We want everyone, everywhere to thrive
Social Impact is part of Visa’s commitment to advancing inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth for everyone, everywhere. Our focus is on driving initiatives that use the scale of our network, our products, our financial resources, and the collective expertise and commitment of our employees, to reach those traditionally underserved, providing them with access to resources that can help improve their economic livelihoods, businesses and communities.
Areas we’re focused on
Small and micro business
Small and micro businesses are the backbone of the global economy. We are committed to providing tools and resources to help empower them with skills, solutions and access to networks and financial services to fund, run and grow their businesses.
PRIORITIES
- Financial education and digital skill building
- Digital commerce and capabilities
- Equitable access to capital
Equity and inclusion
We believe that communities and economies thrive when all individuals and business are included in the formal financial system and can benefit from financial and digital access. Our initiatives and partnerships focus on helping to enable equitable access to the financial and digital ecosystem for everyone, everywhere.
PRIORITIES
- Women's economic advancement
- Racial equity
- Financial inclusion and digital equity
- Financial education
Community
We are committed to strengthening the communities in which we live and work by using our resources, network and the talent of our global employee base to make a positive social impact where it is most needed.
PRIORITIES
- Disaster and humanitarian relief
- Employee volunteerism and giving
- Philanthropy
Doing measurable good
Philanthropic giving
In FY 2021, Visa Inc. contributed more than $21.5 million to charities around the globe, while Visa Foundation disbursed $25.9 million in grants.
For more detailed data, please see our Environmental, Social and Governance resources.
For more information about grants, see our notice on Charitable Giving.
Featured programs and partnerships
Practical Business Skills
Global digital platform powered by Visa, delivering free education resources to help small and micro business owners start, manage and grow their businesses.
Women’s World Banking
Visa Foundation partnership to financially empower millions of women-led micro and small enterprises globally.
Hand in Hand
Visa partnership with Hand in Hand to provide more than 10,000 micro businesses in Kenya, 75% of which are women-owned, with access to business and financial skills education, and broadened access to financial services.
UMKM Bisa!
Visa partnership with Gojek in Indonesia to provide small and micro business owners with online lessons and resources to help them maintain and grow their businesses.
Village Capital
Visa Foundation partnership to support accelerators working to close the financing gap facing underserved entrepreneurs in Latin America, with a focus on food and agriculture innovation.
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Visa Foundation partnership creating employment opportunities for rural youth in Africa by designing a network of innovative and integrated agribusiness hubs to build entrepreneurial capacity and technical/managerial skills.
TechnoServe
Visa Foundation partnership to strengthen the gender diversity of local farmer cooperatives in India and their institutional capacity to make them resilient to economic shocks.
IFundWomen
Global partnership to help women entrepreneurs secure the funding they need through a series of grant contests and providing access to expert business coaching.
Kiva
Visa Foundation partnership to increase financial access for underserved small and micro businesses, wherein Visa employees help designate microloans to the participant businesses.
Employees making a difference
Visa encourages and supports employees to make an impact in ways that inspire them, whether that is through volunteering, giving or empowering people and communities in need.
How we empower employees
- Matching gifts up to $10,000 annually per employee
- Double matching on Giving Tuesday and for select disaster relief donations
- 16 hours of Volunteer Time Off
- Dollars for Doers: employees earn $10 per hour of volunteering to give back to charity
- Small business mentorship and Kiva loan programs
For annual programmatic and progress updates please see the latest Environmental, Social and Governance report.
Visa Foundation
Social impact insights and research
Empowering Participation in Commerce: New Strategies for Digitization of Micro and Small Businesses
A review of literature on digital payments’ impact on micro and small businesses reveals how digitalization is changing this segment, and why understanding this transition is key to inform effective public and private strategies and investments to accelerate the success of the small business sector as a whole.
Unlocking the Benefits of Digital Payments for Micro and Small Businesses: Insights from Mexico
Research commissioned by Visa in Mexico reveals that accepting digital payments can help small and micro business owners increase revenue, improve business management and expand their customer base.
Assessing the Role of Biometrics in Financial Inclusion
Biometrics technology can enhance the convenience and security of digital payments, and many observers have pointed to the potential benefits of using it to advance financial inclusion. This paper analyses how, and under what conditions, biometrics can facilitate financial and digital inclusion for lower income and unbanked populations and highlights the enabling policies and regulations.
Digital Financial Services (DFS) Ecosystems: Underpinning the Potential for Livelihood Transformation in Urban Areas
The existence of an inclusive digital financial ecosystem can be a foundation for increased incomes and poverty alleviation by transforming livelihoods and providing new forms of work. This paper explores the background, drivers and policies underlying such ecosystems and highlights the ecosystems’ impact on lives and livelihoods.