Ford Motor Company Fund Announces Donation Match, Opportunities for Philippine Employees to Help Fight COVID-19

Ford Motor Company Fund’s new COVID-19 Donation Match program gives employees and others the opportunity to support nonprofits and community groups in more than 20 countries as they cope with coronavirus-related issues

· In the Philippines, Ford Fund is partnering with Gawad Kalinga for its relief and rehabilitation operation “Walang Iwanan, Walang Hawaan” program directed towards vulnerable communities economically affected by the enhanced community quarantine

· Ford Fund’s new “Read and Record” virtual volunteering project invites Ford employees around the world to record and submit videos reading a children’s book in their own language

MANILA, Philippines, 3 April 2020 – Ford Motor Company Fund announced two new and unique opportunities for Ford employees around the world who are eager to give back while honoring stay-at-home recommendations.

The COVID-19 Donation Match program is a combined effort between Ford Fund and Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford that will match $500,000 in donations to designated community organizations in more than 20 countries around the world in the fight against COVID-19, raising a potential $1 million for groups battling the pandemic across the globe.

In the Philippines, Ford is aiming to raise $25,000 to support Gawad Kalinga for its relief and rehabilitation operation “Walang Iwanan, Walang Hawaan” program directed towards vulnerable communities economically affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

“While the nationwide enhanced community quarantine is necessary to contain the spread of the virus by forcing people to stay at home for an extended period, it instantly deprived daily wage earners, informal sectors and subsistence rural families of income, so we’re stepping up our efforts at Ford to lend a helping hand by mobilizing our employees to participate in this worthwhile donation initiative,” said Josephine Gonzalez, AVP for government and corporate affairs, Ford Philippines.

“During trying times, Ford employees are used to being the boots on the ground – getting out, signing up and pitching in to help make a difference,” said Mary Culler, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Even now, while many are sheltering in place at home, our employees are looking for ways to help. These two new programs offer meaningful ways for employees to give back and join in the fight against COVID-19.”

Make a donation to make a difference

Through the COVID-19 Donation Match, Ford Fund is giving Ford employees, as well as their families and friends, an opportunity to make a donation to support nonprofits and other community organizations in their efforts to meet coronavirus-related needs in more than 20 countries around the world.

Managed by GlobalGiving, Ford’s longtime disaster relief and global grant-making partner, the program aims to support community projects in locations that have both a significant level of emergency need and a substantial Ford employee presence. Projects focus on addressing hunger, shelter and mobility needs, providing educational resources, or delivering critical medical supplies and services to communities in need.

In the Philippines, the proceeds of the donation will be allocated for relief efforts, particularly the provision of food packs to 1,200 vulnerable and less-privileged families in Gawad Kalinga communities in Visayas.

The donation will also help fund the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE), tools and supplies such as alcohols, sanitizers, and thermal scanners needed by volunteers who will facilitate the relief efforts on-ground to ensure their own safety and protection.

Employees, dealer partners and employees, partners, as well as the general public can donate by visiting the Global Giving website – Gawad Kalinga COVID-19 response (https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/gawad-kalinga-covid-19-response/) and clicking “Donate Now”. GlobalGiving will add new projects and additional details over the coming weeks, so employees are encouraged to check back often for updates.

Virtual volunteering

Ford Fund is also launching a new “Read and Record” virtual volunteering project to create an online library of Ford employees reading children’s books for the 1.3 billion children and youth affected by school closings around the world.

Ford Fund’s new “Read and Record” virtual volunteering project invites Ford employees from around the world to record and submit videos reading a children’s book in their own language. The effort is designed to provide Ford employees a way to give back from the safety and comfort of their own homes, and builds on Ford Fund’s ongoing efforts to increase literacy and promote a love of reading.

The online library will be catalogued by language, and multilingual employees are encouraged to read in languages other than English. Ford Fund plans to share the library with philanthropic groups that serve children and families.

Ford Fund previously announced it is allocating more than $1.6 million in resources to help communities and local nonprofits throughout Southeast Michigan and across the United States address hunger, shelter and mobility needs related to COVID-19. Earlier this year, Ford Fund also worked with Ford of China to provide face masks and other protective gear needed during the initial breakout of the virus in China.

As Ford Fund concentrates on taking immediate action at the local level, Ford engineers, researchers and suppliers are designing and manufacturing masks, respirators, ventilators and other critical medical equipment and supplies for healthcare workers, first responders and patients fighting COVID-19. To learn more about the company’s recent news and efforts related to COVID-19, click here.

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About Ford Motor Company Fund

As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund’s mission is to strengthen communities and help make people’s lives better. Working with dealers and nonprofit partners in more than 50 countries, Ford Fund provides access to opportunities and resources that help people reach their full potential. Since 1949, Ford Fund has invested more than $2 billion in programs that support education, promote safe driving, enrich community life and encourage employee volunteering. For more information, visit www.fordfund.org or join us at @FordFund on Facebook and Twitter.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 190,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.

About GlobalGiving

GlobalGiving makes it safe and easy for individuals and companies to give to local projects anywhere in the world, providing nonprofits with the training and support they need to become more effective. Since 2002, GlobalGiving has helped raise more than $450 million from more than one million donors and has worked with more than 350 corporate partners. GlobalGiving vets and supports organizations in 170 countries, so when disasters like COVID-19 occur, GlobalGiving can quickly deliver funds to community-driven organizations that are best-suited to provide relief in their communities. GlobalGiving is a top-rated (4-star) charity on Charity Navigator and accredited by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. For more information on our corporate giving programs, please contact partnerships@globalgiving.org.