CDC Foundation Launches Facebook Fundraiser to Benefit Coronavirus Response Efforts, Featuring $10 Million Facebook Match

ATLANTA, March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The CDC Foundation today announced that Facebook is providing a 2-to-1 matching donation—up to $10 million—as part of the Foundation's Facebook Fundraiser aimed at generating support to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. This generous matching donation is targeted to encourage the Facebook community to join in the response, where everyone can play a role and everyone can make a difference.

The CDC Foundation will use the support of Facebook and its people to help fill gaps and mobilize resources to address fast emerging needs posed by the virus. Contributions will address a number of critical needs, including deploying emergency staffing to U.S. public health agencies, funding medical supplies, increasing lab capacity, providing support to vulnerable communities, and much more.

"This Facebook Fundraiser will have tremendous impact, and we are incredibly grateful for Facebook's matching donation to our Emergency Response Fund," said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "Facebook's donation, along with their community taking advantage of the 2-to-1 matching gift, will provide flexible support that can be deployed on the ground where the situation is extremely fluid and fast moving. We're in an urgent situation, and speed saves lives."

Because every dollar counts in emergency responses like the coronavirus pandemic, Facebook is ensuring that 100 percent of all donations raised as part of this fundraiser will go directly to the CDC Foundation. The CDC Foundation activated its Emergency Response Fund in late January to support and extend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) aggressive efforts to address the coronavirus outbreak.

"In addition to our other donations, we're committing $10 million to the CDC Foundation's Combat Coronavirus Fundraiser, which just launched today," stated Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, in his Facebook post today. "All funds will go to fighting the outbreak—including sourcing medical supplies and increasing lab capacity. Thanks to everyone on the front lines fighting this outbreak."

Earlier in March, the World Health Organization named the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. To date, the pandemic has infected more than 332,900 across the globe, and has tragically been responsible for more than 14,500 deaths. In the United States, more than 33,400 people have tested positive, with cases in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Support is urgently needed to address this rapidly evolving outbreak. Contributions to the CDC Foundation's Emergency Response Fund, where Facebook is currently matching donations, can be made on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cdcfoundation.

About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC's critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched more than 1,000 programs and raised over $900 million. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 140 countries last year. For more information, visit www.cdcfoundation.org.  Follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOURCE CDC Foundation

Related Links

http://www.cdcfoundation.org