Crisis response

Cisco Crisis Response (CCR) leverages Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships to securely connect and empower underserved and vulnerable populations in crisis. CCR is committed to closing the digital divide and works to create secure, connected, and resilient communities where everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to survive and thrive.

CCR’s approach is comprehensive and sustainable. We leverage Cisco’s expansive suite of global assets and resources and work with governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and emergency response partners to support crisis-affected communities with financial assistance, Cisco technology, hands-on network engineering support, and training opportunities.

CCR has four interrelated strategic pillars, with social impact at the center of all that we do:

• Incident response—Providing financial support, technology, and expertise to enable critical services during crises
• Technology solutions—Providing Cisco product through grants or loans, and in-person or remote technical support
• Capacity building—Developing capabilities of our CCR Community volunteers and partners through training, solutions consulting, and grantmaking
• Strategic partnerships—Working with partners including NGOs, governmental, and intergovernmental organizations to drive greater impact at scale

The CCR social innovation investment portfolio provides cash grants to nonprofit organizations developing early-stage technology-based solutions to improve outcomes for underserved and vulnerable populations. We support solutions that help to ensure equitable access to critical human needs including food, water, shelter, and disaster relief, and that can be scaled, replicated, and have a path to financial sustainability. The crisis response portfolio provides cash and product grants to organizations responding to natural disasters and humanitarian crises (including homelessness, mass displacement, and food and water insecurity). We have formed long-term partnerships with leading organizations at the forefront of these crises, including NetHope and Mercy Corps, to support the implementation of innovative digital solutions to connect and empower vulnerable communities around the world. CCR oversees Cisco’s commitment to addressing and preventing homelessness, including its partnership with Destination: Home in Santa Clara County, and is an official standby partner of the UN’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster and UNHCR’s Refugee Telecommunications Sector (RETS), committing Cisco technology, expertise and deployment capabilities to support refugee and humanitarian crises globally.

CCR also has a team of technical engineers, operations and logistics coordinators, and solutions architects dedicated to building and maintaining networks to support mission-critical humanitarian relief efforts. The group is supported by over 750 employee volunteers, known as the CCR Community. Cisco has responded to nearly 160 incidents in 64 countries since 2014.