The Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation Announces Renewed Commitment to Education; Aims to Train 50,000 Women and Youth

Building upon three years of Education for Better success,

company sets agenda through 2020

Today, the Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation

renewed their commitment to global education at the Clinton Global

Initiative Annual Meeting (CGI).

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Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek laid out an agenda for the next phase of

the Education

for Better initiative, which leverages Western Union services,

advocacy, cause marketing, philanthropic investments and employee

engagement to support education programs worldwide.

In remarks given at the CGI Annual Meeting, Ersek outlined the following

global initiative goals over the next five years:

to train 50,000 women and youth with job skills that prepare them for

21st century careers

to serve 500+ universities with education-related products

to support research to broaden global understanding of education

challenges and solutions

Furthering Western Union network as a powerful driver of inclusion, the

next phase of Education for Better will focus on

helping provide educational opportunities for migrants and refugees,

girls and women.

Western Union helps people move the money that funds their dreams, and

we believe that moving money for education can improve lives around the

world, said Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek. We are proud of the

progress made to-date through the Education for Better initiative,

but much work remains to be done. This is why we renew our pledge to

continue using our resources to help create economic opportunities

through education worldwide.

The second

phase of the initiative, announced today, builds upon the

significant success of the initiative s first three years of operation.

Since 2012, Western Union and the Western Union Foundation have

contributed significant resources to provide opportunities for students,

teachers and administrators, higher education institutions, and NGOs. To

date and as part of the initiative, the Western Union Foundation has

pledged more than US$13.6 million across 331 Education for Better grants

and formal donations to 199 organizations in 64 countries.

Western Union Foundation President Patrick Gaston, added, The need for

education is at the root of so many societal challenges we face

today including poverty, homelessness, human trafficking, and the need

for better healthcare. We are grateful to our partners, our employee

volunteers, and all those who made Education for Better a

success in its first three years, and we look forward to even greater

progress in the years ahead.

According to the United Nations, every additional year of schooling can

increase an individual s annual income by up to 10 percent. If all

students in low income countries left school with basic reading skills,

it is estimated that 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty1.

About Western Union

The

Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment

services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western

Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union

provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient

ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to

purchase money orders. As of June 30, 2015, the Western Union, Vigo and

Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network

of over 500,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and

over 100,000 ATMs and kiosks, and included the capability to send money

to millions of bank accounts. In 2014, The Western Union Company

completed 255 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide,

moving $85 billion of principal between consumers, and 484 million

business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About The Western Union Foundation

The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world,

where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not

just a privilege for the few but a right for all. Through its signature

program, Education for Better, and with the support of The

Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners, The

Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting

education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better

future. Our combined social venture efforts make life better for

individuals, families and communities around the world. Since its

inception, The Western Union Foundation has paid more than $103 million

in grants and other giving. These funds have been pledged to more than

2,760 nongovernmental organizations in more than 136 countries and

territories. The Western Union Foundation, is a separate 501(c)(3)

recognized United States charity. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org, or

Follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.

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1 Education for All Resources, United Nations

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150928005349/en/

Western Union Media Contact:

Brad Jones,+1-720-332-1262

bradley.jones@westernunion.com

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