Canva billionaires and couple Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have taken a step that challenges traditional aid by putting cash directly into the hands of the East African country’s poorest families. The co-founder of an Australian design software maker is investing a massive $150 million in a cash transfer program in Malawi. Since launching the initiative in 2021 through the Canva Foundation and nonprofit GiveDirectly, the pair have expanded what started as a $10 million pilot into the largest unconditional cash transfer program to date in a low-income country.Instead of building infrastructure or distributing food, the program sends cash via mobile phones directly to recipients with no strings attached. Each adult receives about $550, an amount that may exceed the annual income of many Malawians.
aim to do good
This initiative has expanded rapidly. Between 2021 and 2023, the couple pledged to give $50 million, but in October 2025, they pledged another $100 million, the largest donation in GiveDirectly’s history. This is in addition to the $2.5 billion in product value Canva says it has donated to students, teachers, and more than a million nonprofits. Explaining the initiative, the founders said that Canva has always been guided by a “simple but ambitious” two-step plan.According to a report by Business Insider Africa, he said, “The first step is to build one of the most valuable companies in the world. The second step is to do as much good as possible. 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 make to the kind of company we’re striving to build.”To date, more than $52.5 million has reached recipients, with the remainder scheduled for distribution over the next four years.
developing malawi
The results of the project have been surprising and encouraging. In Malawi’s Khongoni subdistrict, where every adult received cash, 90% of recipients rose above the extreme poverty line within three months, according to GiveDirectly. The organization also reported a 48% decline in child mortality, a 27% reduction in disease, and a 23% increase in school enrollment. More than 139,000 people have benefited from the program.Researchers have also found widespread economic benefits. One study showed that every $1,000 transferred generated approximately $2,400 in local economic activity as recipients spent the money and reinvested the money in nearby businesses.In the next phase in Malawi’s Chiradzulu district, the program aims to reach 185,000 people by early 2027, in what GiveDirectly says is the world’s largest randomized controlled trial of unconditional cash transfers. The study, conducted in collaboration with the Government of Malawi, will examine whether additional assistance such as technical assistance or community grants deliver better results than cash alone.For Perkins and Obrecht, the project reflects a broader philosophy. The pair, who signed the Giving Pledge in 2021, have committed to donating the majority of their Canva assets through their foundation. Their belief is simple: people experiencing poverty are often in the best position to decide what they need most.
big plans
Perkins and Obrecht, who own an 18% stake in Canva worth $7.6 billion, pledged to donate more than 80% of their wealth through the Canva Foundation, part of what Perkins calls his “lifelong giving journey.” His co-founder Cameron Adams, who Forbes estimates has a 9% stake in Canva worth $3.8 billion, has also committed the majority of his wealth to charity through The Giving Pledge, but plans to do so outside of the Canva Foundation.Recently, the couple announced the launch of a new philanthropic initiative called the Global Goals Platform. The effort, funded by his Canva Foundation, will survey citizens around the world about the changes they want to see in the world; This is an initial step towards finally fulfilling his pledge of giving a 30% stake in his $42 billion private company.“We have an optimistic belief that there are enough resources and goodwill in the world to achieve all of our goals, but the goals are undervalued,” Perkins, who serves as Canva’s CEO, told Forbes. “So the idea behind the Goals Platform is… to ask everyone, ‘What is one goal that you would like to see achieved in your lifetime, for the world, for your country, and for your local community’… and then helping everyone understand that these are goals that are shared across our communities.“