Ford Motor Company Fund today announced two new and unique opportunities for Ford employees around the world who are eager to give back while honouring 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 (more than R9-million) in donations to designated community organizations in the fight against COVID-19, raising a potential $1-million (over R18-million) for groups battling the pandemic across the globe. In South Africa, funds are being raised to support the Gift of the Givers Foundation, which is the largest disaster response non-governmental organisation (NGO) of African origin on the African continent.
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.
“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.
Here in South Africa, Ford Fund is supporting Gift of the Givers as the foundation augments public health services by supporting medical professionals with protective wear and supplying essential medical equipment, while also providing medical consumables to institutions in urgent need. Additionally, the foundation is assisting vulnerable communities through the provision of water, food and other basic essentials.
The $500,000 in matching funds, which include contributions from Ford Fund and Bill Ford personally, represent the strong commitment of both Ford’s philanthropic group and Bill Ford, who started the Ford Volunteer Corps 15 years ago and continues to champion the importance of volunteering and giving back.
Employees and others interested in donating can visit www.globalgiving.org/ford-covid-response to view a full list of participating countries, and to learn more about community projects they can support. Those wishing to support the Gift of the Givers COVID-19 intervention in South Africa can do so by accessing its page on the Global Giving website: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/covid-19-disaster-response-in-south-africa/.
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’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 (almost R29-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.
Provided by Ford South Africa
