Mastercard Foundation gifts $25 million to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
The gift will strengthen the NCTR’s capacity to offer resources and programs that engage youth and children in learning, understanding, and action
Today, the Mastercard Foundation announced a transformative $25 million gift to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), strengthening the Centre’s ability to reach young people across Canada with reconciliation-focused education. This extraordinary funding is part of the Foundation’s $235 million strategic commitment to 30 organizations that are creating brighter futures for Indigenous youth through 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.”
Supporting the Calls to Action
Marking a decade of work under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Final Report and Calls to Action, this funding supports the exceptional contributions of organizations across Canada that are elevating Indigenous youth leadership and transforming post-secondary education with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.
The gift to the NCTR will strengthen the Centre’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 NCTR is inspiring young people to become builders of a more just and equitable future. Nearly one million students engage annually in Truth and Reconciliation Week through national education programs, resources, virtual events, and teaching materials. Creative leadership is sparked through Imagine a Canada, a program that empowers youth to envision a reconciled future. With this new support, those programs will reach even further, igniting young voices and leadership across the country.
“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 tenth anniversary of the TRC is a vital time for all Canadians to reflect on progress made and recommit to the urgent work ahead. In alignment with this, the Mastercard Foundation has also gifted $5 million to the University of Manitoba. This funding will enable UM to expand their reach, accelerate change in service of Indigenous youth and deepen partnerships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.
Together for truth and reconciliation
With the support of generous donors, including the Mastercard Foundation, the NCTR ensures the truths of Survivors are safeguarded, honoured, and carried forward by young people who will lead us into a future of equity and understanding.
At its heart, this partnership reflects a shared vision: creating a better future by learning from the truths of the past. The Mastercard Foundation has long been dedicated to building stronger, more equitable communities, and this funding demonstrates a deep commitment to equip the next generation with the tools they need to imagine, and to build, a reconciled Canada. The NCTR is honoured to walk this journey with the Mastercard Foundation and deeply thankful for their trust, confidence, and vision for a brighter future.