Canva founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht are investing $150 million in an unconditional cash transfer programme in Malawi, expanding what organisers say is the largest initiative of its kind in a low-income country.
The programme, launched in 2021 through the Canva Foundation and nonprofit GiveDirectly, sends cash directly to adults in some of Malawi’s poorest communities via mobile phones without restrictions on how the money is spent.
The founders initially committed $10 million before increasing funding to $50 million between 2021 and 2023. In October 2025, they pledged a further $100 million, GiveDirectly’s largest single donation, bringing the total commitment to $150 million.
Each adult recipient receives about $550, an amount that can exceed a year’s income for many Malawians. More than $52.5 million has already been distributed, with the remainder due to be paid over the next four years.
In explaining the initiative, the founders said Canva has long been guided by a two-step mission.
“Step One is to build one of the world’s most valuable companies. Step Two is to do the most good we can. With more than 30% of Canva’s value (shares) committed to doing good in the world, this vision has shaped everything we do, from the products we create to the kind of company we’ve strived to be.”
According to GiveDirectly, early results from Malawi’s Khongoni sub-district showed that 90% of recipients moved above the extreme poverty line within three months of receiving the payments.
The organisation also reported a 48% decline in child mortality, a 27% reduction in illness and a 23% increase in school enrolment in the area. More than 139,000 people have benefited from the programme.
Research cited by GiveDirectly found that every $1,000 transferred generated about $2,400 in local economic activity as recipients spent or invested the funds in nearby businesses. The study also found no evidence that the influx of cash fuelled inflation.
The next phase will expand the programme to Malawi’s Chiradzulu district, where GiveDirectly aims to reach about 185,000 people by early 2027 in what it says will be the world’s largest randomised controlled trial of unconditional cash transfers.
The trial, conducted with the Malawian government, will compare the impact of cash transfers alone with cash combined with interventions such as technical assistance and community grants.
Perkins and Obrecht, who signed the Giving Pledge in 2021, have committed to donating most of their Canva wealth through their foundation, arguing that people living in poverty are often best placed to decide how to use financial assistance.
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Faustine Ngila is the AI Editor at Impact Newswire, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an award-winning journalist specializing in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and emerging technologies.
He previously worked as a global technology reporter at Quartz in New York and Digital Frontier in London, where he covered innovation, startups, and the global digital economy.
With years of experience reporting on cutting-edge technologies, Faustine focuses on AI developments, industry trends, and the impact of technology on society.
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