From the start of this pandemic, the PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. team, like many others, saw the immediate need to provide aid in a time of crisis. We swiftly acted to help put personal protective equipment (PPE) in the hands of healthcare workers. We also turned our focus to the millions of American families now facing hunger due to factors like unemployment and school closures.
Within weeks of the onset of the crisis, the PwC Foundation made contributions totaling $1.35M to Feeding America, Project HOPE and Direct Relief. We also announced that, to support our PwC people and local communities, the Foundation would make $1.5M available for PwC leaders to help fund nonprofits to aid in their COVID-19 response work.
As this crisis now extends further into 2020, we are seeing needs shift, but not diminish. This is especially true for millions of students across the country now learning at home: School closures due to COVID-19 have affected at least 55.1 million students. Our latest phase of grant-making includes an additional $700,000 in COVID-19 relief -- bringing our total investment to $3.55M. The newest grants align with our deep commitment to:
While we may be apart, our people refuse to be idle. We continue to live our purpose: To build trust in society and solve important problems. Today, that means giving to those who need it most.
Originally posted on LinkedIn by: Yolanda Seals-Coffield, Principal and Chief Employment Counsel for PwC LLP and President of the PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc.