Sony establishes $100 million COVID-19 Global Relief Fund

GaryPageau ,
Sony Corp. announced the establishment of the “Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19,” a $100 million fund to support those around the world affected by the COVID-19 virus. Sony will provide support in three areas: assistance for those individuals engaged in frontline medical and first responder efforts to fight the virus, support for children and educators who must now work remotely, and support for members of the creative community in the entertainment industry, which has been greatly impacted by the spread of the virus.

In terms of medical support, 10 million U.S. dollars of the fund will be devoted first to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, as well as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist medical workers and others on the frontline of response efforts to the virus.

Sony will also seek ways to support up-and-coming creators, artists and all those in professions supporting the entertainment industry who have been impacted by the cancellation or postponement of concerts and live events or the shutting down of film and television productions. Sony employees will be able to provide their support through a matching gift program that is scheduled to be offered to its approximately 110,000 employees worldwide.

“Sony extends its condolences to the families of those who have passed away as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and extends its sympathies to all those who have been impacted,” says Kenichiro Yoshida, president and CEO, Sony Corp. “To overcome the unprecedented challenges that as a society we now face around the world, we will do all we can as a global company to support the individuals on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19, the children who are our future, and those who have been impacted in the creative community.”