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December 2007                                                                                              Volume 13 - Number 3

Report on two recent partnership agreements announce recently 1) between the Business Roundtable and the American Red Cross and 2) between the US Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Administration (SBA)
By Nuala Cowan

On August 27th, 2007 the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a partnership agreement with the US Chamber of Commerce, a partnership intended to instigate a collaborative response to major disasters. Pooled resources from both organizations will constitute a corps of readily deployable responders, an effort aimed at faster recovery in affected communities (1, 2).  According to the Executive Director of the Chambers’ Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC); the new partnership "sets a precedent for America's business community to work with the federal government to prepare for and recover from catastrophic disasters." (1) As part of the overall agreement the SBA will share information on its disaster recovery program and relevant resource partners, with the Chambers’ BCLC, as well as with local chambers of commerce. The BCLC’s contribution will come in the form of timely information and on-site updates, which will reinforce the disaster assistance capabilities of the SBA, through its many members and networks (2). The BCLC will also work with SBA’s resource partners, providing recovery assistance information to the local business community and details on how to prepare for disaster before it strikes. The organizations plan to work in unison to recruit volunteers, as well as to perform post-disaster analysis on the economic recovery for the affected area (1, 2).

On the 21st of September 2007 another new partnership was announced, this time between the American Red Cross, and the Business Roundtable. (3, 4, 5). The objective of the alliance is the enhancement of private/non-profit partnerships during disaster response, and to utilize the expansive resources of the business community, outside of their financial support (4). The focal point of the collaborative effort will be to determine how the business community can most effectively contribute to national disaster preparedness and response efforts. Communication is the first item on the agenda for this new partnership; new communication channels will improve the flow of information between the business community and the Red Cross, making responses more efficient and effective. Second order of business is to focus on matching the needs of affected communities with available corporate resources before and after disaster strikes (5). In addition, companies will share first-hand reports from disaster sites with the Red Cross through the Partnership for Disaster Response Web site (www.respondtodisaster.org) (3, 4, 5). Immediately following hurricane Katrina, the Business Roundtable formed a taskforce called the “Partnership for Disaster Response”; this expert team is currently working to develop better ways to prepare for, and recover from, the short and long-term effects of large-scale disasters. Through the partnership announced in September, the Roundtable task force has pledged to work closely with the Red Cross toward the expansion of the Red Cross’s “Ready When the Time Comes” program. “Ready When the Time Comes” is volunteer recruitment program gives employees of partner organizations an opportunity to become Red Cross volunteers in their community and to be able to assist during local disasters (3, 5). The crucial outcome of this partnership is the advance collaboration, enabling a more streamlined partnership during times of crisis.
REFERENCES

1.    US Chamber of Commerce Website; Article: SBA and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Reach Agreement To Enhance Disaster Response and Recovery (Last Accessed: November 28, 2007).  http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/resources/releases/070827release_sba.htm

2.    New Orleans City Business Website; Article: U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Chamber partner to improve (Last Accessed: November 28, 2007).  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20070827/ai_n19488665

3.    Red Cross Website; Article: Business Community Contributes Resources to Disaster Response through Partnership with Red Cross (Last Accessed: November 28, 2007). http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_7081,00.html

4.    PR Newswire (United Business Media) Website; Article: Leading CEOs Launch Alliance with American Red Cross to Strengthen Nation’s Preparedness for Disasters (Last Accessed: November 28, 2007). http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/americanredcross/29733/

5.    Philanthropy New Digest Website; Article: American Red Cross Announces Partnership with Business Roundtable (Last Accessed: November 28, 2007). http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=189800035