Canva Founders Invest $150M in Malawi's Largest-Ever Cash Transfer Program

Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht are directing $150 million into a direct cash transfer program for Malawi's poorest households. The initiative, run through the Canva Foundation in partnership with nonprofit GiveDirectly, was first launched in 2021 as a $10 million pilot. It has since grown into the largest unconditional cash transfer program ever undertaken in a low-income country. The program takes a non-traditional approach to aid by placing money directly in the hands of recipients rather than routing it through conventional channels.