Canva Founders Commit $150 Million to Malawi Cash Program, Backing Largest No-Strings Transfer
Updated
Updated · OkayAfrica · Jul 15
Canva Founders Commit $150 Million to Malawi Cash Program, Backing Largest No-Strings Transfer
2 articles · Updated · OkayAfrica · Jul 15
Summary
$150 million from Canva founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht will fund what organizers call the largest unconditional cash transfer program ever launched in a low-income country, targeting adults in Malawi.
GiveDirectly is running the initiative, sending cash directly to recipients with no conditions attached as the program aims to reduce extreme poverty.
Early results indicate the transfers have lifted thousands out of extreme poverty while improving health, education and incomes.
The Malawi program featured in a wider Africa news roundup that also highlighted DR Congo's Ebola outbreak topping 2,000 cases and 750 deaths.
Is giving cash directly to the poor the new blueprint for ending poverty, or a temporary fix with unintended consequences?
With standard Ebola vaccines useless, can a cure for the deadly Bundibugyo strain be found before the outbreak spirals out of control?
Amid rising violence and a targeted killing, is South Africa on the verge of a full-scale xenophobic crisis?
Transforming Aid: Inside Malawi’s $150 Million Unconditional Cash Transfer Experiment
Overview
Malawi is carrying out the largest unconditional cash transfer program ever attempted in a low-income country, backed by a $150 million commitment from Canva founders through the Canva Foundation and GiveDirectly. This initiative is unique because it is both unconditional and universal within its district, and it is funded by private tech wealth rather than government resources. As of July 2026, the program is distributing an additional $100 million, aiming to reach 185,000 people by early 2027. This large-scale experiment is designed to rigorously test the impact of direct cash aid on poverty and economic empowerment.