About MCC
Fighting Global Poverty: The MCC Approach
MCC Educational and Recruitment Video – Produced with images provided by MCC staff and in-country partners.
For more information, please contact MCC’s Office of Public Affairs.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a United States Government corporation designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world. Established in January 2004, MCC is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom and investments in people. MCC’s mission is to reduce global poverty through the promotion of sustainable economic growth.
Before a country can become eligible to receive assistance, MCC looks at their performance on independent and transparent policy indicators. MCC selects eligible countries for Compact Assistance.
Countries that have demonstrated significant improvement in policy indicators but do not yet qualify for a Compact grant may be eligible for Threshold Program assistance. Threshold programs are smaller grants designed to help improve performance on specific indicators.
Led by a Chief Executive Officer and overseen by a Board of Directors, MCC is responsible for the stewardship of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), which receives funds appropriated by Congress every year.
Reducing
Poverty Through
Economic Growth
The MCC focuses specifically on promoting sustainable economic growth to reduce poverty through investments in areas such as transportation, water and industrial infrastructure, agriculture, education, private sector development, and capacity building.
Good Policies Matter
Using objective indicators, countries are selected to receive assistance based on their performance in governing justly, investing in their citizens, and encouraging economic freedom. Because corruption undermines every aspect of sustainable development, MCC has made fighting it one of its highest priorities.
Country Ownership
MCC works in partnership with eligible countries which are responsible for identifying the greatest barriers to their own development; for developing their own priorities for a compact, with input from the public, as well as civil, political, and private sector actors; and for implementing compact programs once they have been approved. Participation in the MCA program requires high-level engagement and leadership by the partner government, as well as civil society and other domestic stakeholders to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of an MCC investment.
Focus on Results
Assistance goes to those countries that have developed well-designed programs with clear objectives, benchmarks to measure progress, procedures to ensure fiscal accountability for the use of our grants, and a plan for effective monitoring and objective evaluation of results. Programs are designed to enable sustainable progress even after the funding under the Compact has ended, and each Compact is designed to be finished in less then five years.