Mastercard Foundation logo

Mastercard Foundation

501(c)(4) organization EIN: 98-0543843 Website

The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian foundation, established in 2006 according to its website. Its work supports youth learning and financial inclusion, with a major focus in Africa, and supports Indigenous youth in Canada in education and pathways to meaningful work. Its 2024 filing classifies it as a public charity.

Mastercard Foundation at a glance

In short: Mastercard Foundation gave $270.4M across 52 grants in 2024 (avg $5.2M), top state New York. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2024)
$270,371,759
+42.0% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
52
+20.9% vs 2023
Average grant
$5,199,457
+17.5% vs 2023
Median grant
$1,365,152
Total assets
$50,320,893,084
+19.3% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
25% first-time grantees (12 of 48, 2024)
Primary geography
New York (35% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Mastercard Foundation

Contact

Phone: (647) 208-5154
Website: https://mastercardfdn.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Mastercard Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Arizona State University: $40.4MArizona State University$40.4MUNICEF The United Nations Children's Fund: $35.0MUNICEF The United NationsChildren's Fund$35.0MOne Acre Fund: $22.7MOne Acre Fund$22.7MAmerican University of Beirut: $22.3M across 2 grantsAmerican University of Beirut$22.3M · 2 grantsInkomoko (formerly African Entrepreneurship Collec: $19.3M across 2 grantsInkomoko (formerly AfricanEntrepreneurship Collec$19.3M · 2 grantsUniversity of California Berkeley: $15.0MUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley$15.0MHeifer Project International: $13.8M across 2 grantsHeifer Project International$13.8M · 2 grantsGlobal Energy Alliance for People & Planet (GEAPP): $12.2MGlobal Energy Alliance forPeople & Planet (GEAPP)$12.2MCorpsAfrica: $10.3MCorpsAfrica$10.3MTufts University: $9.4MTufts University$9.4M

The largest 2024 recipient was Arizona State University ($40.4M). Together the top 10 received $200.5M.

Grant Size Distribution

205 grants across all recorded years

10<$50K17$50–100K25$100–250K23$250–500K27$500K–1M61$1–5M42$5M+

The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 61 grants of 205 (30%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation’s website describes work in Africa and Canada, and says its education and transitions work has spanned more than 33 African countries. It also works with partner organizations around the world. In its 2024 grants, recipient-state shares were NY 35%, AZ 15%, IL 11%, WA 8%, and CA 6%.

Grant Distribution by State

21states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkWashingtonPittsburghBerkeleyCambridgeTempeWellesleyBaltimoreCantonClintonWalthamLittle RockMedfordSan FranciscoSomervilleWashington DCArlingtonBoulderDurhamElansing

Is Mastercard Foundation open to new grantees?

25%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 12 of 48 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2.6M; repeat grants $6.7M. How we count

Medians: $211K first-time, $2.2M repeat.

  • 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving fell 65% from 2021 to 2024. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200M$400M$600M$800M44 grants2019 43 grants2020 39 grants2021 28 grants2022 43 grants2023 52 grants2024

From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $66.2M (2019) to $782.2M (2021). In 2024 it made 52 grants totaling $270.4M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Arizona State University Arizona, AZYouth Learning$40,434,702
UNICEF The United Nations Children's Fund New York, NYYouth Learning$35,000,000
One Acre Fund Highland Park, ILFinancial Inclusion$22,673,980
Inkomoko (formerly African Entrepreneurship Collec Washington, WAFinancial Inclusion$18,133,840
University of California Berkeley Berkeley, CAYouth Learning$14,999,999
Global Energy Alliance for People & Planet (GEAPP) Youth Learning$12,199,289
American University of Beirut New York, NYYouth Learning$12,000,000
CorpsAfrica New York, NYYouth Learning$10,338,483
American University of Beirut New York, NYYouth Learning$10,319,223
Heifer Project International Arkansas, ARYouth Learning$9,804,050
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with Mastercard Foundation?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2024$50,320,893,084$6,513,121,957$1,633,430,674$270,371,75952$6,512,353,970
2023$42,194,078,620$680,266,338$1,533,523,522$190,341,62643$679,990,425
2022$29,242,305,789$424,109,307$1,377,301,146$169,595,38528$423,841,381
2021$30,798,947,472$422,948,756$1,496,169,880$782,198,62339$422,712,823
2020$31,477,405,206$356,789,232$947,737,147$250,844,66243$356,574,632
2019$27,598,914,371$192,147,513$357,605,773$66,241,79444$191,932,785

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The mission stated in the Foundation’s 2024 filing is to advance youth education and promote financial inclusion for financially disadvantaged people and communities as a means of relieving poverty. Its website describes its vision as “Opportunity for all to learn and prosper” and its mission as advancing youth learning and financial inclusion in developing countries, while supporting Indigenous youth in Canada.

The Foundation’s programs include education and vocational training, technology-enabled learning and digital literacy, and financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Its Young Africa Works strategy focuses on young people in Africa, particularly young women, refugees and displaced people, and young people with disabilities. In Canada, the EleV initiative aims to support 100,000 Indigenous young people to complete post-secondary education and transition to meaningful livelihoods by 2030.

The Foundation says it works through partner organizations and is committed to partnering with African-led organizations and Indigenous institutions. Examples from its 2024 grants include universities and education organizations, as well as organizations working in financial inclusion. The grantees describe their own missions: One Acre Fund says it works with rural self-help groups to help chronically hungry farm families in Africa address hunger and poverty; Heifer Project International says it works with marginalized small-scale farmers worldwide to address hunger and poverty; and Global Give Back Circle says it supports gender equality by economically empowering at-risk adolescent girls and helping them use their skills to give back to their communities.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the Foundation reported 52 grants totaling $270,371,759. Grants ranged from $20,492 to $40,434,702, with a median of $1,365,152. Among its largest grants were $40,434,702 to Arizona State University for youth learning; $35 million to UNICEF for youth learning; $22,673,980 to One Acre Fund for financial inclusion; $18,133,840 to Inkomoko for financial inclusion; and $14,999,999 to the University of California Berkeley for youth learning.

The Foundation’s website provides a Program Development Guide for potential partners. It says partners implement programs and services, and that funded activities must align with the Foundation’s charitable purposes of promoting youth education and alleviating poverty through financial inclusion. For multi-year projects, the Foundation describes reviewing financial and narrative reports, conducting project visits and meetings, and carrying out annual due diligence, including checks related to anti-terrorism legislation.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Reeta Roy as President and CEO; Peter Materu as Chief Program Officer; Douglas Kasambala as Chief Financial Officer; and Oluwole Onabolo as General Counsel. The website identifies Sewit Ahderom as President and CEO and describes the leadership team as based in Africa and Canada.

Mastercard Foundation is led by Reeta Roy, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 14 of 25 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Reeta Roy

    President & CEO

    On filings since 2019

    60 hrs/week

    $1M (2019) → $1.3M (2024)

  • Tina Muparadzi

    Executive Director-Ed. & Transitions

    Chief People & Culture Officer → Executive Director-Ed. & Transitions, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    55 hrs/week

    $315K (2020) → $487K (2024)

  • Wariko Waita

    Director Pac - Executive Director & Transitions

    Senior Director & Corporate Com → Director Pac - Executive Director & Transitions, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    55 hrs/week

    $511K (2023) → $527K (2024)

  • Zein M Abdalla

    Board Chair

    Director → Board Chair, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    6 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Serge Auguste Kouakou

    Country Director & Senegal

    On filings since 2022

    55 hrs/week

    $451K (2022) → $465K (2024)

  • David Bagenda

    Senior Director & Finance

    New on the 2024 filing

    55 hrs/week

    $450K (2024)

  • Jay Ireland

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennifer Fonstad

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Louise Arbour

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Valerie Amos

    Director

    Director → Board Chair, 2023

    Board Chair → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Sabia

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robin Washington

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sewit Ahderom

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tsega Gebreyes

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Carole Wamuyu Wainaina

    Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Peter Materu

    Chief Program Officer

    On filings since 2019

    55 hrs/week

    $486K (2019) → $754K (2024)

  • Julie Gichuru

    Chief Public Affairs & Communications

    Head of Public Affairs & Communications → Chief Public Affairs & Communications, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    55 hrs/week

    $330K (2020) → $341K (2024)

  • Amos Odero

    Head - Pan Aftrica Programs

    Lead, Regional Strategy & Plan → Head - Pan Aftrica Programs, 2024

    On filings since 2021

    55 hrs/week

    $443K (2021) → $452K (2024)

  • Douglas Kasambala

    Chief Financial Officer

    On filings since 2023

    55 hrs/week

    $405K (2023) → $640K (2024)

  • Linda Osodo

    Ag. Chief People & Culture Officer

    Chief People & Culture Officer → Ag. Chief People & Culture Officer, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    55 hrs/week

    $192K (2023) → $239K (2024)

  • Oluwole Onabolo

    General Counsel

    On filings since 2023

    55 hrs/week

    $443K (2023) → $578K (2024)

  • Jennifer Ramnath

    Chief, Digital & Info. Officer

    New on the 2024 filing

    55 hrs/week

    $485K (2024)

  • Omotade Akin Aina

    Chief Impact & Research Officer

    New on the 2024 filing

    55 hrs/week

    $351K (2024)

  • Sconaid McGeachin

    Chief Public Affairs & Communications

    New on the 2024 filing

    55 hrs/week

    $300K (2024)

Former officers (22)
  • Former: Craig Calhoun (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Douglas Doug Baillie (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Nathalie Gabala (2020–2023) — Executive Director & Pan Africa
  • Former: Samuel Adela (2021–2023) — Country Director & Ethiopia
  • Former: Shona Bezanson (2021–2023) — Director & Business Development
  • Former: Hassan El Bouhali (2022–2023) — Strategic Advisor & Digital Eco
  • Former: Omotade Akin-Aina (2023) — Chief Impact & Research Officer
  • Former: Rosy Fynn (2023) — Country Director & Nigeria
  • Former: David Marlow (2019–2022) — Chief Operations Officer Former
  • Former: Jendayi Frazer (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Daniel Hailu (2020–2022) — Executive Director & Country Pr
  • Former: James Ireland (2022) — Director
  • Former: Rosemary Nduhiu (2022) — Acting Chief Operations Officer
  • Former: Festus G. Mogae (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: James Jim Leech (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Andrew Park (2020) — Head of Strategic Operations
  • Former: Sulley Gariba (2020) — Head of Impact
  • Former: James Cooke (2019) — Head of Finance Operations
  • Former: Kimberley KERR (2019) — Education Lead
  • Former: Lindsay Wallace (2019) — Head of Impact
  • Former: Sergio Gomez (2019) — Head of It
  • Former: Sharon Alton (2019) — Head of Hr & Canada

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Reeta Roy — President and CEO: $1.3MReeta RoyPresident and CEO$1.3MPeter Materu — Chief Program Officer: $754KPeter MateruChief Program Officer$754KDouglas Kasambala — Chief Financial Officer: $640KDouglas KasambalaChief Financial Officer$640KOluwole Onabolo — General Counsel: $578KOluwole OnaboloGeneral Counsel$578KWariko Waita — Director Pac - ED.&TRANSITIONS: $527KWariko WaitaDirector Pac - ED.&TRANSITIONS$527KTina Muparadzi — Exec. Director-ED.&TRANSITIONS: $487KTina MuparadziExec. Director-ED.&TRANSITIONS$487KJennifer Ramnath — Chief, Digital and Info. Off.: $485KJennifer RamnathChief, Digital and Info. Off.$485KSerge Auguste Kouakou — Country Director, Senegal: $465KSerge Auguste KouakouCountry Director, Senegal$465KAmos Odero — Head - Pan Aftrica Programs: $452KAmos OderoHead - Pan Aftrica Programs$452KDavid Bagenda — Senior Director, Finance: $450KDavid BagendaSenior Director, Finance$450KOmotade Akin Aina — Chief IMPACT&RESEARCH Officer: $351KOmotade Akin AinaChief IMPACT&RESEARCH Officer$351KJulie Gichuru — Chief Public AFFAIRS&COMMUNICA: $341KJulie GichuruChief Public AFFAIRS&COMMUNICA$341KSconaid McGeachin — Chief Public AFFAIRS&COMMUNICA: $300KSconaid McGeachinChief Public AFFAIRS&COMMUNICA$300KLinda Osodo — Ag. Chief PEOPLE&CULTURE Offic: $239KLinda OsodoAg. Chief PEOPLE&CULTURE Offic$239K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $1.3M, to Reeta Roy (President and CEO). 14 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Mastercard Foundation

How much does Mastercard Foundation give each year?

Mastercard Foundation gave $270.4M across 52 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $190.3M across 43 grants.

What is Mastercard Foundation's typical grant size?

Mastercard Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,365,152, and its average grant was $5,199,457, across 52 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mastercard Foundation that year got $2.6M on average.

Where does Mastercard Foundation give grants?

Mastercard Foundation's top state is New York, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Arizona (15%) and Illinois (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (11 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants), Washington, WA (2 grants) and Berkeley, CA (2 grants).

Does Mastercard Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 52 grants with a stated purpose on Mastercard Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Youth Learning" (41 grants) and "Financial Inclusion" (11 grants).

Who are Mastercard Foundation's largest grantees?

Mastercard Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Arizona State University ($40,434,702), UNICEF The United Nations Children's Fund ($35,000,000) and One Acre Fund ($22,673,980), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Mastercard Foundation?

Mastercard Foundation reported $50.3B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.5B.

What does Mastercard Foundation fund?

The mission stated in the Foundation’s 2024 filing is to advance youth education and promote financial inclusion for financially disadvantaged people and communities as a means of relieving poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Mastercard Foundation?

Mastercard Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mastercardfdn.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is Mastercard Foundation's EIN?

Mastercard Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 98-0543843. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 20, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 13, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Mastercard Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders with grantees in common

Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Mastercard Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mastercard-foundation-morg_b2af6586faff454dbd37abfc4d4f47be

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_980543843_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Mastercard Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/mastercard-foundation-morg_b2af6586faff454dbd37abfc4d4f47be},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}

The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.

Figures come from Mastercard Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

Mastercard Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?