Silver

2023 Best Emergency/Crisis Initiative

PayPal’s Response To The Humanitarian Crisis In Ukraine - PayPal
& Multiple Nonprofits

When war broke out in Ukraine, PayPal knew that those forcibly displaced from their homes often experienced financial obstacles such as limited access to local banks and no safe place to send or receive money. PayPal acted quickly to facilitate humanitarian aid and to deploy expanded financial services for those impacted by the war.

OBJECTIVE

PayPal sought to quickly launch campaigns in at least 10 key markets, raise critically needed funds and to enable people in Ukraine to safely receive money.

PayPal logo

METHOD

PayPal focused on those most highly impacted, and focused fundraising campaigns on regions with the highest concentration of customers. It immediately expanded services in Ukraine to provide customers with ways to send money quickly and securely. In addition, PayPal temporarily waived its own fees for customers sending funds to Ukrainian PayPal accounts or receiving funds into Ukrainian PayPal accounts. PayPal also made use of its strong relationship with MasterCard and Visa, employing existing technology provided by the credit card companies to offer services to Ukrainian customers.

PayPal launched a humanitarian campaign to support Ukraine relief efforts, and PayPal customers donated more than $623 million, which was distributed to the International Rescue Committee, UNHCR, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders and the American Red Cross. PayPal also launched an employee donation matching campaign, which raised over $300,000. President & CEO Dan Schulman sent messages to employees outlining the company’s response and articulating its commitment to supporting the financial health of individuals around the world. These messages unified the company and contributed to employee engagement.

RESULTS

This campaign raised over $623 million USD for over 200 nonprofits around the world responding to the humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. In addition, the initiative brought PayPal products to a wider customer base. PayPal Giving volume was 37 percent higher in March than the same month the year before.