Cell Phone Providers Helping Haiti with Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives

When you think about corporate social responsibility initiatives, well thought out plans involving community outreach and the environment come to mind. However, this is not always the case.  The corporate community will step up their corporate social responsibility initiatives when unexpected natural disasters arise. One such calamity is  the recent devastation in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. In the wake of this disaster, the major cell phone companies are doing their part in a variety of ways.

In the first of their Haitian centered corporate social responsibility initiatives the “AT&T Foundation is providing a $50,000 donation to Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) the leading international humanitarian organization specializing in emergency telecommunications”.  In general all of the major cell phone companies are giving their subscribers in the United States the opportunity to do the same thing. They have given their subscriber the option of texting in a $10.00 USD donation to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund. As AT&T explains on their website “a customer simply types the word HAITI and sends it to 90999. A confirmation message will arrive within a few minutes, to which the customer replies “yes” to finalize the donation”. The same procedure, plus the fact that standard text messaging rates apply and the $10.00 donation is added to the customers’ monthly statement, is the same for all cell phone providers.

This is an easy and innovative way for everyday Americans to reach out and help their fellow human beings. It’s one of the most innovative corporate social responsibility initiatives which is why most major morning shows in the US have been passing on the information to their viewers. Live with Regis and Kelly, The Today Show and The View, are just a few of the shows that have been promoting this text-donation program. Though it may sound mercenary considering the countless that are suffering, but the publicity that cell phone giants are gaining is helping their public image. This is an innovative and secure way to donate to the Haitian relief effort, ensuring that one hundred percent of the proceeds will go to aid.