Survey: 42% of Companies Are Becoming More Selective About Disaster Aid Support

Companies are becoming more selective about which disasters they commit resources to—and putting more structure around those choices. Among surveyed executives, 42% say their organizations are becoming more deliberate about which crises they philanthropically support.

Corporate proximity is a key factor in deciding where companies step in. Nearly all companies (92%) consider ties to employees, operations, customers, or suppliers in their decision. Two-thirds (67%) prioritize the presence of employees in an affected area, compared with 33% that cite humanitarian need or human toll.

Moreover, shifts in the humanitarian funding environment are putting new pressure on corporate disaster philanthropy. A third (34%) of respondents report a significant or moderate impact from these shifts. Among companies reporting an impact, 54% face increased pressure to help nonprofit partners with funding gaps, and 32% cite greater caution about which crises or geographies they engage in.

“Companies are facing greater pressure to respond while becoming more selective about where they step in. Clear decision criteria can help them focus limited resources, while preserving flexibility when humanitarian need falls outside their usual footprint,” said Andrew Jones, author of the report and Director of The Conference Board Governance & Sustainability Center.

These findings come from a new report by The Conference Board, Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America), and Global Impact. The report is based on a survey of 105 senior corporate citizenship executives. Among surveyed companies, 94% are US-headquartered, 62% have annual revenue above $15 billion, and 43% above $30 billion.

Companies are narrowing where—and how—they respond to disasters.

• 42% of companies are becoming more selective about the crises they support.
• 43% are increasing the formality of their strategy, decision criteria, and governance.
• Only 25% are increasing their overall disaster philanthropy activity, while 54% say it is staying about the same, and 21% are decreasing it.

Corporate proximity matters more than the scale of human need in determining which disasters receive support.

• Nearly all companies (92%) cite at least one business-proximity factor—such as affected employees, operations, or supply-chain relationships—as a key trigger for action.
  • Two-thirds (67%) prioritize the presence of employees in the affected area.
  • Only one-third (33%) cite the severity of humanitarian need or the human toll.

Local partners are increasingly valued in disaster response, even as companies become more cautious.

• 53% of respondents say strong local presence and community trust are the top criteria for selecting disaster-response partners—ahead of global scale or brand recognition (33%).
  • 40% are increasing support for locally led or community-based organizations.
  • At the same time, 40% are becoming more cautious about unfamiliar partners or geographies.

“Companies want to support organizations with deep local knowledge and community trust, but they also need confidence that those partners have been validated and due diligence has been completed. Building those relationships before a disaster strikes can help companies move resources quickly and responsibly when they’re needed most,” said Kelsey McCarthy, CAP®, Vice President, Philanthropic Services at CAF America.

Companies are investing more in disaster preparedness, but immediate relief still dominates.

• The share of companies engaging in disaster preparedness rose from 42% in 2023 to 57% in 2026.
  • 94% engage in immediate relief and 77% in short-term recovery.
  • Just 46% engage in long-term reconstruction and rebuilding.
  • Only 7% intentionally reserve resources for recovery, rebuilding, preparedness, or resilience later in the disaster cycle.

Employee disaster support is increasingly a workforce resilience issue.

• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of surveyed companies provide employee-focused disaster support.
• Among those companies, 74% offer mental-health or counseling support and 69% provide direct financial assistance through an employee relief or hardship fund.
• Yet HR is only involved in disaster-philanthropy decisions or execution at 22% of companies.

“Disaster philanthropy isn’t just about giving back to affected communities—it can be a crucial part of workplace resilience, recruitment and retention, and fostering a culture of belonging at work. Organizations that truly center their employees are connecting response efforts across HR, internal communications, and operations teams, positioning themselves to support employees and communities in need from the start of a crisis through recovery,” said Brittany Mattfeld Craig, Managing Director at Global Impact.