WESTERN UNION || Foundation

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Our Programs and initiatives

The Western Union Company’s Corporate Citizenship efforts are not limited to its Foundation. The company also gives back to the communities it serves through many innovative business programs.

4+1 Cross-Border U.S. & Mexico Economic Development Initiative

Through this pioneering program, Western Union works in partnership with selected Mexican Hometown Associations (HTAs) to fund productive projects leading to sustainable job creation in Mexican states. For every $1 contributed by local HTAs, Western Union, plus local, state and federal governments in Mexico, contribute $1 each to these projects. In the initial stages of the program, Western Union donated more than $112,000 to fund eight projects in the state of Zacatecas, where more than 4,000 adults are participating. Western Union has committed $1.25 million projects in Zacatecas, Michoacán and Veracruz.

National Business Information Clearinghouse (BIC)

Launched in September 2007 with Western Union as a founding sponsor, the National Business Information Clearinghouse (BIC) is a unique, multi-lingual web site that provides critical business information and online training to help strengthen and grow new and existing businesses. The BIC is expected to serve more than a million small business inquiries and help develop hundreds of new immigrant and minority small businesses. The BIC is funded by the Western Union Empowerment Fund, a $10 million fund dedicated to empowering communities in the U.S. and abroad. Throughout 2008, the National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse (NHBIC) is being launched to Hispanic communities in key U.S. cities, stimulating economic development and entrepreneurship. Additional plans include the launch of the National Black Business Information Clearinghouse and the National Asian Business Information Clearinghouse with content translated into Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Korean.

Jobs for America's Graduates, Inc. (JAG) is a national non-profit corporation established for the purpose of assisting states in creating a dropout prevention and school-to-career transition system for at-risk youth based on the JAG Model. The JAG Model is delivered in approximately 700 schools in urban, rural and suburban communities in 28 states serving approximately 40,000 students in the in-school and follow-up phases of the JAG program. More than 500,000 youth have received the benefits of JAG Model services over the past 26 years.

JAG-Colorado was launched in 2005 with Western Union as one of the primary founding sponsors. JAG-Colorado intends to expand and implement the national JAG model throughout the state using a comprehensive array of dropout prevention and youth career preparation services, including 12 months of post-graduation or year-end follow-up services. JAG-Colorado participants boast a 93% graduation rate, 97% student retention, 61% postsecondary placement and 86 employability competencies.