Google donates $100 million in Covid-19 response

Google in the past couple of months has taken active measures to help in tackling Covid-19. Be it in terms of grants or special website or features that are aimed at aiding people as they work from home during the lockdown. Now, the company has announced that its charitable wing, that is, Google.org, is donating a total of $100 million towards Covid-19 relief operations.

Of these, the organisation has already donated $50 million for the cause. Now, it is donating another $50 million in Covid-19 relief bringing the total amount to $100 million.

"When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Google.org committed $50 million in grants focused on the areas where our resources and people can have the most impact: health and science, economic relief and recovery, and distance learning. Today we're committing another $50 million, bringing our total contribution up to $100 million," Vice President of Google.org Jacquelline Fuller wrote in a blog post.

"Additionally, Google.org Fellows will give a total of 50,000 hours to COVID-19-specific projects," she added.

In the blog post, the Google executive explained that of the $50 million that it has committed to Covid-19 relief, a $5 million grant will be to Common Future to provide capital and technical assistance to 2,000 women and minority small business entrepreneurs in the US, while another $5 million will be given to Youth Business International to launch a Rapid Response and Recovery Program that will provide critical support services including crisis helplines to more than 200,000 underserved SMBs in 32 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

In addition to this, the company will grant $10 million for immediate crisis relief grants to nonprofits in communities where we have offices around the globe. A sum of $10 million will also be reserved for the distance learning fund, $2 million of which will be granted to DonorsChoose for their Keep Kids Learning effort. "It helps teachers from high-poverty US public schools purchase materials for remote teaching and student care packages containing food, books and school supplies," the executive wrote.

Additionally, Google is also matching "skilled volunteers to select nonprofits and civic organizations including 31 Google.org Fellows who are providing three to six months of full time pro bono support to four COVID-19 specific Fellowship projects."

Last month, the company provided grants to support nonprofits providing cash assistance to support vulnerable families in India through GiveIndia. Additionally, Google's Chief Executive Office Sundar Pichai also donated ₹5 Crore to Give India.