The Verizon Foundation enhanced its Disaster Incentive Program and will provide a 2:1 match on employee donations of $25 or more to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Under the program, the foundation will double employee donations of up to $1K per employee, so a donation of $1K by an employee would amount to a $2K donation by the Verizon Foundation for total of $3K to their designated agency.

Note: The Foundation’s disaster-relief program is open to Verizon employees throughout the world.

The campaign will run through November 15. The Foundation will match donations to American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

To ensure your donation of $25 or more is matched by the Verizon Foundation, please follow these steps:

• Log into Verizon Foundation Matching Gifts site.
• Once logged in, click on the Disaster Relief link found at the top of the page
• On the left side of the “My Disaster Relief Homepage,” click the “Create Application” button for the disaster relief agency to which you would like to make a donation
• Complete the Matching Gift application form
• Follow the steps on the system-generated “Click Here to Proceed With Your Donation” link to make your online credit-card donation to your selected agency

Program for Customers to Contribute

In addition, Verizon Wireless has implemented a mobile giving program for customers wanting to contribute to the relief efforts by making $10 donations to the American Red Cross via text messaging. Donating is easy — simply text a specific word to the organization’s designated short code.

• Red Cross: Text REDCROSS to 90999
• STORM to 80888 to give to the Salvation Army
• HUMANE to 80888 for the American Humane Association
• UWHC to 52000 to the United Way of Hudson County, N.J.

Verizon Wireless waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief donations, and 100 percent of each donation goes to the relief organization. For Verizon Wireless customers who pay monthly bills, their donations will appear on the next regular monthly bill. For customers using the company’s prepaid services, the donations will be taken from their prepaid balance. Donations made via text are not match by the Verizon Foundation’s Disaster Relief Incentive Program.

CWA Disaster Relief Fund: CWA’s Disaster Relief Fund is one resource to assist members who experience a financial hardship due to a natural disaster as declared by FEMA. The Fund may provide the member with a subsidy based on their essential losses associated with their primary home. Applications may be requested through your CWA Staff Representative.

Donations should be made out and mailed to:

CWA Disaster Relief – Hurricane Sandy Fund
Secretary-Treasurer’s Office
501 3rd St, NW
Washington, DC 20001