2017 Q2 Board Book (Staff)

The June 21st, 2017 Board Meeting focused on the Foundation's strategic planning and program development, with a strong emphasis on youth employment in Africa, and continued support for education and financial inclusion initiatives. This period is marked by the development of a new Foundation strategy, the launch of major initiatives, and efforts to enhance program effectiveness and impact.

Key activities and initiatives during this period include:

1) Strategic Planning: The Foundation is creating a new strategy to address youth employment in Africa, which includes defining success indicators and conducting research on new opportunities. The Foundation has also developed a theory of change, vision and goal focused on enabling young Africans to secure dignified work, with a target of 30 million young people, particularly young women, having fulfilling work by 2030. The Foundation has also refined its approach to country selection, narrowing its focus to Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, and Ethiopia.

2) Program Development and Expansion: The Foundation is launching major initiatives in Rwanda, including programs focused on employment and enterprise development in the tourism and hospitality sector, and a secondary education teachers' initiative. The Foundation is also developing partnerships in various sectors, including agriculture and education.

3) Agriculture Program: The Foundation is one of the largest funders in agricultural-related programming in Africa, with a focus on education, livelihoods training, and financial services for smallholder farmers. The Foundation is also looking at opportunities to integrate programming to advance youth employment opportunities in the agriculture sector.

4) Education and Learning: The Foundation is enhancing its Scholars Program by implementing a learning partnership to support joint learning across program partners. This includes a longitudinal study to demonstrate the impact of the program on Scholars and their communities. The Foundation is also expanding its support for Indigenous youth education in Canada.

5) Financial Inclusion: The Foundation continues to support projects that expand access to financial services, including savings and agriculture loans for smallholder farmers. The Foundation is also exploring the use of technology to improve financial inclusion.

6) Thought Leadership: The Foundation is actively engaging in thought leadership, by releasing reports, such as Invisible Lives and Skills at Scale, and through speaking engagements. It also has a new podcast series, "Go Far, Go Together" to share perspectives from people working in global development.

Overall, the Mastercard Foundation's activities in the second quarter of 2017 demonstrate a commitment to a strategic, integrated, and country-focused approach, with a renewed emphasis on addressing youth unemployment through education, skills development, and economic opportunities in Africa. The Foundation is actively working to enhance its programs, develop new initiatives, and deepen its impact through partnerships and knowledge sharing.