ENGLEWOOD,
Colo /PRNewswire/ -- The Western Union
Foundation today announced it has surpassed a major
milestone, donating more
than US$100 million in support to more than 2,700
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide support to
thousands of families and individuals in more than 135 countries
and territories.
The
Western Union Foundation works with a full spectrum of large global
NGOs to small local non-profits and charities worldwide including
UNICEF, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Pratham and others.
From
increasing global access to school and improving the quality of
education to providing relief and rebuilding efforts for families
and communities impacted by disasters worldwide, the Western Union
Foundation has supported charitable organizations dedicated to
providing a better future for individuals, families and communities
throughout the world (video).
"Western Union is in the business of enhancing the lives of
consumers by providing better ways to move money to their family,
friends and business partners in more than 200 countries and
territories," said Hikmet
Ersek, President and CEO, Western Union. "I am especially
proud to celebrate this milestone of the Western Union Foundation
with our Western Union Agents, employees and NGOs that have truly
helped the Foundation create a better world."
Patrick
Gaston, President, the Western Union Foundation, added, "We
are so proud to celebrate this milestone with organizations that
have partnered with us through the years to ensure the Foundation's
contributions are improving the lives of countless individuals
worldwide. This remarkable achievement says a great deal about
not only the power of
partnership with NGOs, small local non-profits, and charities
around the world, but the tireless support from the more than
500 Western Union Agents and thousands of Western Union employees
who gave their time and money to support our mission."
In
2013 and 2014, more than 72 percent of all Western Union employees,
or 7,580 employees across 53 countries, made a donation to the
Western Union Foundation. In addition, the Foundation has partnered
with hundreds of Western Union Agents and vendor partners to create
a true collaborative partnership instrumental in reaching this
milestone.
Education
Education plays a powerful role in changing people's lives for
better - translating into stronger, more resilient communities and
economies worldwide. These are the reasons why Western Union
and the Western Union Foundation established Education for
Better, a three-year commitment to education. Unveiled during
the launch of the UN Education First initiative
in September
2012, Education for Better leverages
Western Union shared value products and services, cause marketing,
advocacy, corporate and the Western Union Foundation strategic
philanthropy, employee engagement, and communications to support
secondary and vocational education programs around the world. To
date, the Western Union Education for Better, has
provided more than US$11.6
million to enhance education efforts for an estimated
500,000 students and teachers worldwide including:
"Teach
for All is proud to work with the Western Union Foundation to
expand educational opportunity across the globe," said Wendy
Kopp, President and CEO, Teach for All. "The
Foundation has been a tremendous supporter of Teach For All's
efforts globally and also with our regional network through
financial support, employment engagement, and volunteer
activities. We congratulate them on achieving such a
momentous milestone."
Disaster Relief
& Emergency Situations
When a
natural disaster strikes and emergencies happen, the Western Union
Foundation works with numerous relief organizations to help
individuals and families rebuild their lives. To date, the
Foundation has supported more than 140 disaster relief operations
in 65 countries worldwide, including:
"Save
the Children's need to respond to any disaster anywhere across the
globe requires strong supporters and resources to ensure that we
are supporting children and their families, immediately after the
disaster strikes, straight through recovery,"
said Carolyn
Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children.
"Without the support of the Western Union Foundation, we would not
have been able to make the greatest impact for children and
families in need. We congratulate the Foundation in reaching
the $100M mark
and look forward to collaborating with them in the future."
About The Western Union Foundation
The
Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world,
where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is
not just a privilege for the few but a right for all. Through
its signature program, Education for Better, and with the support
of The Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business
partners, The Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision
by supporting education and disaster relief efforts as pathways
toward a better future. Our combined social ventures efforts
make life better for individuals, families and communities around
the world. Since its inception, The Western Union Foundation
has paid more than$101.1million in
grants and other giving. These funds have been pledged to
more than 2,739 nongovernmental organizations in more than 135
countries and territories. The Western Union Foundation is a
separate section501(c)(3)
recognized United States charity. To learn more,
visit www.westernunionfoundation.org,
or follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.
Photo
- http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150506/8521502893