Experian undertakes fundraising drive to help communities in COVID-19 treatment and prevention

Partners with multiple organisations to support communities most impacted by COVID-19

Experian, an information services company, has rallied together in a global employee fundraising drive to support communities most impacted by COVID-19. The fundraising drive resulted in Rs 5.5 crores being raised for communities impacted by COVID-19 and various non-government organisations (NGOs) that are helping vulnerable communities navigate the pandemic. Experian also matched the employee fundraiser with a corporate donation. 

Experian’s two-pronged approach to supporting India’s recovery includes:

Supporting vulnerable communities in India

Experian has been working with several frontline NGOs for COVID-19 related support activities. These non-profit organisations have been identified to ensure Experian supports the most vulnerable populations end-to-end – from providing masks as a first step, to supplying emergency oxygen support and adding beds in hospitals, to ensuring financial stability and security for lower-income families in the longer term. 

• UNICEF: Experian has partnered with UNICEF to provide critical medical supplies to patients as part of their $21 million plan to help build 40 oxygen generation plants, supply 3,000 oxygen concentrators, 300 RT-PCR machines and 100 RNA extraction machines. 
• Give India: Collaborating with Give India to provide life-saving equipment for hospitals at Narkhed, Nagpur and rural districts in West Bengal including Nadia, Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly.
• KVN Foundation: Working with KVN Foundation in its ‘Mission Million Air’ initiative to provide 1,600 oxygen concentrators as emergency oxygen to patients. 
• Nirmaan: Supplying Home Isolation Kits to 1,000 underprivileged families. 
• Goonj: Providing dry rations, toiletries, and other household essentials to over 800 lower-income populations.
• Srujna Charitable Trust: Distributing masks and sanitation kits to over 10,000 people across Mumbai slums, assist COVID-19 patients with medicine, groceries and sanitary kits to over 2000 families, and empower women with livelihood opportunities by making masks.
• Sri Chaitanya Seva Trust: Supplying ventilators, defibrillators, ECG, monitors, oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators and medicine to people in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.
• Education for Employability Foundation: This is a part of the Rapid Rural Community Response to COVID-19 (RRCR) mission to manage Village Isolation Centres (VIC) for three months by providing medical supplies, home isolation kits, transport for critically ill patients, training and telemedicine consultations across three blocks in Uttar Pradesh.
• PRADAN: Working with PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) to minimise the spread of COVID-19 in the rural areas of Abu Road and Pindwara blocks of Sirohi district, Rajasthan, providing relief to frontline workers and COVID-19-affected families.

Strengthening consumers’ financial health during the pandemic 

The pandemic has caused financial hardship for a large portion of India’s population. Experian India is empowering consumers by providing free, unlimited credit reports. Individuals can check their Experian credit score for free via Experian India’s website to track their financial statuses and alleviate any anxieties arising from changes in their financial situation. 

Neeraj Dhawan, MD, Experian India, said, “At Experian, we have a mission to create a better tomorrow. Throughout the pandemic, Experian adopted a ‘people first’ approach – by supporting communities, empowering consumers, protecting employees, and enabling individuals and businesses to get easier access to credit. We partnered with NGOs to reach affected communities across the country. To alleviate their anxiety in managing their finances during these times, we are offering consumers free and unlimited Experian credit report downloads to check their Experian credit scores and better manage their financial health. We are also providing various forms of support for our employees, including a dedicated Employee Relief Fund for medical and other emergencies, and recently conducted vaccination drives for them and their families.”