GE pledges $2.5 million to Haiti earthquake relief

In response to the recent tragedy in Haiti, GE announced a company-wide US$2.5 million commitment to support relief and recovery efforts in the region. To date, grants from the GE Foundation have been made to the American Red Cross for US$1 million and to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for US$500,000. GE's contributions to both organizations will provide immediate support to emergency response efforts and bring needed relief to the millions of impacted Haitians.

To ensure the highest quality of impact, GE will work with its partners on the ground to assess response efforts and determine next steps to help restore infrastructure and services to the impacted areas.

In addition to this commitment, the GE Foundation – the philanthropic organization of GE – is supporting the charitable efforts of GE employees and retirees with a 100% match of funds to qualified relief organizations. The GE Foundation created the concept of a corporate matching gift program in 1954 to support employees in their personal philanthropy by providing a dollar-for-dollar match. In addition to disaster relief efforts, the program supports employee gifts in areas such as social services, disease research, environmental organizations, hospitals, museums and more.

“Recognizing the overwhelming blow this disaster has brought to the Haitian people and the country’s infrastructure, GE is committed to help the region in this critical time of need,” said Bob Corcoran, vice president of GE Foundation. “The generosity and activation of our employees is inspiring and the GE Foundation is proud to match their philanthropic efforts.”

With an active history of support to disaster relief efforts around the world, GE remains committed to assisting those in need.