By Business & Finance 
PayPal and eBay today announced that 17 Irish charities have received funding totalling almost €45,000 from the eBay Inc. GIVE Foundation in 2014.
The cheques were presented to the charities at a ceremony in PayPal’s European Centre of Excellence in Dublin. The presentation was made by Louise Phelan, vice president of Global Operations for EMEA, PayPal and Hazel Mitchell, director at eBay Global Customer Experience, Europe.
Nominated by employees of eBay and PayPal, at their Blanchardstown and Dundalk offices, the GIVE grants will help fund a number of projects, both locally and nationally.
Some examples of how the GIVE grants will be used include the development of a Breast Cancer Awareness App; the training of transition year students in Blanchardstown and Clondalkin in lifesaving CPR skills; the provision of six months night nursing in the county Louth area through the Irish Hospice Foundation and the development of a playroom in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospitals new Cardiac Unit.
Both eBay and PayPal have a strong history of engaging with and supporting the communities within which they operate. They are both members of the Business in the Community (BITC) initiative in Ireland and through the GIVE Foundation they seek to make a difference with organisations that have particular meaning for their employees.
Commenting, Louise Phelan, vice president of PayPal’s Global Operations in EMEA said: “At PayPal we pride ourselves on being an organisation that gives back to our local communities. The seventeen charities who are receiving funding today were picked on the basis of recommendations from our employees and I look forward to working with them throughout 2014 as we help to raise further much needed funds. Each of our chosen charities carry out hugely important work, and I am delighted that we, as a company, can offer support to their cause.”
Hazel Mitchell, director at eBay Global Customer Experience, Europe, said: “Ireland has an impressive record of giving as a nation and everyday people’s lives are transformed because of that charitable spirit. Our employees are generous with their money and their time. Since 1998 our GIVE Foundation has contributed to local projects in the communities where we’re located. It’s another reason why we love doing business in Ireland. Our people here are fantastic in so many ways and this is just one more example of that.”
