Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht and Melanie Perkins gave just under $15 million in cash to fund the first reporting year of the company’s foundation, set to become one of the country’s largest after a pledge to give most of their personal shareholding to help eradicate global poverty.

Mr Obrecht said setting up and running the Canva Foundation was a complex process, and reiterated his and Ms Perkins’ pledge to give most of their 30 per cent Canva holding, valued at about $US7.6 billion ($11 billion), to “do the most good we can”.