# Four lessons from Venezuela: Turning collective generosity into transformative, coordinated action

During [my deployment in Venezuela](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/recovery-venezuela-private-sector/) back in August, I focused on the transition between emergency response and recovery, which extended to resilience-building. However, rather than looking at this mission only through the lens of what we achieved, I wanted to share four lessons about what I learned about turning collective generosity into transformative, coordinated action:

- Turning generosity into impact
- Timing matters
- From donors to partners
- Leave capacity behind

## **1. Turn generosity into impact**

After a disaster, generosity comes quickly.

Companies want to help. Businesses can offer money, equipment, logistics, technology and expertise.

But good intentions do not always translate into impact.

What matters is not only **how much we give, but how well it connects to what communities actually need**. Without coordination, even generous contributions can be duplicated, create unnecessary costs or miss the moment when they are most needed.

## **2. Timing matters**

In the first days of a disaster, speed can save lives. But recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.

Around **80% of individual donations happen in the first week**, according to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, while recovery needs can last for years.

The funding gap tells the same story: in 2021, only **17% of early-recovery needs were funded**, down from 40% in 2015, according to the Global Humanitarian Assistance Report.

The lesson is not to give less. It is to **connect generosity to a longer-term vision**.

## **3. From donors to partners**

The private sector is more than a donor.

Venezuela did not lack willing donors. **The challenge was connecting them as long-term solution partners.**

The Private Sector Working Group brought together **53 organizations across nine private-sector segments**, helping identify where business capabilities could support recovery—from livelihoods and preparedness to education, data and circular economy.

The conversation shifted from *Who can donate?* to:

**What can we contribute—and how can we connect it to national recovery priorities?**

That is when the private sector becomes a **partner in recovery, resilience and development**.

One example was connecting UNDP, Construyendo Futuros, Revestimientos RV Venezuela, and Constructora Sambil to transform earthquake debris into reconstruction materials—recovering up to **92% of materials at around 30% of market cost**, while creating livelihood opportunities for affected communities.

## **4. Leave capacity behind**

The work was not only about addressing immediate needs. It was about building what could last.

The OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business Initiative (<span class="cbi-brand-name">CBI</span>) helped coordinate approximately **US$154,000 in relief supplies from Amazon**, strengthening local Civil Protection capacity. Honda Venezuela contributed **50 generators and 50 water pumps**, including future maintenance support.

At the same time, Promotora Social México, long term partner of <span class="cbi-brand-name">CBI</span> Mexico, mobilized **US$120,000 in humanitarian and technical assistance through UNDP Venezuela**, supporting the development of local capacities and the establishment of <span class="cbi-brand-name">CBI</span> Venezuela.

Initial consultations across the private sector, UN system, government, academia, and other stakeholders helped develop a preliminary coordination model and identify ACIDE as a prospective institution to lead and host the initiative, subject to validation and due diligence.

This is what makes a deployment meaningful.

It should not simply leave behind **a list of donations. It should leave behind relationships, knowledge, coordination mechanisms and stronger local capacity.**

Because when the next disaster comes, communities should not have to start from zero.

## **A safer future starts before the next emergency**

Resilience is not built only after a disaster.

It is built when businesses know how to work with humanitarian and government systems. When local institutions know where to turn for expertise. When information is shared before a crisis. And when contributions are aligned with needs—not just the urgency of the news cycle.

The willingness to help already exists.

Our responsibility is to turn **willingness into coordination, coordination into capacity, and capacity into resilience.**

Because ultimately, this work is about something very simple: **Ensuring** **people suffer less when the next disaster comes.**

And if the assistance we mobilize today also leaves behind stronger partnerships and greater capacity for tomorrow, then recovery becomes more than rebuilding what was lost.

**It becomes an opportunity to build a safer future… And in Venezuela, that journey is only beginning.**

*If you or an organization you’re affiliated to have made a contribution to the earthquake response or recovery in Venezuela, please reach out so we can make sure it’s reflected in our* [*contributions dashboard*](https://ven-eq.connectingbusiness.org/)*. And if you’re interested in getting engaged, reach out to* [*connectingbusiness@un.org*](mailto:connectingbusiness@un.org) *– that’s what we’re here for.*