NeedsList and TripAdvisor Join Forces to Aid Refugees Worldwide

In 2016, over fifty of the world’s largest companies stepped up to address the global refugee crisis. Some, like WeWork and Starbucks, committed to hire refugees, while others brought wifi to refugee camps and supported leading NGOs financially. Key stakeholders agree: private sector involvement is a key component of the long-term solution as the number of refugees continues to grow. And yet, companies struggle to identify longer term, innovative strategies to best support those displaced by war and and conflict with their own products and services.

NeedsList identified the importance of the private sector to our model early on, and today we’re thrilled to announce a partnership with the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor to help facilitate remote volunteer opportunities for the company’s Global Volunteer Month this June. This unique opportunity will enable hundreds of TripAdvisor employees from around the globe to provide immediate relief to refugees in need.

Companies want to help, but just don’t know how

After the launch of NeedsList on World Refugee Day in 2017, our team quickly realized that the needs on the ground were so vast, individuals alone could not meet them. We began to speak with representatives from private sector companies everywhere. When we heard them talk about how challenging it can be to know where to put their resources after a disaster strikes, it struck us that just like individuals, companies also want to support those in need, but often just don’t know how. Shortly after, we piloted branded lists for holiday giving to companies including 500 Startups and Xeneta and began to reach out to companies aligned with the Tent Partnership — an alliance mobilizing private sector engagement to improve the lives of people displaced globally.

TripAdvisor was one of the first companies to sign on to the White House pledge, and so it is not surprising to see their leadership yet again supporting innovation from the ground up. Through this partnership, refugee aid organizations will be provided access to TripAdvisor volunteers who will lend their skills in areas including technology, communications, and design. Projects include assisting in the creation of a radio app for refugees and migrants in Greece, interviewing refugee entrepreneurs in Uganda, and a number of website improvement projects across Europe.

“TripAdvisor is committed to providing aid to the refugee crisis and has teams of employees around the world who are passionate about solving critical social issues,” says Tali Golan, Director of Philanthropy and Inclusion at TripAdvisor. “NeedsList provides an innovative opportunity to connect our people to a custom list of remote volunteer opportunities that employees can participate in right from their computer screens to meet the urgent needs of refugees.”

TripAdvisor employees are expected to contribute more than 300 hours of direct volunteer time and $10,000 value in financial and supply resources to some of the most high impact organizations serving refugees on the NeedsList platform in ten countries.

Not your Grandpa’s Corporate Social Responsibility

Business as we know it is about incentives — “What’s in it for me?” The reality is that since the number of displaced people is expected to quadruple by 2050, supporting refugees is not just simple altruism, it’s smart business to position companies at the forefront of emerging markets. The private sector can support global challenges in multiple ways, bringing some of the world’s most innovative minds to the table. At NeedsList we aim to leverage the power of aggregating the many small acts and contributions of literally thousands of individuals and organizations to make a meaningful change.

We look forward to partnering with the team at TripAdvisor and to learn more about ways that the private sector can offer not just their funds, but their skills and services in order to support the needs of people displaced by conflict and climate change.

If your company is interested in learning more about how to support innovation to meet the needs of communities in crisis, please get in touch.