- Earth Hour's First Global Crowdfunding and Crowdsourcing Platform
PayPal enables people around the world to fund on-the-ground environmental projects that help build a more sustainable future.
SINGAPORE, March 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Earth Hour, the global movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has announced PayPal( https://www.paypal.com ) as the Official Payments Partner for Earth Hour Blue( http://www.earthhour.org/our-partners ), its first global crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platform. Launched from Singapore, Earth Hour Blue taps into the collective effort of individuals around the world to help raise funds and take action on environmental issues important to them.
As a global leader in online and mobile payments, millions of people around the world trust PayPal as a faster, easy-to-use and more secure way to support the causes they care about most. In 2013, PayPal processed US $4.9 billion for charities globally. With over 143 million active accounts in over 193 markets around the world, PayPal will today empower international donors to contribute to over 15 projects under Earth Hour Blue, driving conservation and environmental sustainability efforts.
The projects now live on http://earthhour.org/crowdfunding( http://www.earthhour.org/crowdfunding ) powered by Crowdonomic, a Singapore-based crowdfunding platform, include "Bancas for the Philippines( http://crowdfunding.earthhour.org/project/1015-bancas-for-the-philippines-1 )" which brings fibreglass boat technology to coastal communities in the Philippines ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan, "Stop the Killing( http://crowdfunding.earthhour.org/project/1071-stop-the-killing )" which aims to break down Southeast Asia's wildlife crime network from Singapore, and the "Far-Eastern Leopard Reality-Show( http://crowdfunding.earthhour.org/project/1083-far-eastern-leopard-reality-show-1 )" project from Russia, which aims to restore the rare leopard population in the Sikhote-Alin region.
"We are thrilled to be the Official Payments Partner for Earth Hour, enabling crowdfunding to support important environmental initiatives that help build a sustainable future for our planet. This partnership ensures millions of customers around the world can contribute to Earth Hour Blue projects more securely and in just a few clicks, whether online or on their mobile devices," said Lawrence Chan, Vice President of Asia Pacific Merchant Services and General Manager for Southeast Asia & India at PayPal.
He adds, "As we drive technology-enabled commerce, our innovative solutions have the power to significantly increase fundraising for worthy causes through online and mobile platforms. At PayPal, we want to empower everyone -- whether individuals, nonprofits or global brands -- to take action and support the causes that matter to them."
Earth Hour first began as a lights-off event which has swept rapidly across the world, and is celebrated in over 7,000 cities and towns in over 154 countries. Much of the success of Earth Hour has been fuelled by the global mobilization of people across the world taking part in the lights off event, which will be held this year on Saturday, 29 March, 2014 at 8.30pm (local times).
"We are excited to be partnering with PayPal to help people around the world to contribute directly and more securely to causes that matter to them. Earth Hour has always been more than just lights off. The world's largest grassroots movement to protect the planet was created for anyone to use their power to make a difference, and this is becoming easier as more of us use digital technology to connect far beyond what we ever thought was possible," said Andy Ridley, CEO and Co-Founder of Earth Hour from the movement's home in Singapore. "Today, anyone can make an impact whether by using their voice or by giving a few dollars, and our partnership with PayPal ensures you can incite positive change for the planet from the palm of your hand."
As the home of Earth Hour, Singapore will hold its lights-off event at The Float@Marina Bay( http://earthhour.wwf.sg/2014/event ) on Saturday March 29 at 8:30PM, putting the country at the heart of Earth Hour celebrations worldwide.
To help fund Earth Hour Blue projects, visit http://www.earthhour.org/crowdfunding
About PayPal
PayPal is the faster, safer way to pay and get paid. The service gives people simpler ways to send payments without sharing financial information, and with the flexibility to pay using their account balances, bank accounts (where available) or credit cards. With 143 million active accounts in 193 markets and 26 currencies around the world, PayPal enables global commerce, processing more than 9 million payments every day. Because PayPal helps people transact anytime, anywhere and in any way, the company is a driving force behind the growth of mobile commerce and processed $27 billion in mobile payments in 2013.
PayPal is an eBay (Nasdaq:EBAY) company and contributed 41 percent of eBay Inc.'s revenues in 2013. PayPal is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. and its international headquarters is located in Singapore. More information about the company can be found at www.paypal-media.com
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global environmental movement of WWF. As one of the first open-sourced environmental campaigns, Earth Hour has grown from a symbolic event in one city into a global movement, crowdsourcing actions from individuals, businesses, organisations and governments to generate environmental outcomes. In 2014, the Earth Hour Blue sees the movement enter the most exciting stage of its evolution, to be at the forefront of crowd funding and crowdsourcing for causes, innovation and creativity for the planet.
About WWF
WWF -- World Wide Fund for Nature is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. www.wwf.sg
Media Contacts
Shanta Arul
PayPal, Southeast Asia & India
T:+65-9477-2547
E:sdarul@paypal.com
Yik Wai Yi
The Hoffman Agency
T:+65-9088-9808
E:paypalsg@hoffman.com
Tina McKenzie
Earth Hour Global
T:+65-8316-6259
E:tina@earthhour.org
Benjamin Vozzo
Earth Hour Global
T:+65-8223-1728
E:benjamin@earthhour.org
SOURCE PayPal