As leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly this past week, discussions repeatedly returned to the importance of preparedness, resilience, and cross-sector collaboration in an increasingly uncertain world. Among them was a closed-door conversation convened by Economist Enterprise and the Institute of Philanthropy on the role businesses can play in helping communities prepare for, withstand, and recover from crises.

 

Drawing on new Economist Enterprise research supported by IoP, the discussion began from an encouraging finding. Businesses already respond, almost universally, when disaster strikes. The opportunity is to turn that strong initial response into sustained support for recovery and resilience.

 

Businesses respond. Sustaining that engagement is harder.

An average of 99% of the 1,617 executives surveyed across 14 markets in Asia and the Middle East said their organisations mobilise some form of immediate crisis response. Engagement falls as communities move into recovery, however, with an average of 22% remaining involved in long-term resilience and prevention efforts.

 

This is rarely a question of goodwill. Cost, competing priorities, and the absence of established systems can make support difficult to sustain once the immediate emergency has passed. Companies need clear responsibilities, suitable partners, and a practical understanding of what they can continue contributing as community needs change.

 

The most useful contributions build on what a business already does well.

Businesses can create distinctive value by applying their everyday capabilities to needs that others cannot readily meet. Depending on the company, that may include logistics networks, data, technology, manufacturing capacity, financial tools, or specialist expertise. It may also involve helping suppliers reopen, restoring local economic activity, or keeping essential services operating.

 

These capabilities remain underused. Only 13% of surveyed businesses routinely deploy their products and services during crises, 11% contribute skilled employees, and 9% provide leadership or coordination support.

 

The figures point to practical room for growth. A contribution should reflect local needs and draw on something the company can deliver well. That alignment can also make engagement easier to sustain by connecting crisis support with the company’s expertise, operations, and long-term interests.

 

Coordination turns willingness into useful action.

Businesses may be ready to help without knowing what affected communities need most. Governments, community organisations, and humanitarian actors may not have a clear view of the capabilities companies can mobilise. This can lead to duplicated effort in some areas and unmet needs in others.

 

Stronger connections are needed between those who understand conditions on the ground and those with resources and expertise to contribute. Bringing businesses into these conversations before a crisis allows partners to build trust, clarify responsibilities, and identify capabilities that can be mobilised quickly. A specific request linked to an identified need is easier to act upon than a general appeal for support.

 

The response to the 2025 Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po illustrates this principle. Working in close coordination with the Hong Kong SAR government and NGO partners, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust contributed funding, capabilities, and established networks to support both immediate relief and longer-term recovery. The response showed how close coordination built on trust enables timely, organised, and sustained action.

 

Capabilities built in one crisis can strengthen resilience in the next.

As natural disasters, climate and health emergencies become more frequent and interconnected, preparedness is becoming an essential part of crisis engagement. The capabilities and relationships developed during one crisis can become the basis for resilience in the next, provided they are maintained and strengthened over time. Companies that build on those foundations will be better placed to respond effectively when future challenges arise.

 

Businesses have already shown that they will act when crises strike. The opportunity now is to prepare earlier, coordinate more closely, and contribute the capabilities they are best placed to provide throughout recovery. By doing so, they can help communities emerge stronger while reinforcing the partnerships and local economies on which their own resilience depends.