Western Union Foundation Combats Poverty Through Education

Following through on its commitment to empower migrant families
through education and global economic opportunity programs, The
Western Union Foundation today announced another 80 grants under the
Our World, Our Family program. Our World, Our Family, a joint
initiative of the Western Union Company and the Western Union
Foundation, has granted more than $5 million to more than 150
non-profit organizations since its launch in Sept. 2007.

The Our World, Our Family initiative is the result of extensive
research. During its development, Western Union consulted with leaders
in corporate philanthropy and experts in global migration as well as
its own consumers, employees and Agents. The program is framed around
four pillars or focus areas: Our World Gives; Our World Learns; Our
World Strives and Our World Speaks. Each pillar is given equal
attention and is designed to address the critical needs and challenges
of the world´s migrant population.

Not surprisingly, education has emerged as one of the most
critical needs. "The impact of education is multi-generational," says
Luella Chavez D´Angelo, president, The Western Union Foundation. "Not
only does it lead to increased opportunity for the individual, but it
can impact the fortunes of the entire family. Time and time again we
see that the success of one family member lifts the hopes and
aspirations of every other family member."

Accordingly, many of the organizations which benefited from the
Foundation´s most recent grants are focused on providing educational
opportunities around the globe.

In China, The Western Union Foundation has teamed with the China
Youth Development Foundation (CYDF) to support educational
opportunities for children from remote villages. Founded in 1989, CYDF
is devoted to the well-being and development of Chinese youth,
primarily with regards to education, science and technology, culture,
physical education, health, and environmental protection.

In India, the Foundation is supporting the Naandi Foundation in
its efforts to educate impoverished girls from the country´s most
marginalized communities. Through education, Project Nanhi Kali seeks
to provide opportunity to some of the poorest of the poor, setting
girls on the path to independence, maturity and social responsibility.

In Kenya, the Foundation is working with the Global Education Fund
(GEF) to create libraries in rural and urban orphanage homes. Each
library will provide a rich selection of books and tutoring
assistance. In addition, the program will provide textbooks and
teacher training for a number of schools in the slums of Nairobi,
serving more than 4,000 orphaned and destitute children.

In the United States, a contribution to Open World Learning (OWL)
will aid in curriculum design and implementation for a program
supporting children´s educational success. By emphasizing both basic
educational skills and advanced computer skills, OWL will help prepare
students for success in the digital world.

These are just a few of the many worthy projects supported by The
Western Union Foundation´s Our World, Our Family program. For more
information on Our World, Our Family or on individual grants, please
visit the Foundation´s Website at www.westernunion.com/foundation.

About the Western Union Foundation

The Western Union Foundation began in 2000 as a philanthropic
organization to facilitate charitable giving programs worldwide.
Through the donations of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU), its
employees and Agents, the Foundation helps to fund programs that
enhance the quality of life for those most in need around the world.
Since 2001, the Western Union Foundation, in collaboration with
Western Union Agents and employees, has granted nearly $45 million to
more than 1,500 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 70 countries
around the globe to support humanitarian projects. In addition, the
Foundation has supported more than 50 disaster-relief operations and
has funded education and human services programs. For more
information, visit www.westernunion.com/foundation.

WU-G