Canva's billionaire founders donated $150 million directly to residents of Malawi; aided 90% rise above extreme poverty

Canva billionaires and couple Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have made a move challenging conventional aid by putting cash directly into the hands of an East African country's poorest households. The cofounders of the Australian design software maker are investing a whopping $150 million into a cash transfer program in Malawi. Since launching the initiative in 2021 through the Canva Foundation and nonprofit GiveDirectly, the couple has expanded what began as a $10 million pilot into the largest unconditional cash transfer program ever attempted in a low-income country.Rather than building infrastructure or distributing food, the program sends cash directly to recipients via mobile phones, with no strings attached. Each adult receives about $550, an amount that can exceed a year's income for many Malawians.The aim to do goodThe initiative has expanded rapidly. Between 2021 and 2023, the couple committed $50 million, but in October 2025, they pledged another $100 million, marking the largest donation in GiveDirectly's history. That’s in addition to the $2.5 billion in product value Canva says it has donated to students, teachers, and more than one million nonprofits. While explain...