Visa Foundation

The Visa Foundation, established in 2017 as the philanthropic arm of Visa Inc., takes a strategic, partnership-driven approach to grantmaking centered on economic inclusion for women-led and underserved small and micro businesses. Unlike traditional foundations, Visa Foundation deploys a dual strategy combining grants ($80M+ funded) with impact investments ($120M+ committed), leveraging both philanthropic capital and market-rate returns to drive systemic change. The foundation works through 150+ global partners across 60+ countries, focusing on mitigating systemic barriers facing small businesses — particularly those led by women or people from underrepresented groups. Its approach integrates financial inclusion (digital economy access), capacity building (Learning Lab program), and direct humanitarian assistance for crisis response. The foundation's Equitable Access Initiative uses a portfolio-wide learning agenda to disseminate insights across its partner network, and the Visa Foundation Gives and Matches programs engage Visa employees in community-level philanthropy, creating multiple pathways for impact beyond traditional grantmaking.

Visa Foundation distributes approximately $35.1 million annually through roughly 65 grants, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $7.4 million. The foundation has committed more than $350 million total across its lifetime. Funding is concentrated in two primary channels: (1) Strategic grants to organizations advancing economic inclusion for women-owned and underserved small businesses, with major multi-year commitments to partners like Women's World Banking, Opportunity International, and Pro Mujer; (2) Impact investments through vehicles like Elevar Equity, Root Capital, and 2X Global that generate both social returns and financial sustainability. The She's Next Grant Program, operated through IFundWomen, provides $10,000 direct grants to individual women entrepreneurs in the U.S. — a more accessible entry point than the foundation's larger strategic grants. Community-level funding through Visa Foundation Gives is employee-nominated and directed toward local social issues. The foundation's impact investing strategy is notable — $120M+ in investments alongside $80M+ in grants represents an unusually high investment-to-grant ratio among corporate foundations.

Visa Foundation is considerably smaller than its financial-sector peers like Mastercard Foundation and JPMorgan Chase Foundation, but it distinguishes itself through its unusually high impact-investing allocation and tight focus on women-led small businesses. Mastercard Foundation dwarfs all corporate foundations with $45B in assets and a near-exclusive focus on Africa, while JPMorgan Chase operates at much greater scale across broader economic themes. Visa Foundation's dual grant-plus-investment model is more sophisticated than MetLife or Citi's primarily grant-based approaches. Its geographic reach (60+ countries) is broader than most corporate foundations of similar size, reflecting Visa's global business footprint.

In 2024, Visa Foundation released its inaugural Impact Report covering six years of grantmaking and impact investing since its 2017 founding, documenting support for over 4 million small and micro businesses across 60 countries, more than 1 million jobs supported, and over $2 billion in capital invested in local communities. The She's Next Grant Program continues through IFundWomen, providing $10,000 grants to women entrepreneurs in the U.S. Notable recent partnerships include the Graca Machel Trust for Pan-African women's economic empowerment, Hand in Hand for micro business support in Kenya (where 75% of supported businesses are women-owned), and LISC for supporting women entrepreneurs of color in the United States. The foundation also made contributions to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, expanding its humanitarian assistance portfolio. Impact investments through 2X Global and Elevar Equity continue to grow the foundation's catalytic capital approach to economic inclusion.

Visa Foundation does not generally accept unsolicited proposals for its major strategic grants. However, there are several pathways to engage: (1) The She's Next Grant Program through IFundWomen is an open application for women entrepreneurs in the U.S. — apply at ifundwomen.com/visa for $10,000 grants plus mentorship. (2) For strategic partnerships, demonstrate alignment with the foundation's core focus on economic inclusion for women-led and underserved small businesses, particularly in emerging markets. (3) Organizations working in financial inclusion, digital economy access, or micro-enterprise support should highlight measurable impact on women-owned businesses and job creation. (4) The Visa Foundation Gives program involves Visa employee nominations — building relationships with Visa employees in your community can unlock this pathway. (5) Contact VisaFoundation@visa.com for general inquiries. (6) The foundation uses Versaic for proposal management (visafoundation.versaic.com) for invited applicants. (7) Given the foundation's emphasis on impact investing alongside grants, organizations that can demonstrate sustainable business models and financial returns alongside social impact may be particularly attractive. (8) Monitor the Visa corporate responsibility pages and press releases for new program announcements and open calls.