Google.org pledges $100 million in total towards COVID-19 relief

San Francisco, May 7 (IANS) Google has committed another $50 million to COVID-19 relief via Google.org, bringing its total contribution to $100 million in grants focused on areas like health and science, economic relief and recovery, and distance learning.

Additionally, Google.org Fellows will give a total of 50,000 hours to COVID-19-specific projects, Jacquelline Fuller, VP, Google.org said in a statement late Wednesday.

“With over 3 million COVID-19 cases and 250,000 deaths worldwide, one of our top priorities has been supporting frontline workers who are battling the virus, as well as data science and disease tracking,” he added.

Google.org has committed up to $10.5 million through public-matching campaigns (which combines Google.org funding and Googler donation) to organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Millions have been laid off worldwide as businesses close their doors, and, according to the OECD, these closures are likely to hit small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) hardest. We’ve been providing grants to nonprofits supporting SMBs, local communities and hard-hit individuals and will continue to prioritize our efforts in these three ways,” said Fuller.

Google.org has given more than $15 million in cash grants to nonprofits benefiting underrepresented business-owners.

“We’re committing more than $10 million in immediate crisis relief grants to nonprofits in communities where we have offices around the globe,” said Fuller.

“At the peak of school closures due to COVID-19, more than 1.5 billion students around the world could no longer physically attend school. Our $10 million distance learning fund helped schools, teachers and parents continue teaching through this disruption,” Fullar informed.

As part of that fund, Google.org made an initial grant of $1 million to Khan Academy, who will reach over 18 million affected learners every month.

–IANS

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