PALO ALTO, Calif. - November 13 - PayPal (www.PayPal.com) today announced that its members have contributed $2.35 million to the National Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross, providing assistance to those affected by the events of Sept. 11. On behalf of PayPal's members, Chairman and CEO Peter Thiel will present a check at 2:00 p.m. today to the president of the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. The chapter is located at 85 2nd Street, 8th Floor, San Francisco.
"Like most people around the world, PayPal, its employees and its members were deeply affected by the terrorist attacks," said Thiel. "We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our members - not only in the initial days after Sept. 11, but in the weeks since as well. It's gratifying to be able to put our innovative online payment system to work in such a rewarding way."
PayPal was one of the first companies to approach the American Red Cross on the day of the attacks, looking for a way to use its technology to assist in the search, recovery and relief efforts. The popular online payments provider established a link on its website to allow PayPal members to donate to the Red Cross by merely entering a donation amount and their password. The company waived all transaction fees and donated all processing costs, ensuring that 100 percent of each donation went directly to the National Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.
"Companies like PayPal are helping the Red Cross modernize the method in which we reach donations, particularly in times of national need," said Harold Brooks, CEO of the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter. "High technology is playing a significant role in the Red Cross' national response efforts, allowing us to concentrate on providing relief to the families of victims who are in need."
American Red Cross disaster assistance is provided to people in need without charge. This is made possible by voluntary donations of time, money and blood from the American people. In the days since the September 11 attacks, the American Red Cross has worked around the clock to provide disaster relief and blood products nationwide. More than 44,000 dedicated volunteers have responded under the Red Cross banner to provide comfort, care and emotional support in cities across the country. Red Cross disaster mental heath workers have helped more than 130,000 people deal with the emotional trauma from the tragedies. More than 4,000 people sought safe refuge in one of 64 Red Cross shelters, and more than 9.4 million meals and snacks have been served to survivors, rescue personnel and stranded travelers throughout the United States.
PayPal continues to accept tax-deductible donations through its Web site. To donate through PayPal, please visit http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/relief-outside.
PayPal
PayPal enables any business or consumer with an email address to securely, conveniently, and cost-effectively send and receive payments online. The online payments network builds on the existing financial infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards to create a global payment system. PayPal offers its service to users in 37 countries including the United States. PayPal has more than 10.5 million registered users, including more than 2.1 million business accounts
PayPal is a privately held company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. PayPal was a Webby Award nominee in both 2000 and 2001, and was named a Forbes Favorite Website in the magazine's May 2001 "Best of the Web" issue.
Online Donations...
Of the $543 million dollars raised, $65 million dollars was raised utilizing online mediums. This includes donations to redcross.org and through many other online partners. PayPal's donation of $2.35 million represents 60,439 unique transactions/donations to the PayPal website.
"Working with global hi-tech leaders such as PayPal has given us access to a donor pool we might not have been able to reach," shared Harold Brooks, CEO of the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter.
