Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation (MCF) is an independent foundation based in Toronto, Canada. Through its work with partner organisations, it provides greater access to education, financial services and skills training for people living in poverty in Africa.

MCF, which was established in 2006, takes an integrated approach to research, learning and evaluation that allows for evidence-informed decision-making and amplified impact in its focus areas. MCF has a robust research and evaluation policy that articulates its core principles and approach to evaluation and a strong Learning and Strategy team. MCF currently funds a small number of impact evaluations of its projects and is providing increasingly visible support for rigorous evidence to improve development policies and programmes.
Member Since: 2014 Country: Canada Website

Overview of engagement

MCF became a 3ie member in 2014. MCF has a keen interest in building capacity and supporting impact evaluators in Africa. One of the important factors for MCF’s association with 3ie is our diverse array of members and our broader engagement with impact evaluators and policymakers in low- and middle-income countries. MCF has also made good use of 3ie’s technical services, both through the pro-bono membership benefit and the fee-for-service professional services mechanism.

Examples of 3ie engagement

  • 3ie governance: Abdoul Karim Coulibaly, manager, Learning and Strategy at the MCF will sit on the planning committee for 3ie’s 2017 Members Conference.
  • 3ie services: In January 2014, 3ie deputy director Annette Brown presented an impact evaluation workshop to over 30 staff members of MCF.
  • Professional services: 3ie provides impact evaluation management services for STRYDE 2.0, a youth skills development programme funded by MCF and implemented by TechnoServe in East Africa. The impact evaluation will focus on the implementation of this programme in Tanzania and will be conducted by a research team selected through an international competition open to all.
  • Programme sponsorship: In 2015,MCF along with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation provided guidance and funding for a 3ie scoping paper and evidence gap map on youth and transferable skills that will inform the work of its youth livelihoods programme. A short video about the EGM can be found here.