About the Foundation's Archives and the Heritage Hub
The Foundation's archives were established in 2024 to allow for the long-term preservation, storage, and access to vital historical resources. The archives digital collection, housed on the Heritage Hub, highlights the Foundation's evolution since 2006 and provides evidence of the activities and impact of our work in Africa and within Indigenous communities in Canada.
- Pilot/Phase 1:
-
- The Heritage Hub pilot was officially launched to Foundation staff in June 2025. This is the first of four phases before we reach full implementation. For the pilot phase, over 1,500 digital records have been fully catalogued, with a focus on documents related to governance, administration, and the Foundation’s corporate history. The remaining three phases will include the following activities:
♦ Current Phase - Phase 2:
-
- Importing and cataloguing of audio-visual materials and images from ResourceSpace, in addition to cataloguing 2,000+ records pertaining to Foundation communications, programs and learning, and special projects.
- Phase 3:
- Working with Program and Country Teams to determine gaps in current archival collection to ensure all historic materials are captured and preserved.
- Working with Program and Country Teams to determine gaps in current archival collection to ensure all historic materials are captured and preserved.
- Phase 4:
- Ongoing accruals of new materials to the Foundation's archives, via workflows through SharePoint and co-collaboration with Foundation staff and teams.
- Ongoing accruals of new materials to the Foundation's archives, via workflows through SharePoint and co-collaboration with Foundation staff and teams.
For more information about the Foundation's Archival Policy and resources, please visit the Foundation Archives site.
About the Foundation's Archives and the Heritage Hub
The Foundation's archives were established in 2024 to allow for the long-term preservation, storage, and access to vital historical resources. The archives digital collection, housed on the Heritage Hub, highlights the Foundation's evolution since 2006 and provides evidence of the activities and impact of our work in Africa and within Indigenous communities in Canada.
- Pilot/Phase 1:
-
- The Heritage Hub pilot was officially launched to Foundation staff in June 2025. This is the first of four phases before we reach full implementation. For the pilot phase, over 1,500 digital records have been fully catalogued, with a focus on documents related to governance, administration, and the Foundation’s corporate history. The remaining three phases will include the following activities:
♦ Current Phase - Phase 2:
-
- Importing and cataloguing of audio-visual materials and images from ResourceSpace, in addition to cataloguing 2,000+ records pertaining to Foundation communications, programs and learning, and special projects.
- Phase 3:
- Working with Program and Country Teams to determine gaps in current archival collection to ensure all historic materials are captured and preserved.
- Working with Program and Country Teams to determine gaps in current archival collection to ensure all historic materials are captured and preserved.
- Phase 4:
- Ongoing accruals of new materials to the Foundation's archives, via workflows through SharePoint and co-collaboration with Foundation staff and teams.
- Ongoing accruals of new materials to the Foundation's archives, via workflows through SharePoint and co-collaboration with Foundation staff and teams.
For more information about the Foundation's Archival Policy and resources, please visit the Foundation Archives site.
Mission:
The Foundation's archives serve as the institutional memory and central repository for all information pertaining to the history and evolution of the Mastercard Foundation since its inception in 2006. The archives' mission is to document, preserve, and make accessible records of enduring value, which provide evidence of the activities and impact of the Foundation's work in Africa and within Indigenous communities in Canada.
Vision:
- To become the central and authoritative resource for vital and historic information pertaining to the Mastercard Foundation, ensuring integrity, security, and long-term preservation of the Foundation's digital and physical assets.
- To enable and foster easy access to the Foundation's vital records, corporate history, and evidence of impact to enable informed decision-making and enhance the understanding of our evolution.
Scope:
The Foundation's archives accrue, conserve, and safeguard our organizational records, partnership materials, and select artifacts that promote and enhance the understanding of our historical journey.
Archival Mission, Vision, and Scope
Mission:
The Foundation's archives serve as the institutional memory and central repository for all information pertaining to the history and evolution of the Mastercard Foundation since its inception in 2006. The archives' mission is to document, preserve, and make accessible records of enduring value, which provide evidence of the activities and impact of the Foundation's work in Africa and within Indigenous communities in Canada.
Vision:
- To become the central and authoritative resource for vital and historic information pertaining to the Mastercard Foundation, ensuring integrity, security, and long-term preservation of the Foundation's digital and physical assets.
- To enable and foster easy access to the Foundation's vital records, corporate history, and evidence of impact to enable informed decision-making and enhance the understanding of our evolution.
Scope:
The Foundation's archives accrue, conserve, and safeguard our organizational records, partnership materials, and select artifacts that promote and enhance the understanding of our historical journey.
Collection's Mandate:
The Foundation’s archives will collect the following archival materials and make them available through the Heritage Hub:
- Records relating to the inception, development, and evolution of the Mastercard Foundation;
- Business records of enduring value from pre-endowment (~2006) to present-day that provide evidence of the Foundation’s partnerships, funding activities, and special projects;
- Small objects and artifacts, photographs, and souvenirs relating to ceremonial events, activities, and/or partnerships related to the Foundation's work;
- Materials relating to the Foundation’s diverse community groups and partnerships; and
- Records intended to disseminate and extend the reach of the Foundation’s work (i.e., commissioned films or books).
Exclusions:
The Foundation’s archives will not collect the following materials:
- Items that fall out of the scope of the Foundation’s Collection Mandate (i.e., materials with no historic, administrative, or cultural connection to the Foundation or its work);
- Items in poor physical condition which prohibit access (i.e., where the cost of the necessary conservation treatment is disproportionate to the record's historical value);
- Records that are no longer digitally accessible or have formats that are no longer supported and cannot be migrated into the current system;
- Duplicate material and temporary records;
- Records that contain information deemed confidential;
- Records that contain any Personal Identifiable Information (PII); and
- Data sets (i.e., raw statistical data often saved in .csv and .MySQL).
The Foundation’s archives staff reserve the right to refuse material that does not fall within the scope of the collections mandate, or where there is concern over the legal ownership of the material.
Selection Criteria
Collection's Mandate:
The Foundation’s archives will collect the following archival materials and make them available through the Heritage Hub:
- Records relating to the inception, development, and evolution of the Mastercard Foundation;
- Business records of enduring value from pre-endowment (~2006) to present-day that provide evidence of the Foundation’s partnerships, funding activities, and special projects;
- Small objects and artifacts, photographs, and souvenirs relating to ceremonial events, activities, and/or partnerships related to the Foundation's work;
- Materials relating to the Foundation’s diverse community groups and partnerships; and
- Records intended to disseminate and extend the reach of the Foundation’s work (i.e., commissioned films or books).
Exclusions:
The Foundation’s archives will not collect the following materials:
- Items that fall out of the scope of the Foundation’s Collection Mandate (i.e., materials with no historic, administrative, or cultural connection to the Foundation or its work);
- Items in poor physical condition which prohibit access (i.e., where the cost of the necessary conservation treatment is disproportionate to the record's historical value);
- Records that are no longer digitally accessible or have formats that are no longer supported and cannot be migrated into the current system;
- Duplicate material and temporary records;
- Records that contain information deemed confidential;
- Records that contain any Personal Identifiable Information (PII); and
- Data sets (i.e., raw statistical data often saved in .csv and .MySQL).
The Foundation’s archives staff reserve the right to refuse material that does not fall within the scope of the collections mandate, or where there is concern over the legal ownership of the material.
Guiding Principles for Digital Access:
These guiding principles summarize the Foundation's terms for providing access to digital content from the Heritage Hubs’ digital collection.
Users may reference, print, or link to digital materials in the Hub for teaching, learning, or research purposes. Material should be cited in standard bibliographical style based on the descriptive information displayed with the item, and must include:
- Courtesy of the Mastercard Foundation Archives
- Archival Reference Number (i.e., MFA.2024.1122)
- Include the URL of the digital object
Terms of Use:
In compliance with Canada's Copyright Act, copies may be made, provided, and used for the purpose of research and private study.
Fair Dealing:
The Foundation's archives welcomes "fair dealing" of its digital collections. Conditions of fair dealing specify that reproduction or use of these images may not be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." Fair dealing also includes criticism, comment, and teaching. Misuse of images from the Foundation's collections for purposes in excess of fair use may be liable for copyright infringement.
Commercial Use:
Please contact the Foundation's archives to obtain permission for any use of images or documents not included in the terms cited above for fair use: archives@mastercardfdn.org.
Copyright and Reproduction of Materials
Guiding Principles for Digital Access:
These guiding principles summarize the Foundation's terms for providing access to digital content from the Heritage Hubs’ digital collection.
Users may reference, print, or link to digital materials in the Hub for teaching, learning, or research purposes. Material should be cited in standard bibliographical style based on the descriptive information displayed with the item, and must include:
- Courtesy of the Mastercard Foundation Archives
- Archival Reference Number (i.e., MFA.2024.1122)
- Include the URL of the digital object
Terms of Use:
In compliance with Canada's Copyright Act, copies may be made, provided, and used for the purpose of research and private study.
Fair Dealing:
The Foundation's archives welcomes "fair dealing" of its digital collections. Conditions of fair dealing specify that reproduction or use of these images may not be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." Fair dealing also includes criticism, comment, and teaching. Misuse of images from the Foundation's collections for purposes in excess of fair use may be liable for copyright infringement.
Commercial Use:
Please contact the Foundation's archives to obtain permission for any use of images or documents not included in the terms cited above for fair use: archives@mastercardfdn.org.