Urgent DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal: How Businesses Can Make a Lifesaving Difference
Written By: Kate Hillier
Over the past year, conflict in the Middle East has devastated lives across the region, displacing millions of people who have fled their homes in search of safety. Right now, millions of people across Gaza, Lebanon, and the wider region are in urgent need of food, shelter, and medical care.
In Gaza, people are dying from hunger, disease, and conflict-related injuries. Food and clean water are desperately scarce, with 90% of the population displaced and over 44,000 lives lost. In Lebanon, more than a million people have been forced to leave their homes in recent weeks. Shelters are overwhelmed, and hospitals are struggling to treat the injured.
Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) member charities are responding right now, delivering lifesaving food, water, shelter, and medicine across Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. But they urgently need more funds to meet the enormous levels of need.
This is where your business can make a real difference.
How Work for Good is Partnering with the DEC to Help Businesses Support the Appeal
At Work for Good, we believe businesses - no matter their size - can be a force for good. In partnership with the DEC, we’ve made it easy for businesses to contribute to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal through sales donations. By donating a portion of your sales, your business can directly support DEC’s life-saving work in the region.
But what does this actually look like in practice? Below, we’ll explain everything you need to know to get involved.
What is a CPA (Commercial Participation Agreement)?
A CPA is a necessary legal agreement that allows businesses to donate a portion of their sales to a charity. It offers a structured and compliant way to support causes aligned with your company’s mission.
CPAs often look like this: [business] will donate [x% or x£] of a [product or service] to [charity] from [date] to [date].
Traditional CPA agreements are time consuming, complex and costly which has resulted in charities having to turn down partnership opportunities with SMEs, and smaller businesses with time and financial constraints being unable to enter into them altogether.
For context, less than 5% of SMEs in the UK currently donate to charity through sales donations, compared to almost 60% in the USA. If just 0.5% of annual revenue from UK SMEs was donated, that would be an extra £1 billion in funding for charities.
How Does It Work?
At Work for Good, we’ve digitised the process of setting up a CPA to make it easier for businesses to donate through their sales. Here’s how it works:
- Sign up with Work for Good.
- Create a simple, CPA agreement donating a portion of your sales to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal.
- Promote your campaign: Let your customers know that every purchase they make supports the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal and helps save lives.
- Make an impact: At the end of your campaign, your donation will be transferred to the DEC through Stripe, and you’ll receive a confirmation for your records.
It’s that easy. No paperwork, minimal admin, just a straightforward way to make a difference.
What Are the Benefits for My Business?
By donating through Work for Good, your business isn’t just helping those in need, you’re also creating positive ripple effects within your own company and community. Here’s how:
1. Build Brand Trust and Loyalty
Customers today want to know that the companies they support are committed to making a difference. By donating a portion of your sales to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, you’re showing your customers that you stand for more than just profit - you’re using your business to help others.
2. Boost Sales with a Purpose
Giving back can inspire customers to make a purchase they might otherwise have delayed. When you promote that their purchase also contributes to a good cause they feel part of something bigger.
3. Inspire Your Team
Aligning your business with a meaningful cause can boost employee morale and create a stronger sense of purpose within your team. It shows that your business cares about global issues and empowers your employees to be part of that impact.
4. Simplified, Legal Giving
Using a CPA through Work for Good means that all the legal work is taken care of for you, so you can focus on running your business while knowing your donations are being handled properly.
5. Easy way to integrate Environmental, Social and Governance impact into business operations
Work for Good offers a straightforward way to contribute to social causes, ensure compliance and transparency, and strengthen your social responsibility efforts. Whether it's responding to urgent humanitarian appeals or supporting ongoing charitable efforts, Work for Good enables businesses to align their operations with ESG values, creating positive outcomes for both society and for your business.
Is My Business Too Small to Make a Difference?
Absolutely not! At Work for Good, we work with businesses of all sizes, from solo entrepreneurs to larger companies. Every donation, no matter the amount, contributes to the collective effort to provide life-saving aid to those in need. Even small percentages of sales can make a big difference when combined with other businesses joining the cause.
Get Involved Today
The conflict has affected millions across the region but DEC charities are on the ground saving lives right now, and they are ready to act wherever the needs are greatest. For more information on how and where DEC member charities are responding, please visit dec.org.uk.
By donating a portion of your sales through Work for Good, you’re not just contributing financially - you’re making a tangible impact on real lives, showing that businesses can be a force for good in the world.
Join us in supporting the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal today. Sign up with Work for Good and start donating through your sales to help save lives.
