The Visa Foundation Announces Grantees to Support COVID-19 Recovery in U.S. and Canada

Funds will go to Feeding America, Food Banks Canada, American Red Cross, Direct Relief and Children’s Aid

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Visa Foundation today announced its approval of $2 million in COVID-19 relief grants for organizations in the U.S. and Canada, including Feeding America, Food Banks Canada, American Red Cross, Direct Relief and Children’s Aid, that are supporting the frontline response to the COVID-19 pandemic and providing critical poverty alleviation services for vulnerable households.

The North America funding includes $1 million total towards hunger relief across the U.S. and Canada to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, respectively. The additional funds will support first responders and health care workers, with grants to the American Red Cross and Direct Relief. In addition, the Visa Foundation will provide a grant to The Children’s Aid Society to support New York’s children living in poverty. The Visa Foundation grants will provide additional funding to the aforementioned organizations’ COVID-19 relief programs to help them continue to provide mission-critical services across the U.S. and Canada.

“Families and communities already living in impoverished conditions are struggling to meet basic needs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Oliver Jenkyn, president, North America at Visa Inc. “These grants from the Visa Foundation will provide immediate assistance to address urgent needs such as hunger, poverty alleviation and disaster relief for first responders and families across the U.S. and Canada.”

A forthcoming five-year $200 million program from the Visa Foundation will support small and micro businesses, with a focus on fostering women’s economic advancement, both of which will be critical to long-term economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This commitment expands the Visa Foundation’s long-standing support for small and micro businesses globally. Additional information on the Foundation’s grant and investment strategy, including how it will be distributed in the U.S. and Canada, will be shared in the coming months.

For more information:

• The Visa Foundation’s COVID-19 regional grantees: https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog/bdp/2020/05/11/the-visa-foundation-1589219590276.html
• Visa Inc. COVID-19 response: https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog/bdp/2020/05/05/covid-19-response-update-1588713283813.html
• Visa Foundation $210 million commitment to COVID-19 relief, and support for small and micro businesses: https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.releaseId.17066.html?linkId=85908675

About the Visa Foundation

The Visa Foundation seeks to support inclusive economies where individuals, businesses and communities can thrive. Through grantmaking and investing, the Foundation prioritizes the resilience and growth of micro and small businesses that benefit women. The Foundation also supports broader community needs and disaster response in times of crisis. The Visa Foundation is registered in the U.S. as a 501(c)3 entity. For more information, visit https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/philanthropy/visa-foundation.html.

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of digital commerce on any device, for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, visa.com/blog and @VisaNews.