When disaster strikes, there isn’t time to wait for donations to come in before a response is launched. Nonprofits like our Charity Alliance partners can mobilize within hours of a disaster because they’ve spent months preparing for the unexpected. They often have teams, partners, supplies, and response plans in place long before a hurricane makes landfall, an earthquake hits, or a wildfire spreads.
That’s why giving before a disaster is so important. Your donation helps relief organizations stay ready year-round so that they can respond to crises immediately. Our partners highlighted below bring decades of experience helping people through some of their most difficult moments. Their work shows the power of proactive giving, making it possible to deliver aid when it’s needed most and helping communities recover and prepare for whatever comes next.
Americares
In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa tore across the Caribbean, unleashing powerful storms on entire communities in Jamaica and surrounding island nations. The destruction was heartbreaking, with lives lost, homes destroyed, and health facilities and roads damaged, limiting access to essential health services. Americares responded immediately, with their emergency response team arriving in Jamaica only two days after Hurricane Melissa made landfall. In coordination with the Jamaican government, Americares deployed a 16-person emergency medical team to provide free health care and mental health support to those affected by the disaster.
Direct Relief
When Ampla Health lost power at its Magalia location shortly after the Camp Fire hit Northern California’s Butte County, the clinic was forced to close. With support from Direct Relief’s Power for Health initiative, Ampla Health now stands ready for the next disaster with a solar-powered system that will help health care providers continue to provide care by powering critical medical devices and allowing them to access records, even if the grid fails.
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
When an earthquake hit central Myanmar in March 2025, few could predict the scale of devastation that would follow. Homes collapsed, crops were ruined, and many families lost not only shelter, but also access to clean water, food, and education.
UMCOR recently began collaborating with a local partner to support urgent relief for survivors. It’s a partnership not only rooted in compassion, but also in strategy. With communication cutoffs and political restrictions limiting direct aid, our partner’s local access provided UMCOR with a rare and vital route into affected communities.
World Vision
For decades, World Vision has shown up when people face disasters or tough times around the world. World Vision works in both urban and rural areas to address poverty through donated goods, disaster response, and educational support.
UNICEF USA
Meet Musa, 6, who suffered a head injury during the Türkiye earthquake, when a wall collapsed on top of him. Learn how UNICEF supported him on the road to recovery — just one aspect of UNICEF’s massive global emergency response system.
Food For The Poor
Food For The Poor (FFTP) delivered critically needed relief items to families in Petersfield, St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, recovering from Hurricane Melissa. Since the storm, FFTP has delivered more than $10 million in aid to Jamaica, including food, hygiene supplies, medical support, and building materials distributed through local partners.
International Medical Corps
International Medical Corps is there for people around the globe and across the U.S. when they need health care after disaster.
Project HOPE
Project HOPE recently hosted a mobile medical unit in Barrett Town, Jamaica, where adults and children could access free medical care, mental health support, and hygiene kits as people are still recovering from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Melissa. They supported routine checkups, including blood pressure and sugar tests, as well as mental health programming for impacted communities.
The Salvation Army World Service Office
Over the last 10 years, the Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) has provided over $90 million in support to the victims of disasters such as the Haiti Earthquakes, Pakistan floods, the Philippines typhoon, the Ebola outbreak, Venezuela and Colombia earthquakes, and aid to refugees throughout the world including in war-torn places like Ukraine.
World Food Program USA
Nearly 15.3 million people in Afghanistan face severe hunger, driven by decades of conflict, extreme climate shocks, and deteriorating economic conditions. In October 2023, multiple earthquakes struck western provinces of Afghanistan, affecting more than 150,000 people. World Food Program responded by providing 54 million pounds of food to over 4 million people and delivered $8.3 million in cash assistance.
International Relief Teams
After the Camp Fire in Paradise California, Randy and Lisa worked with one of International Relief Teams’ (IRT) partners, Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN), to rebuild their home.
“We knew we wanted to rebuild,” Randy said, “We just didn’t know how it was going to happen. Finding out HCRN could help was so amazing!”
“The IRT volunteers who framed the house were some of the best people we have ever worked with. They worked extremely hard and were all having a good time. It made the work go so fast and they were a lot of fun,” said Randy.
Because of the generosity of donors and volunteers that make this work possible, wildfire survivors like Randy and Lisa have a home.
MAP International
MAP International offers hope for people whose lives are affected by a disaster, bringing medicines and health supplies when they are most needed.
Matthew 25: Ministries
Matthew 25: Ministries maintains continuous disaster readiness by monitoring emergencies around the world and preparing to respond whenever and wherever disaster strikes. Through search and rescue, emergency relief, long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts, Matthew 25: Ministries delivers critical assistance when it is needed most. Investments in preparedness ensure life-saving supplies and services can be deployed quickly, maximizing humanitarian impact and helping communities begin recovering sooner.
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
In Haiti, where a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in August 2021 led to more than 2,000 deaths and widespread destruction, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee continues to partner with civil society organizations on the ground despite dwindling international media attention. They are able to pursue advocacy and grantmaking initiatives to not only provide immediate assistance, but also to advance Haiti’s political autonomy, bolster grassroots movements, and center racial justice and decolonization initiatives in their long-term efforts to rebuild the nation.
These organizations demonstrate that effective disaster response starts long before a crisis makes headlines. Their ability to act quickly is made possible by donors who support preparedness, readiness, and long-term recovery efforts year-round. As disasters continue to affect communities around the world, your support helps ensure these trusted organizations can respond when it matters most and continue helping people rebuild long after the emergency has passed.
Make a difference today:
- Donate to our Emergency Relief Fund.
- Support these charities through your workplace giving program.
Thank you Americares, Direct Relief, United Methodist Committee on Relief, World Vision, UNICEF USA, Food For The Poor, International Medical Corps, Project HOPE, The Salvation Army World Service Office, World Food Program USA, International Relief Teams, MAP International, Matthew 25: Ministries, and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee for providing content for this blog.
