Back to all stories
MARCH 1, 2022

TELUS Friendly Future Foundation commits $2 million in funding to address humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

TELUS and the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation together have now committed over $2,500,000 to support humanitarian relief in Ukraine

Vancouver – In response to the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and its devastating impact on children and families, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation® has announced a $2 million commitment to support the efforts of Canadian charities that are working to provide assistance to families and those displaced by the conflict, including Canadian Red Cross, Save the Children Canada and other national and local charities.

“We know that this is an extremely difficult time for so many people impacted by the devastating situation in Ukraine and Eastern Europe,” said Darren Entwistle, President and Chief Executive Officer of TELUS. “Our TELUS and TELUS International teams continue to be guided by our heartfelt social purpose to leverage our technology and human compassion to improve the lives of our fellow citizens and, in this regard, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is committing $2 million to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Reflecting the Foundation’s deeply rooted commitment to support families and youth in communities around the globe, and further exemplify TELUS’ global leadership in social capitalism, the funds will be directed to charitable organisations making a meaningful difference by providing safety, comfort and support to vulnerable children and their families, in addition to much-needed health care and emergency supplies.” 

This commitment is in addition to $500,000 in donations and in-kind support that TELUS and its team members have already provided in support of the crisis in Ukraine, including:

  • Launching an employee donation matching program - to date, TELUS team members have donated $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, matched by TELUS, for a total of $200,000.

  • Giving an initial $150,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. 

  • Activating a Text to Donate program, enabling customers to make a $10 donation to Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal by texting UKRAINE to 20222 from their mobile device.

  • Enabling TELUS customers to donate their TELUS Rewards points to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation to support the Canada Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal.

To help keep customers connected to loved ones, critical information and resources to keep them safe, TELUS is waiving all long distance charges, including calls and texts, made from Canada to Ukraine as well as roaming charges for any customers currently traveling in Ukraine. 

To learn more about the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation and its commitment to giving youth a safe place to learn and grow, including how to make a donation, visit friendlyfuture.com. TELUS customers can help support youth across Canada by joining Donate the Change - each monthly bill is rounded up to the next dollar with 100% of the difference supporting local charities focused on youth through the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. For more information about the impact TELUS is making across Canada and the globe, please visit telus.com/socialimpact.

About TELUS Friendly Future Foundation

Founded in 2018, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is an independent registered charity. Our mission is to help connect youth to a world of opportunities by supporting Canadian organizations that offer health, education or technology programs. We have provided more than $27 million in grants to community-based, provincial, territorial and national charities that help youth thrive in a digital world and reach their full potential. TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, alongside our 13 TELUS Community Boards, provides millions of dollars to more than 500 charities across Canada every year.

For more information on TELUS Friendly Future Foundation please visit friendlyfuture.com and follow us on Twitter (@friendlyfuture) and on Instagram (@friendlyfuturefoundation).  

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with $17 billion in annual revenue and 17 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video, and security. Our social purpose is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty.  The numerous, sustained accolades TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS’ global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better. 

TELUS Health is Canada’s leader in digital health technology, improving access to health and wellness services and revolutionizing the flow of health information across the continuum of care. TELUS Agriculture provides innovative digital solutions throughout the agriculture value chain, supporting better food outcomes from improved agri-business data insights and processes. TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer experience innovator that designs, builds, and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content management, for global and disruptive brands across high-growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, ecommerce and FinTech, healthcare, and travel and hospitality. TELUS and TELUS International operate in 25+ countries around the world.

Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS, our team members and retirees to contribute more than $900 million and 1.8 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com and follow us on Twitter (@TELUSnews) and on Instagram (@Darren_Entwistle).

For more information, please contact:

Chelsey Rajzer
TELUS Public Relations
[email protected]