Western Union Employee Engagement is Focus of Grant Giving
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Western Union Foundation today announced that it gave more than $2.7
million to 63 charitable organizations in 21 countries during the first
six months of 2012. The grants advance the Western Union Foundation’s
key giving priorities, with the overall goal of creating economic
opportunity around the world, or providing relief in the face of natural
disasters.
Western Union employees played an instrumental role in identifying the
non-profit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that received
Foundation support. Employees who volunteer with the organizations and
who participate in the Foundation’s partnership with the innovative
Ashoka Executive-in-Residence program recommended half of the
non-profits that received funding.
“Around the world, Western Union employees unselfishly spend time making
a difference in their communities. They do it as individuals, with their
families, and as work groups because they are motivated to make the
world a better place,” said Luella Chavez D’Angelo, senior vice
president, Western Union Social Ventures and president, Western Union
Foundation. “Their commitment and first-hand knowledge of the
communities we serve, allows us to identify and fund extraordinary
organizations that are helping people better their lives.”
Engaged Employees Influence Grant Giving
Since 2010, several of the company’s senior leaders have been selected
each year to participate in the Western Union Ashoka
Executive-in-Residence program. This skills-based volunteering and
leadership-training program gives company executives an opportunity to
drive meaningful social change by sharing their skills and talents while
working full-time, on-site for two weeks with a partner NGO. The Western
Union Foundation contributed $10,000 grants each to several
organizations, including the following, which benefited from the
expertise provided by Western Union executives in 2011:
Projecto Quixote in Brazil rehabilitates drug addicted and
exposed adolescents, helping them develop skills to transition back into
the mainstream as financially independent and contributing members of
their communities.
Comitê para a Democratização da Informática in Brazil works to
transform lives and strengthen communities by empowering people through
information and communication technology.
Drishtee Foundation in India facilitates Financial Inclusion
through Rural Entrepreneurs. The project links entrepreneurs, banks that
provide critical funding, and technology companies that offer necessary
technical support. It also provides financial literacy assistance and
technical training.
Going to School Trust in India invests in young, aspiring
entrepreneurs who are living in poverty. The NGO works with them to
pioneer enterprises that solve problems where they live, generate income
and create jobs.
Employees Gather to Support Causes
Western Union encourages employee volunteerism at all levels by offering
paid time off for volunteering, and matching employee volunteer hours
with cash donations. During June and July, teams of employees around the
world stepped out of their offices and into their communities as part of
a global volunteer campaign, Volunteering for Better. As a direct
result of employee involvement, grants were given to programs in
Lithuania and the Asia Pacific region, including:
Children Support Centre in Lithuania provides educational support
through volunteer mentoring, along with multidisciplinary psychological
and social support for children and their families.
Give2Asia is a unique initiative which Western Union is
leveraging as a channel for engaging employees with NGOs. Employees
throughout the Asia Pacific region are given a direct voice in selecting
organizations that will receive grants. Four NGOs receiving donations
include: HOPE Worldwide in Hong Kong; Assist in India; Balete
Farm School in the Philippines and the Junctions Work in
Australia.
Western Union employees not only demonstrate exceptional levels of
engagement by volunteering in their communities, they also support the
work of the Western Union Foundation through their generous donations.
Each year, the Foundation conducts an annual giving campaign and
employees answer the call for support with a resounding yes. In 2011,
nearly 60 percent of the company’s 8,000 employees contributed to the
Western Union Foundation – a figure that exceeds most corporate giving
campaigns in the U.S.
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. 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 awarded more than $81.7
million in grants to more than 2,551 nongovernmental organizations in
more than 124 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment
services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western
Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union
provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient
ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to
purchase money orders. As of June 30, 2012, the Western Union, Vigo and
Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network
of approximately 510,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and
territories. In 2011, The Western Union Company completed 226 million
consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $81 billion of
principal between consumers, and 425 million business payments. For more
information, visit www.westernunion.com.
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Source: Western Union