Minnesota-based companies joined individual Americans and groups in an immediate outpouring of donations to international aid agencies responding to last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti.

With existing charitable foundations in place, Target and General Mills, responded within the first 36 hours with announcements of cash donations. And much of the initial news coverage focused on Minnesota-based community organizations with operations in Haiti trying to coordinate their efforts. 

But with new reports describing the massive dimensions of the crisis, other companies announced not just cash, but responses matching their capabilities with the needs in the rebuilding process.

By the weekend, just three days after the earthquake struck, a quick look at the largest Minnesota companies showed pledges in excess of $2 million in cash and additional non-cash help.

Here is a quick rundown:

• Pentair is donating $200,000 in portable water treatment systems and related supplies. They are shipping 10 Living Water Treatment Systems and five chlorinators that can provide safe drinking water to about 100,000 people daily. Pentair’s charitable partner, Water Missions International, will install and operate the systems in Haiti.

• Fridley-based Medtronic, through its foundation, pledged $100,000 for the rebuilding of community health clinics in Haiti and up to an additional $50,000 to match employee donations.  Employees worldwide also are offered five days of paid leave to assist in recovery efforts.

• Ecolab said it will contribute $500,000 of cleaning and sanitation products, including hand sanitizers and surface sanitizers, and will match employee contributions to the Red Cross up to a total of $25,000, through its foundation.

• U.S. Bank will donate $100,000 to the American Red Cross and said that it will also refund fees for remittances to Haiti from any U.S. Bank branch through February. In addition, the U.S. Bancorp Foundation will match employee contributions made to eligible U.S. charities. 

• UnitedHealth Group said it donated $100,000 to the Red Cross’ International Response Fund, and will match up to $50,000 in employee contributions to the charity Global Impact. In addition, Optum Health, UnitedHealth Group’s health and wellness business, is providing a free emotional-support help line (1-866-342-6892) for people in the United States who may have relatives or friends in Haiti. Staffed by experienced behavioral health specialists, the help line offers assistance to callers seeking help in dealing with stress, anxiety and the grieving process.

• Richfield-based Best Buy is donating $100,000 to the International Red Cross and an additional $100,000 to Mercy Corps, a strategic Best Buy partner through the Clinton Global Initiative and the Best Buy Children's Foundation, for both immediate and long-term technology and infrastructure rebuilding in Haiti.

• Plymouth-based Mosaic Corp. is contributing $500,000 split evenly among four organizations — Canadian Red Cross, American Refugee Committee, American Red Cross and International Red Cross — and will match employee contributions.

• One of the first to announce aid, Target Corp. last Thursday said that it will donate $500,000 to the American Red Cross’s International Response Fund and has launched an effort with volunteer employees working with The Fair School in Minneapolis to help prepare 1 million meals for earthquake victims.

• General Mills also announced Thursday that its foundation  will donate $100,000 to the American Red Cross’s International Response Fund and $150,000 to CARE International for long-term rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

• Maplewood-based 3M Co., through its foundation, will match employee contributions up to $100,000.

• While not the largest, the Minnesota Vikings are among the most visible organizations in the state, particularly during the playoff season. The team partnered with the Salvation Army, which operates schools, clinics, a hospital, feeding programs, children's homes and church-related activities through some 60 Corps community centers across the country. The organization was allowed to collect money in their recognizable kettles before Sunday’s Vikings-Dallas Cowboys game and raised more than $7,500 in two hours at eight gates at the Metrodome.

“It was fantastic,” said Kelsey Mattison, annual fund manager for the Northern Division, who described attendees as “very, very generous. Normally, we raise about $35 an hour per site and here we averaged more than $470 per hour.”