TikTok pledges $375 million in coronavirus aid

As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, TikTok has quickly become a hub for those looking for a brief, glimmering respite from their worries. The video-sharing app is home to everything from viral anthems about being bored in the house (and in the house, bored) to quarantine-friendly workouts.

Now, TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese internet company, ByteDance, is taking it a step further with a big contribution to relief efforts aimed at the unprecedented crisis caused by COVID-19.

In a statement published on the social media company's website on April 9, TikTok President Alex Zhu announced that the company would donate $375 million to COVID-19 relief efforts.

"The TikTok community is uplifting one another, caring for one another, and lending a hand to one another," Zhu said in the statement. "We want to magnify all we are seeing across our community and translate it into concrete relief for those most affected by this crisis."

The majority of the company's contribution, $250 million, will be going to front-line medical workers, educational efforts, and community relief programs.

Of that, $150 million will go to "medical staffing, supplies, and hardship relief for health care workers," including a partnership with the CDC Foundation to contribute $15 million for surge staffing within local response efforts. TikTok says $40 million will go to local organizations that reflect TikTok's "user communities," which includes "musicians, artists, nurses, educators, and families," according to the statement.

The donations will be spread globally, but will be given primarily to local organizations such as After-School All-Stars and MusiCares in the U.S., according to a statement from a TikTok spokesperson we received via email.

"In an emergency, speed saves lives, and we are extremely grateful to TikTok for stepping forward to support surge staffing that is needed to meet rapidly emerging demands identified by state and local health departments," Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, said, according to the statement.

An additional $10 million will be allotted for matching TikTok user donations, while another $50 million will support the "TikTok Creative Learning Fund," through grants to educators, professional experts, and nonprofits focused on distance-learning.

The company is also donating $100 million in ad credits to small and medium-sized businesses "to help companies get back on their feet once economies are able to restart normal activity," per Zhu's statement. (Pending the decisions of public health authorities on restarting business operations, the program will start its rollout in the coming months.)

Additionally, TikTok is providing $25 million "in prominent in-feed ad space" for NGOs, trusted health sources, and local authorities in order to allow them an avenue for informing the public on the importance of safety measures like social distancing.

This has some precedent: Previously, the social media company partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat misinformation swirling around COVID-19. TikTok also donated $10 million to the WHO Solidarity Response Fund.

The TikTok spokesperson told Mashable that the company will be sharing "many more" details about the donations in the coming weeks.