MasterCard Foundation - Research & Evaluation in Philanthropy 

Presenters: 

Joe Dickman (Deputy Director, Research, Evaluation and Learning Team)
Sandra Nkusi (Research, Evaluation and Learning Team)
Shona Bezanson (Associate Program Manager, Scholar's Team) 

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Talk description: 

This presentation will introduce the philanthropic work of MasterCard Foundation and the research undertaken by the Foundation to help its strategic planning and decision making process. 

This talk will discuss: 

• The youth programs MasterCard Foundation supports in Africa; 
• The approaches used by MasterCard Foundation in conducting research and evaluation to gain an understanding of community needs; and
• The role of philanthropy and private foundations in places where public services are not as extensive as in Canada.

Event Details:

Presenter Bios: 

Joe Dickman manages evaluation and learning activities across the Foundation. He brings over 12 years of international development experience, eight of which focused on program design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Prior to joining the Foundation, Joe was Deputy Director of Design, Monitoring and Evaluation at Mercy Corps, where he coordinated technical assistance to field programs and managed a dynamic agency-wide community of practice focused on peer learning. He has also worked with CARE International and the World Bank, and has lived and worked in over 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs, with major in International Development, from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston College.

Sandra Nkusi works on the Foundation’s Research, Evaluation, and Learning Team and provides support to all the team members and their various initiatives. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked with a local credit union in Ottawa and a rural-agricultural focused microfinance institution in Bolivia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Spanish from Queen’s University.

Shona Bezanson supports several different initiatives within the Scholars Program team. Prior to joining the Foundation, Shona spent eight years working overseas where she led child protection and child rights governance programs for Save the Children in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad. She also worked with Right To Play and a national organization implementing projects for vulnerable children and youth in Thailand. Shona completed a Masters’ degree in International Development Studies at Dalhousie University and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science at Mount Allison University.

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