Google creates $2m fund for immigrant causes and invites staff to match fund it
Howard Lake | 30 January 2017 | News
Technology company Google has announced to staff that it is creating a $2 million crisis fund for immigrant and refugee causes. It could be worth $4m as the company is inviting its employees to match it.
The fund has been created amid concern among and some criticism by major US technology and other companies at the Trump administration’s ban on refugees and on entry into the US by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.
The new fund was announced to staff on Sunday in a message from chief executive Sundar Pichai, who has himself criticised the President’s executive order. In another message to staff, he said:
“We’re upset about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that could create barriers to bringing great talent to the US.”
For generations, this country has been home to immigrants like Sanaz. Her story is playing out all over the country. Google is with you. https://t.co/mllnZ5gNDB
Advertisement
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) January 29, 2017
Google announced that donations from its new fund would be divided between the American Civil Liberties Union, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, International Rescue Committee and UNHCR.
This is Google's largest crisis campaign ever. https://t.co/AU2EOZCdb7
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 30, 2017
Fred Korematsu
The search engine company’s disapproval President Trump’s policy on refugees and citizens of certain countries was underlined by its Google Doodle today, on its US site. It featured Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu, civil rights activist and survivor of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. January 30th, 2017 would have been his 98th birthday.
In 1998 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s most distinguished civilian award. He is famous for saying:
“If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”
Google has done just that.
"If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up." – Fred Korematsu #GoogleDoodle https://t.co/sUgieswYuS pic.twitter.com/XxoYHCWQlv
— Google (@Google) January 30, 2017
To emphasise the point even further, Google reports that the doodle was created by artist Sophie Diao, “herself a child of Asian immigrants”.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.