Partnering in philanthropy

Giving By Emily Larson Feb 22, 2021

The Western Union Foundation’s Partners in Philanthropy program invites agent entities of Western Union to join the Foundation’s charitable initiatives — doubling the impact of charitable investments on underserved communities. We have been proud to partner with dozens of agents over the years, in our collective effort to move the needle on the world’s most pressing social issues. The Western Union Foundation delivers on our mission of Opportunity Beyond Borders, providing vulnerable populations access to the tools and resources to succeed in the global economy. We could not do this without the support of our partners around the world.

One example is between the Western Union Foundation and Western Union agent, PLS Inc. Together we have been supporting nonprofit Global Alliance for Africa (GAA) since 2018. PLS’s $50,000 partnership is matched by the Western Union Foundation, for a $100,000 investment in GAA’s Digital Literacy program in Tanzania. The Digital Literacy program provides low-income and vulnerable public secondary students in Arusha, Tanzania, skills training and education in computer literacy, digital security, security ethics, and more, with an emphasis on career preparedness. In the 2020 program year, GAA provided these critical trainings to over 2,000 students.

In 2020, Western Union Foundation was also proud to partner with Tony’s Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Tony’s Fresh Market, in a $100,000 donation to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund. The funds supported nonprofit organizations that provided access to essential goods and services such as emergency food and healthcare supplies. Elizabeth Roscoe, Western Union Foundation Executive Director and Western Union Global Head of Corporate Brand and Purpose said of the partnership, “Partnering with Western Union agents like Tony’s Fresh Market to make their dollars go further in their hometown demonstrates the power of partnerships working to ensure needs are being met in Chicago and communities around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are humbled and eternally grateful for the commitment of our frontline workers who continue to show up each day to deliver essential services in these unprecedented times. They are the heroes of our time.”

To join our Partners in Philanthropy program and learn more about how collective philanthropy can enhance social impact, please contact the Western Union Foundation at westernunionfoundation@wu.com

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