Mastercard Foundation and New Pathways Foundation Partner to Expand Indigenous Innovation in Quebec

French Version

WENDAKE — Thursday, March 30, 2023 — New Pathways Foundation and the Mastercard Foundation have partnered to support Indigenous youth across Quebec as leaders of positive change and transformation for their communities. Rooted in a commitment to youth leadership, New Pathways Foundation works with Indigenous young people to harness the strengths, resources, and knowledges in their communities and to expand culturally appropriate programming and services, that create opportunities for Indigenous youth in Quebec to flourish.

“We work for, by and with First Nations youth. Each Nation, each youth has their own voice, their own needs. Our raison d’être is to listen to these voices, in order to translate them into concrete, positive and innovative projects. The Mastercard Foundation, through its partnership, allows us to respond to the needs and aspirations expressed by these voices. It allows us to be guided by reciprocity in all our projects while enhancing our impact on the 42 First Nations communities we serve,” says Marie-Claude Cleary, Innu from Mashteuiatsh, Executive Director of New Pathways Foundation.

“It is a testimony of trust. Trust that reflects the Mastercard Foundation’s desire to foster Indigenous philanthropic self-determination. Our team intends to seize this opportunity to mobilize other allies aligned towards a common goal: the current well-being of our youth and the 7 generations to come,” says Mickel Robertson, Innu of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The Mastercard Foundation’s contribution of $3 million is an investment in expanding the capacity and leadership of New Pathways Foundation to deepen and broaden their work.

Established by First Nations in Quebec, New Pathways Foundation has worked extensively with young people and communities to co-create programs that lead to lasting solutions. The partnership is in line with the Mastercard Foundation’s work to support Indigenous organizations to lead change on their own terms, and to build vibrant and prosperous futures with direction from Indigenous young people.

“Our partners at New Pathways Foundation have a clear vision grounded in the aspirations of Indigenous youth in Quebec, delivered through Indigenous-led programming and solutions,” says Jennifer Brennan, Director, Canada Programs at the Mastercard Foundation. “A core part of this work is strengthening the institution – rooting their work in Indigenous traditions around gifting, caring and sharing. Through this partnership, New Pathways Foundation will mobilize foundations, charities, private and public partners to support solutions in alignment with Indigenous self-determination.”

Built on Indigenous values of reciprocity and shared responsibility, this partnership is informed by the understanding that Indigenous communities have the solutions to meet the challenges and harness the opportunities they face. Together, New Pathways Foundation and the Mastercard Foundation are committed to advancing Indigenous-led opportunities for community development and individual and collective well-being.

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About New Pathways Foundation
Founded by the First Nations for the benefit of their youth in 2010, the New Pathways Foundation works for, by and with the youth of the First Nations of Quebec towards a common goal: their current well-being and that of the 7 generations to come. By creating positive practical experiences, the New Pathways Foundation fulfills its mission: To engage and support the youth of the First Nations of Quebec in their well-being, their individual and collective development, and their fulfillment. Its guiding principles: Reciprocity, the strengthening of cultural identity, pride, and the sense of belonging of First Nations youth are always present in all actions developed for, by and with First Nations youth. The main objective is to increase their confidence and their development in order to achieve the ultimate impact: First Nations youth who are confident and committed to a better future through the development of their identity.

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. It is one of the largest private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. It was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. The Foundation is an independent organization, and its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by its own Board of Directors and senior leadership team. It is a registered Canadian charity with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa.

For more information on the Foundation, please visit: mastercardfdn.org.

For more information, please contact:

Danisse Neashit

Communication and events

New Pathways Foundation

dneashit@nouveauxsentiers.com