Google has announced a commitment of more than $800 million in support of small and midsize businesses (SMBs), health organizations, governments, and healthcare workers on the frontlines of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The commitment includes $250 million in ad grants — up from the $25 million announced previously — to help the World Health Organization and more than a hundred government agencies provide critical information on how to prevent the spread of the virus and other measures designed to help local communities. The tech giant also will provide $20 million in ad grants to community financial institutions and NGOs for coronavirus-related public service announcements. Another $340 million in Google ad credits will be made available to SMBs with active Google accounts for use through the end of 2020.
In addition, the company has established a $200 million investment fund aimed at providing small businesses with access to capital. Grantees include the Opportunity Finance Network, which will work to fill gaps in financing for people and communities underserved by mainstream financial institutions. And a pool of $20 million in Google Cloud credits will help researchers and academic institutions leverage Google’s computing capabilities and infrastructure as they work on potential therapies and vaccines, track and analyze critical data, and identify new ways to combat the virus.
Lastly, employees from across the Alphabet ecosystem, including Google, Verily, and X, working with equipment manufacturers, distributors, and the government, will be working over the coming weeks to ramp up production of ventilators, face masks, and other items of personal protective equipment.
“Together, we’ll continue to help our communities — including our businesses, educators, researchers, and nonprofits — to navigate the challenges ahead,” Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post announcing the commitment.
