More Than $1.9 Million in Worldwide Grants Awarded in Second Quarter 2009

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jul 08, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Western Union Foundation today announced that it has awarded more than US$1.9 million in grants under Western Union's Our World, Our Family^(R) signature program.

Grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 19 countries include funding to promote microfinance in North India, to assist Vietnamese migrants in Taiwan through language acquisition classes, and to provide business guidance to owners of small farms in Bangladesh.

The Western Union Foundation collaborates with Western Union Agents on philanthropic giving through the Agent Giving Circles program. Western Union Agents are the face and voice of Western Union in the communities they serve and are well-placed to understand the needs of local consumers. Agent donations this quarter amounted to nearly US$600,000 and were matched dollar-for-dollar by the Foundation. Examples of the efforts these donations will fund include vocational programs for adolescents in Colombia, educational opportunities for ethnic minority students in the United States and the integration of immigrants in Belgium.

"Our Western Union Agent Giving Circles demonstrate the value of encouraging global philanthropy by combining resources to magnify the educational and economic development impact on communities around the world," says Luella Chavez D'Angelo, president, Western Union Foundation.

In addition, Mercy Corps continues to be a major Our World, Our Family^(R) NGO partner, and is focused on providing financial education, supporting migrant needs and developing entrepreneurs in six countries: China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States.

The Western Union Foundation's Family Scholarship program is a new initiative for migrants, immigrants and their families and is intended to help two members of the same family move up the economic ladder through education. Families in the U.S., Mexico, Jamaica, Kenya and the Philippines will benefit. Recipients include a single mother in California who will attend English classes while her daughter becomes the first in the family to attend college. Two brothers from Kenya will pursue their dreams to promote sustainable development in rural Kenya, with one brother working toward a degree in New York and the other brother attending university in Njoro, Kenya. Two Filipina sisters will also pursue university degrees, one in Korea and the other in Leyte, Philippines.

As previously announced, the Western Union Foundation, Western Union and its Agents launched the African Diaspora Marketplace with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which will boost economic opportunity and job creation in Sub-Saharan Africa through Diaspora-driven development. For more information about the call for business proposals, visit www.diasporamarketplace.org.

About the Western Union Foundation

Through Western Union's Our World, Our Family^(R) signature program, the Western Union Foundation supports initiatives to empower individuals, families and communities through access to better education and economic opportunity. Recognized by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy in 2009, the program is a five year, $50 million commitment reflecting the efforts made by Western Union employees, Agents and partners around the world. Since its inception, the Western Union Foundation has awarded almost $55 million in grants and disaster relief to over 1,870 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 100 countries. For more information, visit http://foundation.westernunion.com.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta and Pago Facil branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta operate through a combined network of more than 379,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories. Famous for its pioneering telegraph services, the original Western Union dates back to 1851. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

WU-G

WU-P

SOURCE: The Western Union Company

The Western Union Company
Anna Alejo, +1-720-332-3884
anna.alejo@westernunion.com