History Spotlight 15 - Then and Now - From Microfinance to Financial Inclusion

In 2024, the Corporate History team launched “Our History, Our Legacy,” a three-year campaign to connect all employees globally to the Foundation’s history, milestones, and ways of working. One of the tactics within this promotional campaign included the release of "History Spotlights", which highlight the Foundation's past work, and emphasize its unique approach to philanthropy through trust-based partnerships, collaborative learning, and empowerment of youth in driving sustainable impact.

This fifteenth History Spotlight was posted to the Foundation's internal communication channels on January 21, 2025 and included the following contextual information:

Change is essential for impact. In 2013, the Mastercard Foundation made a pivotal shift—expanding from microfinance to a broader vision of financial inclusion. Central to this was focusing additional resources in the most rural and remote regions of Africa. We sought new ways to give young people greater financial stability as they entered the economy.