Over the last twenty years, every major disaster has shown the same failure. The systems built to coordinate responders are inadequate.
Search and rescue teams duplicate efforts while entire communities go unseen. Information blasts on social media become stale and confusing.
Without a coordination layer, volunteers, nonprofits, and responding agencies are hindered from doing what they do best.
Disasters Are Accelerating
Communities are hit with disaster while they are recovering from a previous one. The frequency and severity keep increasing.
The Safety Net Is Shrinking
$4.5B in pre-disaster grants canceled, but restored after 22 states sued in federal court. $14.6B disaster relief shortfall still looms.
The Response Is a Mess
After Helene, 175+ nonprofits applied for disaster assistance while operating in siloed systems with no shared situational awareness.
The Help Exists
People respond. They always do. But they are overwhelmed.
Citizens
Three out of four people turn to neighbors before any agency.⁶ People with trucks clear roads. Nurses triage on front porches.
Organizations
Small nonprofits manage thousands of requests on spreadsheets. Faith-based groups self-organize through group chats. Everyone responds.
Emergency Services
85% of state emergency agencies cite infrastructure limitations.⁷ Working with tools from a different era.
The Solution
The Coordination Loop
SOS connects existing relief efforts, creating a seamless network of help that makes disaster response faster, more efficient, and more effective for everyone.
We discovered that the instinct to help is always there. What's missing is a system.
