How Companies Can Support Humanitarian Causes

How Companies Can Support Humanitarian Causes 

19 August 2025

Humanitarian crises around the world, whether driven by conflict, climate change, or natural disasters, affect millions of lives every year. For companies, supporting humanitarian causes is a gesture of values and an opportunity to engage employees, strengthen workplace culture, and make a tangible difference in the lives of people affected by crises. 

This year feels especially heavy. In their annual humanitarian needs analysis, OCHA (2024) estimated that 305.1 million people across 72 countries would need humanitarian assistance this year, requiring $47.4 billion in funding. From ongoing violence in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine, to wildfires across Europe and devastating floods in Pakistan and the US, these crises and the immense human suffering involved weigh heavily on the hearts of many.  

World Humanitarian Day, observed annually on 19th August, is a reminder that companies can embed compassion and social responsibility into their culture year-round by supporting humanitarian causes that are meaningful to their organisation. 

Why humanitarian causes matter in the workplace 

Corporate giving and social responsibility programs are important to employees and customers, who increasingly expect organisations to lead with purpose. Supporting humanitarian causes allows companies to: 

• Show values in action: Demonstrating that your business cares about people beyond profit. 

• Boost employee engagement: Employees feel more connected and motivated when they know their work supports something larger. 

• Build stronger teams: Working together for a shared cause fosters collaboration and purpose. 

Awareness days like World Humanitarian Day should serve as more than just a date in the calendar to consider once a year. Humanitarian support should reflect your organisation’s values and drive to support positive social impact year-round. That said, the awareness day can be a great mobiliser for companies to kick-start or strengthen their humanitarian initiatives. 

It’s also important to recognise that some humanitarian crises may be unfolding in regions connected to a company’s supply chains or business operations. This adds an additional layer of responsibility. Companies can ensure their practices do not inadvertently exacerbate existing crises by monitoring sourcing, labour conditions, and environmental impacts. For guidance on auditing your supply chain, you can use our guide here. 

Ways to engage your team in choosing causes to support 

The most effective giving programs are ones that employees feel part of. Here are some practical ways to bring your team into the process: 

• Encourage employee input to co-create impact: Invite employees to nominate and vote on humanitarian causes or organisations they’d like to support. This creates buy-in and ensures the causes resonate with your team. 

• Host awareness and learning sessions: Organise a lunch-and-learn, a virtual panel, or a resource share about current humanitarian challenges. Bringing in speakers from aid organisations that you support can help employees understand the impact of your actions. 

• Offer donation matching: Matching employee contributions sends clear message that your organisation cares about the cause, as well as doubling the impact. 

• Encourage volunteering: Creating opportunities for employees to give their time can be as powerful as monetary support. For example, you could connect with a local humanitarian non-profit to offer paid employee volunteering days. 

What to look for when choosing humanitarian causes to support 

When selecting organisations to support, here are some key considerations to guide your team’s decision-making: 

• Transparency and accountability: Choose charities that openly share their governance structure, financial reports, and details on how donations are used. Look for organisations with a clear breakdown of operational costs versus direct aid. The Charity Commission for England and Wales, Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and Scottish Charity Regulator can help. 

• Proven reputation: Established organisations with track records of effective aid delivery can be safer choices, but don’t overlook reputable grassroots groups that often have deep local connections. 

• Alignment with employee values: Whether it’s disaster relief, refugee assistance, healthcare access, or education, supporting causes your team feels passionate about creates a stronger engagement and longer-term commitment. 

• Local and global support: Consider supporting a mix of global humanitarian organisations and local non-profits. This allows your team to see impact both far away and closer to home. 

Building a culture of compassion 

Companies that weave compassion and giving into their culture provide the greatest impact. Some ideas to sustain momentum beyond awareness days include: 

• Partnering long-term with humanitarian organisations that align with company values 

• Exploring pro bono support or products that can aid humanitarian work 

• Setting up ongoing payroll giving programs with employee choice built in 

Every year, humanitarian crises caused by conflict, climate change, and natural disasters place millions of people in urgent need of support. While governments and NGOs lead the response, businesses can play a positive and impactful role by mobilising resources, raising awareness, and amplifying compassion. 

Our ESGmark® Key Dates Calendar brings together key environmental and social awareness days to help your organisation plan with purpose and turn awareness into action. You can download the calendar for free here. 

Sources: 

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “Global Humanitarian Overview 2025.” Dec. 2024.