NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

The Visa Foundation today announced its approval of $2 million in COVID-19 relief grants for organizations in the U.S. and Canada, including Feeding America, Food Banks Canada, American Red Cross, Direct Relief and Children’s Aid, that are supporting the frontline response to the COVID-19 pandemic and providing critical poverty alleviation services for vulnerable households.

The North America funding includes $1 million total towards hunger relief across the U.S. and Canada to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, respectively. The additional funds will support first responders and health care workers, with grants to the American Red Cross and Direct Relief. In addition, the Visa Foundation will provide a grant to The Children’s Aid Society to support New York’s children living in poverty. The Visa Foundation grants will provide additional funding to the aforementioned organizations’ COVID-19 relief programs to help them continue to provide mission-critical services across the U.S. and Canada.

“Families and communities already living in impoverished conditions are struggling to meet basic needs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Oliver Jenkyn, president, North America at Visa Inc. “These grants from the Visa Foundation will provide immediate assistance to address urgent needs such as hunger, poverty alleviation and disaster relief for first responders and families across the U.S. and Canada.”

A forthcoming five-year $200 million program from the Visa Foundation will support small and micro businesses, with a focus on fostering women’s economic advancement, both of which will be critical to long-term economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This commitment expands the Visa Foundation’s long-standing support for small and micro businesses globally. Additional information on the Foundation’s grant and investment strategy, including how it will be distributed in the U.S. and Canada, will be shared in the coming months.

Photo courtesy of Elias Castillo.