DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement, announced that U.S. customers can now donate to the Western Union Foundation when completing a money transfer through the Western Union® app. The availability of this new, easy-to-use feature—developed as a result of a company-wide hackathon—reaffirms the company’s commitment towards inclusive innovation connecting economies, geographies and cultures.
The Western Union Foundation has selected the American Red Cross Restoring Family Links initiative as the beneficiary of customer donations via the mobile app in honor of International Migrants Day on Dec. 18. Restoring Family Links has been helping reconnect family members separated by crisis, conflict and migration for nearly 150 years. One hundred percent of donations made through the Western Union mobile app from Dec. 15, 2019 – Jan. 15. 2020 will go to the American Red Cross Restoring Family Links program, and each in-app donation will unlock an additional $10 donation (up to USD $50,000) from the Western Union Foundation.
“The work we do through the Restoring Family Links program would not be possible without donors like the Western Union Foundation. We are grateful to have a partner that shares our mission of connecting loved ones,” said Gino Greco, Regional Chief Executive Officer of Colorado and Wyoming at The Red Cross. “We are proud to work alongside the Western Union Foundation in celebration of International Migrants Day and look forward to uniting more families.”
U.S. customers sending money through the Western Union mobile app this holiday season can simply click ‘donate to the WU Foundation’ before completing their money transfer to make a contribution of any amount to Western Union’s International Migrants Day campaign.
“The Western Union mobile app donation feature is a tangible example of our inclusive innovation philosophy,” said Khalid Fellahi, President, Global Head Consumer Money Transfer. “We used a hackathon format to tap into the expertise and collaborative spirit of our employees around the globe, and launching the mobile app donation feature to support family reunification for International Migrants Day demonstrates our unwavering support of migrants, refugees and other displaced people.”
Western Union understands that when people move, opportunities follow. Scientific and cultural breakthroughs that we take for granted are the result of global connections. Some migrants move to reunite with family and make their new host country home, others go specifically for work or study and a small number leave for security reasons. What unites them with the rest of humanity is the desire to create a better life for themselves and their loved ones.
“Western Union and the Western Union Foundation are proud to support the dreams and opportunities of migrants, those who are displaced, and those who need assistance along their journey,” said Elizabeth Roscoe, Executive Director of the Western Union Foundation and Western Union’s Head of Corporate Brand and Purpose. “At its core, Western Union is a network that connects people. By fostering those connections together with the American Red Cross Restoring Family Links initiative, we are supporting families, building communities and growing the world economy.”
Western Union and the Western Union Foundation have a long history of supporting organizations and issues related to migration, refugees and humanitarian crisis. Please visit the Western Union Foundation’s website to learn more about their new Opportunities Beyond Borders campaign and view their 2018 Impact Report.
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About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of September 30, 2019, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2018, is available in 75 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About the Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation believes that education is the surest pathway to economic opportunity. After nearly 20 years of impact, we are continuing to deliver against our mission with our Opportunity Beyond Borders commitment, to invest $15 million by 2022, with a focus on empowering forcibly displaced and marginalized youth with the training and education needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven global economy. We also provide funding to communities in crisis through disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts, a key reason for forced migration. To date, more than $124 million has been given to fund projects and scholarships in 174 countries across the globe. The Western Union Foundation is a separate charitable corporation that is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code, and receives support from The Western Union Company, its employees, agents and business partners. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible for US income tax purposes. To learn more, visit wu.com/foundation or follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.
