By Business & Finance 
Maeve Dorman, Merchant Operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa, PayPal
PayPal’s Financial Inclusion Charity Grant Programme will award three Irish charities with monetary prizes to help people and businesses who struggle to access secure and affordable financial services.
The initiative awards bursaries valued at €8,000, €4,000 and €1,500, respectively. The programme attempts to combat financial barriers for individuals with poor credit histories or fine-motor-skill challenges as well as start-ups/small businesses that struggle to obtain financial backing.
Included in the previous beneficiaries of the programme are Junior Achievement Ireland and Young Social Innovators. Junior Achievement Ireland encourages young people to remain in education and enhance their skill sets in the ever-changing world. Young Social Innovators nurtures young people to use their creative flair for good and to help them counteract social problems.
PayPal’s Vice President of Merchant Operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Maeve Dorman, said: “Poor access to basic financial services is still a significant issue in Ireland, which we’re determined to tackle. By supporting local charities across the country, we hope to have a positive impact on the lives of people who feel excluded from traditional financial services.”
“PayPal harnesses technology to enable people to move and manage money in fast, more secure and more affordable ways. We believe everyone should benefit from the advances being made in financial services and technology. That’s why financial inclusion is central to our vision for the future of money, and why we created the Financial Inclusion Charity Grant Programme in Ireland.”
The deadline for Irish-charities applications is Friday, 13 October. Further information and the application form can be obtained by contacting giveireland@paypal.com.
