press releases
U.S. Corporations Provide $108.9 Million For Pakistan Quake Relief; Celebrate National Corporate Philanthropy Day
02/26/2006
Islamabad - Corporations in the United States will celebrate National Corporate Philanthropy Day on Monday, February 27, highlighting the spirit of corporate giving and recognizing U.S. companies and chief executive officers who have played leading roles in corporate philanthropy.
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker said, "National Corporate Philanthropy Day is an opportunity to recognize the impressive charitable activities of U.S. companies here in Pakistan, especially in response to the October 8 earthquake. U.S. companies are not merely important sources of investment, technology and economic opportunity for Pakistan, but they also play a leading role in demonstrating responsible corporate citizenship. Through their philanthropic works and good deeds here in Pakistan, U.S. companies reflect the friendship the American people feel toward Pakistan."
U.S. corporate contributions have played a significant role in the Pakistan earthquake relief effort, with $108.9 million in cash and in-kind donations from U.S corporations. Of the $108.9 million pledged, the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy has tracked over $57 million given as in-kind donations and almost $51 million given as cash. About 130 corporations (95 percent of which are based in the U.S.) have contributed to this philanthropic effort and 23 corporations have each donated a million dollars or more in cash, products and services to Pakistan for earthquake relief.
Within Pakistan, the American Business Council (ABC) of Pakistan has played a leading role in coordinating and encouraging U.S. companies’ contributions to earthquake relief. The ABC is comprised of approximately 60 U.S. and U.S.-affiliated companies operating in Pakistan.
In the United States, President George W. Bush supported the initiative of five American business leaders -- Sandy Weill (Citigroup), Hank McKinnell (Pfizer), Anne Mulcahy (Xerox), Jeff Immelt (GE), and Jim Kelly (UPS) -- to launch the South Asia Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Fund to spearhead private relief and reconstruction fundraising last November. The Fund has received almost $19 million in cash and pledges and has allocated $4.5 million to five non-governmental organizations to support relief efforts.
U.S. companies’ corporate philanthropy in Pakistan is part of their day-to-day operations and is not limited to disaster response. For example, Procter and Gamble Pakistan supports the Sehat-O-Safai campaign, operated by the Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (IDSP), designed to educate children in over 6,500 schools about the importance of personal hygiene in combating the spread of germs and disease. Coca-Cola Pakistan has run adopt-a-school programs to provide supplies and facilities to schools in under-served neighborhoods where the company operates bottling plants. In Manzoor Colony in Karachi, Pfizer Pakistan has helped remodel a clinic to improve the quality of health care in that region and has helped establish the Kirdar Institute, designed to give free computer training to high school graduates to strengthen their job qualifications and increase their career prospects.
The United States has pledged a total of $510 million in earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts to assist the people of Pakistan and to support Pakistani government relief and reconstruction efforts.
National Corporate Philanthropy Day is intended to build awareness of corporate philanthropic achievements and inspire American companies and CEOs to engage further in corporate philanthropy.