Irving, Texas - July 16, 2012 - The Aidmatrix Foundation today announced that it is partnering with the Microsoft Disaster Response team to launch a new online program to highlight the latest information and needs of relief organizations during times of disaster called "Notes from the Ground." The program will focus on collecting and sharing the latest information, stories, video, and images from relief organizations on the ground and on publishing an inventory of items and resources that are needed by the relief community in real-time. The program, which has been created using Microsoft's Disaster Response Incident Portal and the Local Impact Map, is built on Microsoft Windows Azure and Aidmatrix' SCM4Giving™ platform.
The "Notes from the Ground" program will be activated during major disasters. It will be accessible through the Microsoft Disaster Response website, as well as Microsoft's network of web-based communication vehicles such as MSN.com, MSNBC.com, Bing, Microsoft.com, Windows Live, and Microsoft's social media outlets. Visitors will be sent to the Disaster Response Incident Portal, which features a number of resources and ways to help at the time of a disaster. Aidmatrix will help administer the program and provide the live feeds of needs posted by relief organizations through their SCM4Giving platform.
The Local Impact Map, which was recently made available to nonprofits by Microsoft, will display geo-located stories, photos and videos from the relief organizations active in the affected areas. Visitors will be able to read first-hand accounts of relief efforts and discover what is needed to support those efforts on the ground.
Additionally, as relief organizations publish public requests for needed items through Aidmatrix' web-based donations management applications, these requests will be made instantly visible on the Microsoft Disaster Response Incident Portal through the SCM4Giving NeedsFeed. The NeedsFeed, similar to a newsfeed, enables a live data feed of publicly-available requests so that the public can view what is precisely needed, including the quantity, location, and requesting organization. It then directly connects the donor online with the requesting organization so that high-quality matching donations can be made. The relief organizations providing local information are all pre-qualified. Aidmatrix partners with more than 40,000 nonprofit, corporate and government relief agencies worldwide who can benefit from this work to connect more donors, volunteers and responders during times of disaster.
"When a disaster occurs there are many challenges facing relief organizations," stated Molly Bull, Senior Communications Manager, Microsoft Operations, Governance, Risk Management, & Compliance and Disaster Response. "Getting the latest information on conditions on the ground and getting the right resources to where they're needed is essential. By working with Aidmatrix we can help alert people to critical needs during a disaster and keep the public informed and empowered in their giving."
"Aidmatrix is working with Microsoft to increase visibility and connectivity during times of disasters. Everything is so hectic during disaster recovery, that by making communication and data sharing easier, more time can be spent in other areas of the recovery effort," stated Melis Jones, Vice President of Programs at Aidmatrix. For more information, visit www.aidmatrix.org.
