Alphabet’s response to the coronavirus over the last several weeks has been multifaceted, but largely product-focused. Google’s latest initiative commits $800 million to aid COVID-19 relief efforts through ad grants, donations, credits, and by helping manufacturers.
To start, Google is providing the World Health Organization and 100 other government agencies around the world with $250 million in ad grants to “provide critical information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other measures to help local communities.”
This allows organizations to run PSAs that will be widely seen on websites and apps using Google’s advertising network. The company last month committed $25 million for a notable increase today.
A $200 million investment fund is geared towards NGOs and financial institutions helping small businesses access capital at a time when many are closing or laying off workers. Similarly, Google is providing $340 million in ad credits to those SMBs “with active accounts over the past year.”
Credit notifications will appear in their Google Ads accounts and can be used at any point until the end of 2020 across our advertising platforms. We hope it will help to alleviate some of the cost of staying in touch with their customers.
Academic institutions and researchers working on COVID-19 research will get access to $20 million in Google Cloud credits.
The company will also provide financial support and “expertise to help increase the production capacity” of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical devices. That expertise sees Google, Verily, X, and other Alphabet employees contribute their supply chain knowledge.
We’re working with our longtime supplier and partner Magid Glove & Safety, with the goal of ramping up production of 2-3 million face masks in the coming weeks that will be provided to the CDC Foundation.
Lastly, Google is increasing how much its employees can donate annually with a gift match from $7,500 to $10,000.
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