The Mastercard Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of youth in some of the most impoverished nations in the world, through education and financial assistance. Though the foundation was established through a gift shares from Mastercard Worldwide, it remains totally independent. 

The Foundation’s primary mission is to provide the means for impoverished youth to attain a better life through education and financial assistance. 

The Mastercard Foundation operates two primary programs: Financial Inclusion and Youth Learning. In Financial Inclusion, the Foundation provides a means for low-income families and small businesses to have access financial services. 

In order to achieve its mission, the Foundation partnered with numerous organizations such as CARE Canada, Opportunity International, Freedom from Hunger, and Mennonite Economic Development Association, to name a few. 

However, the Foundation has made it clear that recipients of the Financial Inclusion program are not expected to attain financial security through the program alone. Instead, the program is only a means for them to start their journey. 

The Youth Learning Program was established to provide a means for youth to obtain education and land jobs. Though some of their recipients are already undergoing some form of education, the program also focuses on developing out-of-school youth with the objective of them finding suitable jobs in the near future. 

Aside from the two primary programs, The Mastercard Foundation also offers a scholars program wherein they provide assistance to talented and disadvantaged youth to obtain education or develop the necessary skills for them to become active within their communities. 

The Foundation has partnered with several well known educational institutions and organizations to achieve this mission. Some of them are: Arizona State University, EARTH University, and University of Toronto. 

Although The Mastercard Foundation operates mainly in Africa, they have their headquarters in Toronto Canada and are lead by CEO Reeta Roy.