Deluxe Corporation Foundation Gifts $250,000 to American Red Cross to Help Small Businesses, Schools, Organizations Prepare for Disasters

The Deluxe Corporation Foundation today announced a contribution of $250,000 to the American Red Cross Ready Rating program to help businesses, schools and organizations prepare for disasters.

The Insurance Information Institute reports that up to 40 percent of businesses fail following a natural or man-made disaster. According to a 2012 Red Cross survey, 50 percent of small businesses reported that they do not have a business continuity plan in place. In response to these findings, the Red Cross developed the Ready Rating program, a free, web-based platform that assists members in assessing their current level of disaster preparedness. Ready Rating also provides tools, tips and best practices to help improve their level of preparedness.

“The Red Cross Ready Rating program is an excellent example of an initiative that is a natural fit for the Deluxe Foundation to support,” explained Lee Schram, CEO of the Deluxe Corporation and President of the Deluxe Corporation Foundation. “Small businesses often overlook the need to prepare for the unknown, so programs like Ready Rating are essential to include in every small business toolkit.”

The Deluxe Corporation Foundation focuses on long-term solutions that help people, business and communities thrive and grow. Since 1954, the Foundation has donated nearly $100 million to charitable organizations. The donation to the Red Cross continues the Deluxe Foundation’s long-term commitment to the organization, and marks one of the larger donations made during the year.

“The Foundation annually donates $100,000 to the Red Cross to help prepare for potential disasters. Investing in the Ready Rating program aligns with our goals because it supports and strengthens communities, businesses and schools that may not otherwise be prepared for a natural disaster,” said Jenny Anderson, director of the Deluxe Corporation Foundation.

Since its U.S. launch in 2011, Ready Rating has nearly 11,000 member businesses, organizations and schools. FEMA estimates that for each dollar invested in disaster risk reduction, approximately $4 in post-disaster response and recovery costs could be saved. Eighty percent of members reported that the Ready Rating helped their organization improve its preparedness. Of members affected by disaster, nearly 70 percent reported that the actions they took as a result of the program helped them reopen more quickly.

“Support from the Deluxe Foundation is critical to our ability to build resilient communities,” said Phil Hansen, CEO of the American Red Cross Minnesota Region. “Their very generous donation will help solidify the Ready Rating program in this region and across the country, ensuring organizations of all sizes are able prepare for and recover when disaster strikes.”

About the Deluxe Corporation Foundation
The Deluxe Corporation Foundation is a grant-giving institution that has partnered with educational, cultural and human service nonprofit organizations for more than 50 years to enrich the communities of Deluxe Corporation employees. An independent 501(c)(3) organization, the Deluxe Corporation Foundation has received funding from Deluxe Corporation to support its mission of giving back to the communities it serves.

About Deluxe Corporation
Deluxe is a growth engine for small businesses and financial institutions. More than four and a half million small business customers access Deluxe’s wide range of products and services including customized checks and forms, as well as web-site development and hosting, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, and logo design. For financial institutions, Deluxe offers industry-leading programs in checks, customer acquisition and loyalty, fraud prevention and profitability and financial technology solutions including receivables management. Deluxe is also a leading printer of checks and accessories sold directly to consumers. For more information, visit us at www.deluxe.com, www.facebook.com/deluxecorp or www.twitter.com/deluxecorp.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.