Every impact report begins with numbers. Ours begins with a woman in rural Benin.
She is one of the more than 60% of women in her region without access to financial digital tools, and one of the many without a bank account. In her community, only 37% of women have one, compared to 48% of men. For her, the digital economy was a door she could not open.
In 2025, the Bridging the Digital Gap project team had the opportunity to contribute to work already being led by the Batonga Foundation, an organization working to expand digital access for rural women across West Africa. Through that partnership, 100 rural women in Benin and Senegal trained in digital literacy, learned to set up businesses online, and began generating income using low-cost tools. 85% also completed sessions on digital safety and protection from online gender-based violence, because access means little without safety.
The Batonga Foundation leads this work. The role of the Melton Foundation project team was to support the development of a platform that now opens doors to access offline AI tools, bilingual learning resources, and marketplace opportunities. A planned expansion with Batonga Foundation is expected to reach up to 43,000 women across West Africa.
This is what SDG 5, Gender Equality, looks like when it moves from paper into a village. It is one story from a year full of them, and we are happy to share them through our 2025 Impact Report.
The Work Behind the Work: Governance and Renewal
Some of the most important work of 2025 never appeared on a stage or in a photo.
It happened in board rooms and feedback sessions, in hard conversations and honest surveys. Guided by voices from across our network, we strengthened our governance practices, improved how we hold ourselves accountable, and renewed our commitment to transparency, inclusion, and excellence.
We did this because we believe impact is measured not only in the programs we deliver but in the integrity behind them. An organization that asks the world to change must be willing to change itself. In 2025, we did that work, and we will keep doing it.
Where Every Contribution Went: Financial Stewardship
Trust is built through openness. That is why we share, plainly and fully, where our resources came from in 2025 and where they went. You will find the financial breakdown as a part of the Impact Report, covering our income sources, program spending, and operations.
Every contribution, whether a donation, a grant, or a volunteer hour, was a vote of confidence in this community. We treat that confidence as something to be earned again each year. Sharing these figures is part of keeping that promise.
To the People Who Make It Possible
To our donors, partners, volunteers, and community champions, thank you. Your belief in our mission fuels every milestone, every smile, and every life changed. Here’s to the next chapter. We are glad you are in it.
Access 2025 Impact Report
Thank You for Reading
We hope some of these stories stay with you. They show what happens when young people get the chance to learn, connect with others, and act on what matters in their communities. Every number, every story in this report started with a young person who decided to try something — a student stepping up to lead, a group working on a problem in their own neighborhood. Behind each of them is a community, including people like you, who care and contribute. Your support helps the Melton Foundation keep these opportunities open: for more young people to grow as global citizens, work across cultures, and do meaningful work where they live.
If this report resonated with you, consider making a donation. Your contribution goes further than you might think.