Zynga Partners With will.i.am and the i.am Angel Foundation to Raise $5 Million to Fund Opportunity and STEAM Education for Students
Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA) has partnered with will.i.am and the i.am Angel Foundation as a founding donor for the American Dream GoFundMe initiative, aiming to raise $5 million for STEAM education in underserved communities. The company has contributed $250,000 from its $25 million Social Impact Fund, established to support diversity and inclusion in education. Zynga also plans to leverage its platforms to promote the campaign, with activities such as featuring 'Dream' as the 'word of the day' in the game Words With Friends.
- Zynga's $250,000 donation enhances its commitment to social responsibility.
- Partnership with a high-profile figure like will.i.am could boost brand visibility.
- Engagement in philanthropy may improve public perception and customer loyalty.
- None.
Today, Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced that it has partnered with will.i.am and his i.am Angel Foundation as a launch donor for the American Dream GoFundMe initiative. With a mission of raising
Zynga Partners with will.i.am and the i.am Angel Foundation to Raise
Zynga contributed
Zynga will also utilize the breadth of its channels and audiences to extend awareness for the campaign and encourage other individuals and entities to join. In the iconic hit game Words With Friends, ‘Dream’ will be the ‘word of the day’ on January 12, echoing the theme of the initiative. Throughout January and February, Zynga will release additional new content to drive awareness and action for the fundraiser through its social, blog and employee channels.
“We are honored to join the i.am Angel Foundation in their commitment to create opportunity and equity through education that incorporates STEAM skills. Through their efforts over the last 10 years, the i.am Angel Foundation has brought true impact to the lives of thousands of students,” said Krystal Bowen, Deputy General Counsel at Zynga and Chairperson of Black Zynga Union (BZU), an internal resource group for employees of color. “Now more than ever, companies need to provide the next generation with resources to succeed in a 21st century economy. We are proud to join forces with an organization that is truly making a difference in the community and in the lives of our youth."
To kick-off the campaign, will.i.am has released his latest single, “American Dream”, which focuses on education as a social justice issue and the building block of economic equality. The single is the first song to be released to launch a GoFundMe campaign and is now available to stream via Apple Music.
“Turn around the nightmare of poverty and prison into the American Dream,” said will.i.am, founder of the i.am Angel Foundation. “We can do it with fair access to quality public education including STEAM skills that will give every student a career path and the opportunity to achieve true economic equality.”
Additional pre-launch donation partners (as of 1-9-2021) include contributions from Apple, Angela Ahrendts, Tim & Nancy Armstrong’s Armstrong Angel Fund, Marc Benioff, Solina Chau, The Coca-Cola Company, Ron Conway, Tim Draper, Lady Gaga, Laurene Powell Jobs, Dean Kamen, Andrew Liveris, Yuri Milner, Paramount Pictures, Mark Pincus, Haim Saban, Anthony Scaramucci, and Oprah Winfrey.
To join in on the campaign, follow Zynga on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and follow Words With Friends on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Those wishing to contribute can do so at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/iamangel or text DREAM to 41411.
Supporting still and video assets can be viewed by visiting: http://bit.ly/Zynga_iamAngelFoundation
About Zynga
Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. To date, more than one billion people have played Zynga’s franchises including CSR Racing™, Empires & Puzzles™, Merge Dragons!™ Merge Magic!™, Toon Blast™, Toy Blast™, Words With Friends™ and Zynga Poker™. Zynga’s games are available in more than 150 countries and are playable across social platforms and mobile devices worldwide. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with locations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, India, Turkey and Finland. For more information, visit www.zynga.com or follow Zynga on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or the Zynga blog.
About i.am Angel Foundation
As part of his commitment to philanthropy, will.i.am launched the i.am Angel Foundation in 2009 to TRANS4M lives through education, inspiration and opportunity. The i.am Angel Foundation administers charitable activities and programs targeted towards providing college scholarships (i.am scholarship), college preparation (i.am College Track), and opportunities in STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). Please visit www.iamangelfoundation.org for more information.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, Zynga’s participation in and support of the American Dream GoFundMe initiative. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “outlook,” “projected,” “planned,” “intends,” “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “target,” “expect,” and statements in the future tense are generally forward-looking. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update such statements. More information about these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions is or will be described in greater detail in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at http://investor.zynga.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210112005625/en/
