Pathway to Prosperity

Aerial view of village in uganda.
In Bidi Bidi, Uganda, South Sudanese refugees fleeing continued conflict are welcomed at this Mercy Corps-supported refugee settlement where they are adapting to their new country with livelihood training and savings and loans groups.

Updated May 20, 2026

A call to action

We are living in a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty. Extreme poverty affects one in ten people across the globe, disproportionately impacting women and girls. By 2050, the majority of the world’s extreme poor will be concentrated in fragile contexts. Violent conflict continues to rise to levels not seen since World War II. The world is facing a global climate emergency – a crisis that is most felt by the communities that have least contributed to it. Without concerted action, we will continue to see rising inequality, hunger, violence, and displacement for years to come.

Our why

Our global strategy – the Pathway to Prosperity – reflects our ambitions to help underserved people impacted by conflict, climate change, and economic hardship emerge from crisis to cope, adapt, and thrive. Mercy Corps pairs local knowledge with global resources to chart a pathway to recovery, resilience, and progress - even after the crisis fades from the headlines. Because when every community can prosper, all of humanity moves forward.

Our impact priorities

We work towards three interconnected impact priorities:

  • Addressing Urgent Needs: People’s immediate needs are met - enabling them to survive, recover, and build a better future.
  • Accelerating Climate Solutions: People can adapt to the immediate effects and long-term risks and impacts of climate change.
  • Driving Economic and Food Security: People have expanded security and opportunity through sustained access to food, income, and jobs.

Our pathways to impact

We deliver impact through three reinforcing pathways:

  • Program Delivery: Whether delivering programs directly or with partners, our work builds trust, strengthens governance, and enhances communities’ ability to address shared challenges.
  • Influence: Leveraging evidence, we use our voice to influence policies and practices that matter most to the communities where we work.
  • Innovation Platforms: We scale innovative solutions by supporting entrepreneurs and impact investment in fragile markets and leverage technology to deliver information and services to those who need them most.

Our commitments

Our commitments represent the principles we strive to advance in everything we do:

  • Safe, Diverse, and Inclusive: We help create a culture of inclusion for all people that protects, enables, and elevates diverse community members and groups.
  • Locally Led: We are intentional about sharing and ceding power, building meaningful equitable partnerships, and centering communities' voices in all we do.

Learn more

Further explanation of Mercy Corps Pathway to Possibility can be found by downloading these accompanying documents:

Pathway to Possibility Strategy Document ▸
(Arabic) (English) (French) (Spanish)

Pathway to Possibility At-A-Glance Overview Brochure ▸
(Arabic) (English) (French) (Spanish)