On Valentine's Day, Western Union, a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, and the Western Union Foundation announced a USD $1M global matching challenge to help fight COVID-19 (coronavirus) and for relief in China and other affected countries. The combined Western Union and Western Union Foundation match will be up to USD $500,000.

The Western Union Foundation is accepting contributions from Western Union employees, Agents, customers, and the public, across the globe between now and April 14, 2020. The aid will be pledged to local and global NGOs, including Give2Asia and International Medical Corps* for ongoing relief efforts in China and other impacted nations throughout the world, including to purchase supplies, equipment and frontline medical treatment.

As of February 13, 46,997 individuals are estimated to have been infected with COVID-19, with 1,368 deaths globally (46,550 cases and 1,368 deaths in China), according to the World Health Organization.

“Western Union is a global company and we support our customers, employees and communities in times of need. The time is now for the global community to come together in support of communities affected by COVID-19,” said Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek. “Being a responsible global company means not just serving and benefiting from an interconnected world but taking steps to care for vulnerable communities in dire times. We encourage everyone across the world including our employees, Agents and customers and partners, to step up and show their support

In addition to offering money for on-the-ground efforts to prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19, Western Union and the Western Union Foundation have launched a worldwide campaign to drive awareness and encourage donations from the public including Western Union employees, Agents, and customers.

“We are committed to helping our partner organizations fight this virus in whatever ways are most appropriate in their localities,” said Elizabeth Roscoe, Western Union Foundation Executive Director and Western Union Head of Corporate Brand & Purpose. “We understand the importance of doing our small part to bring the global community together to combat this infectious disease which can endanger everyone equally, without regard for boundaries of geography, ethnicity or social class.”

Give2Asia said it is thankful for the help and support from the global community, but more is always welcome. “We are grateful to everyone who is taking action in this time of need,” said Birger Stamperdahl, Give2Asia’s President and CEO. "Frontline health workers are risking their lives to help control the spread of the virus. Give2Asia sees a strong commitment on the part of the global community to support their work and to help families and communities hurt by the outbreak.”