Western Union Foundation Aids 200,000 People in 33 Countries with Career & COVID-19 Support in 2020

The Western Union Foundation today announced it invested more than USD 6 million to impact 200,000 people in 33 countries – funding training, education, and other workforce initiatives for migrants, refugees, and international students, as well as for disaster and COVID relief. In its 2020 Global Philanthropic Impact Report the Foundation highlights the impact created by community activation and calls on the global community to take further action to connect underserved populations to economic opportunity as the world begins early-stage recovery from a COVID-disrupted global economy.

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2020 also marked the first full year of the Western Union Foundation’s signature ‘Opportunity Beyond Borders’ commitment, a three-year, USD 15 million investment to provide migrant and refugee young adults with tools, network, and resources to gain sustainable employment.

“I’m proud of all the ways Western Union responded to COVID in 2020, including through our philanthropy,” said President and CEO Hikmet Ersek. “Both our Company and our Foundation advanced our shared goals of funding migrant integration through job skilling, scholarships, and disaster prevention and relief.”

“The last year has only reiterated the need—and deepened our commitment—to help forcibly and economically displaced people find substantial jobs and decent wages,” said Foundation Executive Director Elizabeth Roscoe. “In turn, these workers help build economies everywhere by establishing businesses, creating jobs and promoting cross-border commerce. Our ability to make these positive impacts is only possible through the enduring support of many organizations and people, including Western Union employees. We’re so thankful for them and for our corporate donors, who consistently step up to support our efforts worldwide.”

In 2020, 64% of Western Union employees contributed money and volunteer time to causes including the Foundation’s mission, totaling nearly $2 million in charitable donations.

Major corporate donors to the Foundation, in addition to Western Union, include Wells Fargo, Grant Thornton, Cognizant, McKinsey & Company, HCL Technologies, TATA Consultancy Services, and MediaHub.

To learn about the impact to people and partners made in the past year, Western Union Foundation shares heartfelt stories in video format on its newly launched website.

About the Western Union Foundation

The Western Union Foundation believes that education is the surest pathway to economic opportunity. After 20 years of impact, we continue to deliver on our mission with Opportunity Beyond Borders, focused on empowering forcibly displaced and marginalized youth with the training and education needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven global economy. The Foundation also provides funding for humanitarian efforts for communities in crisis and disaster, one key reason for forced migration. To date, we have funded more than $131 million for projects and scholarships. The Western Union Foundation is a separate, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable corporation and receives support from The Western Union Company, its employees, agents, and business partners. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible for U.S. income tax purposes. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.

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Contact information

Media Contact:
Rachel Rogala, Western Union
Rachel.Rogala@wu.com