Western Union Foundation Announces Commitment to Drive $500 Million in Wage Gains

The Western Union Foundation today announced Prosperity Beyond Borders, its new social impact commitment to drive $500 million in aggregate wage gains for people who currently lack access to economic mobility. Prosperity Beyond Borders is a multi-year commitment supporting individuals who have migrated from underserved communities and connecting them with the skills and access necessary to attain better jobs and increased earnings.

“The Foundation’s goal of driving $500 million in wage gains for underserved, aspiring individuals directly aligns with our company’s purpose of helping people prosper,” said Ben Adams, Chief Legal Officer of Western Union and Board Chair of the Western Union Foundation. “This is a great example of reimagining what’s possible and being bold in the social impact we aim to achieve through our Foundation.”

To achieve the $500 million aggregate wage gains goal, the Foundation will invest in the following:

• Workforce Readiness: Scholarships for international students from low-income countries, market-driven skill building courses and business boot camps
• Jobs Creation: Fellowships, seed funding and small business development empowering leaders and entrepreneurs
• Equitable Access: Support for inclusive access to jobs through safe and fair systems that create pathways to the formal labor market for people who have migrated

Programs providing these services function as powerful wage multipliers, enabling people to qualify for higher-paying jobs that offer upward mobility. The Foundation’s $500 million goal represents the cumulative sum of those individuals’ higher wages or earning potential, generally calculated over a one-year timeframe. By supporting skills acquisition, degrees, certifications and other relevant experience that qualifies people for better jobs, the Foundation aims to serve thousands of people and drive a total of $500 million in aggregate wage gains by the end of 2025.

“We are excited to launch Prosperity Beyond Borders and partner with innovative nonprofits that are creating durable, positive impact in people’s lives,” said Lauren Bell, Executive Director of the Western Union Foundation. “By focusing on aggregate wage gains as a key indicator of success, we are honing in on programs that have a long-term, measurable impact and can help aspiring individuals achieve their own version of prosperity and transform their lives as well as future generations.”