Media Contact
Samantha Kupferman, CoAction Global
s.kupferman@coactionglobal.org
NEW YORK – As the frequency, severity and cost of natural disasters grow, humanitarian needs are rising exponentially – endangering individual lives and livelihoods, and exposing the business community to costly disruption. The Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance, launched today as an initiative of nonprofit impact accelerator CoAction Global, will facilitate corporations in investing more strategically, predictably and effectively in humanitarian preparedness in advance of disasters.
A first-of-its-kind global platform, the PSHA is both a global community of corporate and humanitarian partners and an AI-enabled investment mechanism that enables companies to direct cash and in-kind resources toward proven resilience and preparedness programs.
“Natural disasters and climate shocks don’t just destroy communities, they also have a catastrophic impact on business operations, causing losses in the billions globally, and affecting infrastructure, suppliers, customers, employees, and the markets where companies operate and source,” said Google.org head Maggie Johnson. “Google.org is proud to support the Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance’s development and growth because the global corporate community has a responsibility to reinforce intentional resource allocation that protects both lives and businesses’ ability to do our work.”
With Google.org’s support, and in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the PSHA creates a shared infrastructure built on:
- Humanitarian intelligence – Monitoring and analysis of humanitarian risk
- Investment services – A pooled investment mechanism that aggregates corporate cash and in-kind contributions to match against a portfolio of humanitarian programs, addressing local and national needs
- Impact reporting – Investment summaries for corporate and philanthropic member investors that provide transparency, accountability, and measurable impact data into how resources are deployed and what results they achieve
“CoAction Global developed the Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance as a means to shift private-sector engagement from reactive contributions in the aftermath of disasters to proactive, data-driven investments that respond to specific community needs and strengthen resilience before crises strike,” said CoAction Global Executive Director Elizabeth Campbell. “By connecting global business capabilities with proven, trusted international humanitarian agencies, the PSHA reduces the risk and capacity barriers often limiting private-sector humanitarian action – and ensures that indispensable corporate resources can reach the local organizations best equipped to operationalize on-the-ground response.”
At launch, the PSHA’s initial investment portfolio focuses on anticipatory action programs developed by UN OCHA and IFRC across more than 25 countries. These frameworks use data, early-warning systems, and pre-agreed response plans to release assistance before predictable extreme weather events happen, such as hurricanes, droughts and floods.
“It’s so important that the private sector brings its resources, innovation and expertise to anticipatory action,” said Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). “Action taken before a hazard hits minimizes the impact on lives and livelihoods once the hazard happens, so investing early is good business sense.”
The PSHA has already attracted interest from corporations, humanitarian organizations, multilateral institutions, and philanthropic foundations seeking innovative approaches to preparedness and resilience.
“Anticipatory action is transforming the way humanitarian organizations respond to climate-related crises. The challenge is no longer proving that anticipatory action works, but mobilizing sufficient and predictable financing to deliver it at scale,” said Lisa Doughten, the Director of Financing and Outreach for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “The Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance creates an important pathway for businesses to help close that gap by directing resources into proven frameworks that already exist, enabling communities to act earlier, reduce humanitarian impacts, and protect lives and livelihoods before disaster strikes.”
Looking ahead, CoAction Global plans to expand the platform’s geographic reach, increase the number of corporate participants, grow investment portfolios beyond anticipatory action, and develop additional mechanisms that enable private-sector capital, services, and expertise to contribute to community resilience at scale.
CoAction Global invites interested companies to learn more and join a growing multi-stakeholder community reimagining humanitarian aid through foresight, partnership, and shared impact.
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About the Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance
The Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance (PSHA), with Google.org’s support, is a flagship initiative of CoAction Global that brings together corporations, humanitarian organizations, foundations, and local responders to invest in preparedness and resilience before disasters occur. Through pooled investment opportunities, humanitarian intelligence, in-kind matching, and impact reporting, the PSHA helps companies support communities facing climate shocks and natural disasters while strengthening economic resilience and business continuity. More information is available at CoActionGlobal.org/PSHA or by emailing PSHA@CoActionGlobal.org.
About CoAction Global
CoAction Global is an independent nonprofit impact accelerator that advances economic opportunity, drives community investment, and convenes partnerships to foster resilience, innovation, and sustainable development in some of the world’s most challenging contexts. Learn more at CoActionGlobal.org and on LinkedIn.