When Businesses and Humanitarian Organizations Work Together Effectively

By Charles McJilton, Researcher / Collaborator for APAC, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative

March 11, 2026 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster—events collectively known as the Tohoku triple disaster. In the days immediately following the disaster, the organization I led was inundated with calls from companies wanting to help. Many asked the same question: “What exactly do you need?” The honest answer was that in those first chaotic days, we were still trying to build the information picture that would guide the response.

Generosity came quickly, but information moved much more slowly. In some cases, offers of aid made early in the response took weeks or months to organize and transport internationally. By the time several shipments finally arrived in Japan, community needs had already shifted. Six months after the disaster, twelve 40-foot containers of donated goods arrived that we ultimately could not distribute locally. Rather than allow those supplies to go unused, we redirected them to the Philippines where they could still serve communities in need.

That experience underscored an important lesson in humanitarian logistics: good intentions alone are not enough. Effective collaboration between businesses and humanitarian organizations requires preparation, shared understanding, and timely information.

Over the years, I have come to believe that three factors are particularly important in improving how the private sector and humanitarian organizations work together: understanding the differences between humanitarian and commercial supply chains, developing formal partnerships before disasters occur, and establishing frameworks for sharing data.

Understanding Humanitarian Supply Chains

At a fundamental level, supply chains—whether commercial or humanitarian—exist to match available resources with needs through a series of coordinated actions. Yet the way this process unfolds in disaster response differs significantly from the commercial environment.

Humanitarian supply chains typically move through three phases.

The first phase is push. Immediately after a disaster, relief supplies are sent rapidly to affected areas or nearby staging locations. At this stage, responders have limited information about specific needs on the ground. Aid is therefore based on reasonable assumptions about what people require—food, water, medical supplies, and shelter materials. The priority is speed rather than precision.

The second phase is call forward. As responders gain better situational awareness, field teams begin requesting supplies based on direct observations of community needs. Feedback from the ground begins shaping logistics decisions, allowing organizations to refine what is being delivered and where.

Finally, the response moves toward pull. At this stage, supplies are requested and moved through the supply chain based on clearly identified needs from communities themselves. Information becomes more detailed, allowing aid to be delivered with greater precision.

Interestingly, these dynamics have parallels in commercial supply chains. When a company launches a new product, it may initially push inventory through distribution channels in anticipation of demand. As retailers provide feedback on sales patterns, the company receives call-forward signals about what is needed. Eventually, demand stabilizes and production shifts toward a pull model driven by consumer demand.

Understanding these similarities—and differences—helps companies better interpret what they see during a disaster response. When humanitarian organizations shift from push to call forward, or quickly move toward pull, it should not be interpreted as a rejection of assistance. Rather, it reflects the natural evolution of emergency operations as better information becomes available.

Preparing Partnerships Before Disasters

A second key lesson is the importance of building relationships before disasters occur.

Too often, partnerships between businesses and humanitarian organizations begin only after a crisis has already happened. At that moment, everyone is operating under severe time pressure, legal uncertainty, and incomplete information. Decisions that should ideally take weeks to develop are compressed into hours.

One practical way to address this challenge is through memorandums of understanding (MOUs) or framework agreements established before emergencies occur.

These agreements do not necessarily commit companies to providing aid or services. Instead, they create a shared understanding of how organizations could work together if a disaster strikes.

For example, an MOU might outline:

• How emergency purchases could be made quickly


• Conditions under which donations might occur


• Transportation or warehousing support a company could provide


• Key points of contact in both organizations


• Legal considerations related to liability and distribution

The goal is not to predict every possible scenario, but to create a framework that allows both sides to move quickly when time matters most.

Equally important, formal agreements move partnerships beyond purely personal relationships. In many cases, collaboration begins because someone in a humanitarian organization happens to know someone in a company. While these connections are valuable, they can disappear when individuals change roles.

MOUs help institutionalize partnerships so that cooperation does not depend solely on personal networks.

The Importance of Data Sharing

The third factor that can significantly improve collaboration is the sharing of data.

Humanitarian organizations rely heavily on information to plan their operations. Accurate data helps determine what assistance is needed, where it should go, and how it should be delivered. Without reliable information, logistics decisions become much more difficult.

For companies, however, sharing operational data can raise legitimate concerns. Supply chain information may contain commercially sensitive details, and organizations may worry about how that information will be used.

For collaboration to succeed, there must be clear frameworks that allow companies to share relevant data while protecting their interests.

These frameworks might include:

• Confidentiality agreements governing how information is used


• Standardized formats for sharing data


• Secure platforms for transferring information


• Clear protocols identifying who can access and manage the data

Ideally, these arrangements should also be incorporated into pre-disaster agreements such as MOUs.

Just as important as the legal framework is the operational process. When a disaster occurs, organizations need practical mechanisms for transferring information quickly. This may involve simple tools such as spreadsheets or standardized reporting formats, or more advanced digital systems that allow real-time information sharing.

The specific technology matters less than ensuring that information can move quickly and reliably between partners when decisions must be made.

Working Together More Effectively

Disaster response will always involve uncertainty and complexity. Yet stronger collaboration between businesses and humanitarian organizations can significantly improve outcomes.

When companies understand how humanitarian supply chains operate, establish partnerships before disasters occur, and participate in trusted systems for sharing data, they are far better positioned to contribute effectively.

Humanitarian organizations, in turn, gain access to the expertise, infrastructure, and logistics capabilities that the private sector can provide.

Most importantly, affected communities benefit from faster, more coordinated responses—ensuring that the right assistance reaches the right people at the right time.