Mastercard Foundation makes historic $500 million commitment to Indigenous education. Will it be Indigenous-led?

Mastercard Foundationโ€™s pledge is likely the largest-ever private philanthropic commitment to support Indigenous communities in Canadian history.

Why It Matters

Less than 1 percent of all philanthropic donations in Canada support Indigenous charities. A new donation commitment of $500 million could provide a dramatic boost to the capacity of a cohort of Indigenous initiatives across the country.


Mastercard Foundationโ€™s office, located at 250 Yonge St. in Toronto in Sept. 2021 (Google Images)ย 

This journalism โ€‹โ€‹is made possible by the Future of Good editorial fellowship covering the social impact worldโ€™s rapidly changing funding models, supported by Future of Good, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada. See our editorial ethics and standards here.

On Tuesday, the Mastercard Foundation, Canadaโ€™s only โ€˜mega foundationโ€™, pledged $500 million to support Indigenous education, employment and entrepreneurship initiatives across the country.ย 

The funding, offered through the foundationโ€™s โ€œEleVโ€ program, aims to support 100,000 Indigenous young people with their education and career goals,

Join a community of 2000+ impact-oriented professionals like you. Get full access to this story and all Future of Good content, including tickets to our digital events and networking, with a membership.