, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. “We are extremely grateful for these contributions before disasters strike because it enables us to respond to disasters immediately and compassionately, when help and hope are needed most.”
"The American Red Cross' mission is consistent with IBM's tradition of service and support to the communities in which its employees live and work," said Guillermo Miranda, IBM's vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility. "We're proud to be a long time supporter of the American Red Cross, and we demonstrate that pride by supporting the organization financially, but also with sweat equity. Our employees love volunteering their expertise, and applying IBM's cutting technology, to help the American Red Cross be more successful."
While large disasters like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and wildfires typically draw national attention, each year, the Red Cross responds to more than 62,000 disasters across the country—the majority of which are home fires. Generous contributions from ADGP members enable the Red Cross to provide services to people in need of assistance at no cost.
And thanks to ADGP members, Red Cross volunteers are also in their local communities every day, conducting disaster preparedness presentations and giving people the reassurance and confidence to face crises of all kinds.
Other $500,000 level ADGP members include these major leading companies and foundations: 21st Century Fox; Altria Group; AmazonSmile; Aon; BMW of North America; Capital One; CBS Corporation; Cisco Foundation; Citi Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental Community Care Foundation; Discover; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Motor Company; General Motors; Grainger; Humble Bundle; International Paper; John Deere Foundation; Johnson Controls; Medtronic Foundation; Merck Foundation; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Nissan; Procter & Gamble Company; PwC Charitable Foundation; Southwest Airlines; Target; TD Ameritrade; The TJX Companies, Inc.; United Airlines; UPS; The USAA Foundation; The Wawa Foundation; and Wells Fargo.
Individuals can help people affected by disasters big and small by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Donations to Disaster Relief enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.