Mastercard Foundation Invests in Healing Through Education
TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG – September 9, 2025 – The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is honoured to receive a $25 million gift from the Mastercard Foundation. This landmark contribution enhances the Centre’s ability to reach young people across Canada with reconciliation-focused education.
“On behalf of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Mastercard for this generous gift. This contribution is more than financial support, it is a powerful recognition of Survivors, their truths, and the children who never returned home from residential schools,” said Stephanie Scott, Executive Director of the NCTR.
“With this partnership, we will be able to showcase the voices and strength of Survivors on an international scale, ensuring the world bears witness to their statements and oral histories. Reconciliation is not a single act, but a shared journey. With Mastercard walking alongside us, we move closer to a future rooted in truth, justice, and hope.”
This gift will strengthen the NCTR’s capacity to advance reconciliation for all Canadians through the education of children and youth. As the permanent home of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s records and sacred items, the Centre plays a vital role in honouring Survivors’ truths and ensuring they guide present and future generations to learn, reflect, and take action.
“The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation is engaged, day in and day out, in the vital work of protecting and preserving the truth of the residential school experience for Survivors, their families, and to enable all those living in Canada to act with knowledge for a more just and equitable future. We made a commitment to young Indigenous people that we would walk alongside them to transform post-secondary education in ways that support them to live a good life. This exemplary organization is contributing to that change and to a stronger country for us all,” Jennifer Brennan, Senior Director, Canada Programs at the Mastercard Foundation.
The NCTR engages young people through national education programs such as Truth and Reconciliation Week, which reaches nearly one million students annually with resources, virtual events, and teaching materials, and Imagine a Canada, a creative leadership program that empowers youth to envision a reconciled future.
With the support of generous donors, including the Mastercard Foundation, the NCTR honours Survivors as living witnesses through education, archives, and community programs. This provides young people with the knowledge they need to shape a better future for everyone.
The Mastercard Foundation’s investment marks the 10th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, a time for all Canadians to reflect on progress made and recommit to the urgent work ahead.
About the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
The NCTR was established to preserve the memory of Canada’s residential school system and its lasting impacts. Through archives, education, and community engagement, the Centre honours Survivors and their families, fosters reconciliation, and advances the ongoing work of truth-telling across the country and internationally.
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Its EleV strategy supports 100,000 Indigenous youth in Canada to complete their education and transition to meaningful work aligned with their traditions, values, and aspirations.