Non-profit

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Website:

gatesfoundation.org

Location:

SEATTLE, WA

Tax ID:

56-2618866

DUNS Number:

11-932-0559

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)-PF

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $6,827,303,678
Expenses: $5,016,321,070
Assets: $51,780,459,259

Formation:

2000

Type:

Private Grantmaking Foundation

Founders:

Bill Gates

Melinda Gates

CEO:

Mark Suzman (since 2020)

Susan Desmond-Hellman (2014-2020)

Latest Form 990:

2021 Form 990

2020 Form 990

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) was formed in 2000 by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. Its total assets of nearly$55 billion (as of year-end 2021) make the Gates Foundation the largest private philanthropic foundation in the world. 1

The Gates Foundation spends five percent of its endowment on programs and advocacy concerning education, health, poverty, climate change, and “clean energy.” The other 95 percent is invested through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which is controlled by Bill and Melinda Gates and Democratic Party donor and investor Warren Buffett, who pledged $31 billion to the Foundation in 2006. They are signers of The Giving Pledge, an initiative started by Gates to invite billionaires in committing “to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropy either during their lifetimes or in their wills.” 2 3

The Foundation spent hundreds of millions of dollars to promote and implement the highly controversial national Common Core education standards. The funding for the standards stretched from teachers’ unions and business groups to political advocacy groups, and was embraced by the Obama administration, which eventually hired a number of former Gates Foundation staffers. 4

Gates and the Foundation have also come under scrutiny for purportedly cornering the market on global health initiatives, and encroaching on the territory of public organizations with parallel vision such as the World Health Organization. 5 The Foundation has given more than $82 million to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, International Planned Parenthood Federation, International Planned Parenthood Federation – European Network, International Planned Parenthood Worldwide, and Planned Parenthood in both central and western Washington state. 6

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust is the foundation’s “sister” nonprofit, established in 2006 to manage the group’s endowment and investment portfolio. 7

Founding and Mission

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was founded in 1994 as the William H. Gates Foundation. It was created by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda French Gates, and was run by Gates’ father, William H. Gates, Sr., ostensibly to focus on global health. 8

Bill and Melinda Gates founded the Gates Library Foundation in 1997 with the stated goal of bringing internet access and computers to U.S. public libraries. It became the Gates Learning Foundation in 1999 when it broadened its focus to include college readiness. 9

In 2000, the William H. Gates Foundation merged with the Gates Learning Foundation and became known as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 10

Following an infusion of money from billionaire investor Warren Buffet in 2006, the foundation set up a separate Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust to handle foundation assets. 11 The Gates Foundation also reorganized to include global development, global health, and United States divisions. A global policy and development division was added in 2012. 12

Organizational Overview

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is controlled by three trustees: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett. William H. Gates, Sr. is the foundation’s co-chair. 13 The foundation has 1,489 employees and gives to grantees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as more than 100 countries. 14

The foundation issues grants from an endowment that is handled by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust that lists Bill and Melinda Gates as the sole trustees. 15 The foundation has funded $50.1 billion in grants since its inception. 16

Grantmaking areas include: 17

  • Global Development Program
  • Global Health Program
  • Global Growth & Opportunity Program
  • Global Policy and Advocacy
  • United States Program
  • Small Charitable Sector Support Initiative

The foundation’s locations include: 18

  • Headquarters – Seattle, Washington
  • East Coast Office – Washington, D.C.
  • India Office – Delhi, India
  • China Office – Beijing, China
  • Europe and Middle East Office – London, United Kingdom and Berlin, Germany
  • Africa Offices – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Abuja, Nigeria; and Johannesburg, South Africa

Funding

Most of the money for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has come from the Gates’ personal wealth, starting with $94 million in Microsoft stock in 1994 to establish the William H. Gates Foundation. 19 On his 43rd birthday in 1998, Gates gave the foundation $1 billion. 20 In 1999, Gates and his wife Melinda contributed $16 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 21

Contributions are held in an endowment, which must give away at least five percent of its worth each year. The other 95 percent is invested. 22 From 2000 to 2007, the endowment was managed by Bill Gates Investments, which handles Gates’ personal fortune.

In 2006, investor Warren Buffett made a lifetime pledge to the foundation of Berkshire Hathaway stock valued at $31 billion. 23 The gift is paid in yearly installments with most recent contribution of $3.6 billion on July 1, 2019. 24 To date, Buffett has contributed $24.5 billion to the BMGF. 25

In 2006, the foundation trustees restructured and created the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust to hold donated investment assets from Bill and Melinda Gates, and annual contributions from Warren Buffett. 26 In turn, the trust funds foundation programs and grants. 27 Tax documents list Bill and Melinda Gates as the sole trustees of the Trust. 28

In 2020, the Gates Foundation received nearly $12.7 million in Berkshire Hathaway stock from Warren Buffett. 29

Leadership

Co-Chairs and Trustees

The Gates Foundation has three trustees, according to its latest IRS Form 990 from 2018.

30

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda Gates, are co-chairs and trustees for the Gates Foundation, as well as the foundation’s main philanthropists.

Billionaire and philanthropist Warren Buffett is a Gates Foundation trustee.

In addition, William “Bill” H. Gates, Sr., a retired business executive and father of Bill Gates, is a Gates Foundation co-chair, an attorney, and the former head of Planned Parenthood. 31

Chief Executive Officer

Mark Suzman is the chief executive officer of the Gates Foundation, a position he’s held since February 2020. Prior to that, the South Africa-born Suzman was director of Global Development Policy and Advocacy for the Gates Foundation from 2007 to 2020. 32 In 2018, Suzman reported $995,462 in total compensation in his role as director of Global Development Policy and Advocacy. 33

Susan “Sue” Desmond-Hellmann was the Gates Foundation’s chief executive officer from 2014 to January 2020, when she retired from the organization. Desmond-Hellmann is an oncologist, career healthcare nonprofit officer, and a former Facebook board member. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation in 2014, she was chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco and president of product development for Genentech, a biotech firm. 34 In 2018, Desmond-Hellman reported total compensation of $1,489,778 as CEO of the foundation. 35

Funding

Donors to the Gates Foundation

Also see Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (Nonprofit)

The Gates Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation required to report its donors. Much of the foundation’s donations come from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, a separate but related foundation created in 2006 to manage its “sister” group’s endowment assets and investment portfolio. 36

In 2018, the Gates Foundation’s largest donors were the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which gave the foundation nearly $5.6 billion, and Bill Gates, who gave it nearly $2.5 million. 37

Grant Initiatives

Education

In June 2018, Business Insider cited a RAND Corporation report to note that a $1 billion education initiative that the Gates Foundation backed had “largely failed to help students.” 38 The Gates Foundation had chosen RAND Corporation, a nonprofit think tank, to evaluate the education initiative. The RAND report stated that, “[o]verall. . . the initiative did not achieve its goals for student achievement or graduation, particularly for LIM [low-income minority] students.” 39

Poverty

In May 2018, the Gates Foundation announced its plans to give $158 million to the Partnership on Mobility from Poverty, which is connected to the left-of-center Urban Institute. 40

Environment

Bill Gates believes that divesting in fossil fuel has little to no impact on tackling climate change. Gates told the Financial Times, “Divestment, to date, probably has reduced about zero tones of emissions. It’s not like you’ve capital-starved [the] people making steel and gasoline.” 41 Gates believes that a more effective method is to invest in businesses and technologies that increase innovations towards reducing carbon emissions. He commented, “When I’m taking billions of dollars and creating breakthrough energy ventures and funding only companies who, if they’re successful, reduce greenhouse gases by 0.5 per cent, then I actually do see a cause and effect type thing.” 42

Political Activity

Contributions to Political Candidates, Campaigns and PACs by Employees

Foundations are not permitted by tax law to contribute to candidates for election. However, the Center For Responsive Politics lists contributions from individuals who list the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as their employer: Those contributions total $1,006,305 to political candidates and political action committees (PACs) since 2000. Of those contributions, 88 percent, or $106,212, were made to Democratic candidates and committees. 43 The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also a donor to the political nonprofit Demos, a progressive policy research group. Since 2009, the Gates foundation has contributed at least $850,000 to the nonprofit. 44

Contributions to “Dark Money” Advocacy Groups

In 2020, the Gates Foundation contributed $126,754,593 to the New Venture Fund, part of a multi-billion-dollar “dark money” nonprofit network created and run by Arabella Advisors, a consulting in Washington, D.C. 45 The New Venture Fund specializes in passing grants from its donors to left-of-center political causes and activist groups as well as sponsoring new “pop-up” groups, or websites dedicated to pushing left-of-center policy while disguised as independent activist nonprofits. 46

Common Core

In 2014, the Washington Post characterized the involvement of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in establishing national Common Core education standards as a “swift revolution,” with the Foundation not only bankrolling the development but also building “political support across the country, persuading state governments to make systemic and costly changes.” 47

Starting in 2008, hundreds of millions of dollars in Gates Foundation money went to a broad range of organizations including the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, policy groups including liberals (most notably the Center for American Progress) and conservatives (such as the Thomas B. Fordham Institute) and state and local groups. The “revolution” received further support from the Obama administration, which was populated with former Gates Foundation staffers and associates. 48

The Gates Foundation provided seed money the non-profit Teaching Channel website and Teaching Channel television program to promote Common Core teaching instructions. 49 The effort was launched in September 2011 with programs airing on public television stations. 50

By 2010, 45 states and the District of Columbia had fully adopted the Gates-backed Common Core State Standards. By 2014 Common Core came under increasing criticism even among former supporters on the left. 51 A 2016 report found that Common Core was not preparing students very well for college or a career. 52

In May, 2016, then-CEO Sue Desmond-Hellman admitted in an annual letter that the foundation had made mistakes with Common Core. 53 The letter prompted a Los Angeles Times editorial titled, “Gates Foundation failures show philanthropists shouldn’t be setting America’s public school agenda.” The editorial criticized the Gates Foundation of taking on an “unhealthy amount of power in the setting of education policy,” landing former foundation staff members high positions in the U.S. Department of Education and head of the Los Angeles Unified School District. 54

Criticisms

Too Few Trustees

Some have criticized the Gates Foundation by pointing to the fact there are three trustees deciding how billions of dollars controlled by the world’s largest philanthropic foundation are spent. Pablo Eisenberg of Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute told NBC News, “That is much too small and narrow a board to run a foundation whose combined assets will one day exceed the budgets of all but 30 percent of the countries in the world,” which he said “offers little protection to America’s taxpayers or the national interest.” Diana Aviv of the Independent Sector coalition of 600 charities said larger boards are wiser and provide necessary “checks and balances” required for good decision-making and oversight. 55

Socially Irresponsible Investments

The Gates Foundation has faced criticism from the left for breaking its social commitments. A Los Angeles Times investigation published in 2007 found that $8.7 billion, or 41 percent of Gates Foundation assets, were invested in companies that countered the foundation’s charitable goals or socially concerned philosophy. 56 These include companies responsible for heavy air pollution in the Niger Delta to pharmaceutical firms whose pricing policies have hampered access to antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients in developing nations, a primary Gates Foundation focus area. 57

Too Much Influence

The Gates Foundation has been criticized for too-broad funding through an interconnected network of organizations and individuals across academia and the NGO and business sectors which University College London Dr. David McCoy said in 2012, “allows it to leverage influence through a kind of ‘group-think’ in international health.” And in 2008 the head of malaria research for the World Health Organization accused a s-called Gates Foundation “cartel” of suppressing diversity of scientific opinion, claiming the organization was “accountable to no-one other than itself.” 58

A 2016 report from the far-left British activist organization Global Justice Now analyzed Gates Foundation programs and concluded the foundation’s giving is far from a neutral charitable strategy, but instead an ideological commitment to “promote neoliberal economic policies and corporate globalization.” 59 The report authors called on an international investigation into Gates Foundation spending. 60

Lawsuit by Former Employee

Todd Pierce, a former Gates Foundation chief digital officer, filed a lawsuit against the foundation in April 2017, alleging he was misled about the scope of his job when he was recruited, and that he was fired for clashing with executives who didn’t believe in his new role. The complaint stated, “During his exit interviews with several co-workers, they admitted that the job he was expected to perform was not the job he had been promised and that he hadn’t been told the truth about his position.” 61

References

  1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2021. Part I, Line 16. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2022/11/gates-foundation-2021-form-990.pdf
  2. The Giving Pledge, About. Accessed January 6, 2023. https://givingpledge.org/About.aspx
  3. Woodhouse, Leighton. “How Big Philanthropy became Big Grift.” The Spectator, December 18, 2022. https://thespectator.com/topic/bad-samaritans-big-philanthropy/
  4. “Gates Foundation failures show philanthropists shouldn’t be setting America’s public school agenda.” Editorial. Los Angeles Times. June 01, 2016. Accessed July 18, 2017. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-gates-education-20160601-snap-story.html.
  5. Bowman, Andrew. “The flip side to Bill Gates’ charity billions.” New Internationalist. April 01, 2012. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://newint.org/features/2012/04/01/bill-gates-charitable-giving-ethics.
  6. “Awarded Grants.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed January 6, 2020. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database#q/k=planned%20parenthood.
  7. “Who We Are.” Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. Accessed January 21, 2020. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/who-we-are/general-information/financials/foundation-trust
  8. “Gates Foundation.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed July 06, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gates-Foundation.
  9. “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.” Foundation Center. Accessed July 06, 2017. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&key=GATE023.
  10. “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.” Foundation Center. Accessed July 06, 2017. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&key=GATE023.
  11. “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.” Foundation Center. Accessed July 06, 2017. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&key=GATE023.
  12. “Gates Foundation.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed July 06, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gates-Foundation.
  13. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015, Part VIII.
  14. “Foundation Fact Sheet.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed January 21, 2020. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Foundation-Factsheet.
  15. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015, Part II Line 16.
  16. “Foundation Fact Sheet.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed January 21, 2020. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Foundation-Factsheet.
  17. “Foundation Fact Sheet.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed July 05, 2017. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Foundation-Factsheet.
  18. “Foundation Fact Sheet.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed July 05, 2017. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Foundation-Factsheet.
  19. Stepanek, Marcia, and Cristina Maldonado. “Rockefeller 2.0: Gates relaunches philanthropy.” NBCNews.com. June 24, 2008. Accessed July 16, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25332025/ns/us_news-giving/t/rockefeller-gates-relaunches-philanthropy/#.WWunt4jyvIU.
  20. “Donor Advised Funds | NPT | National Philanthropic Trust.” NPT Donor Advised Funds | National Philanthropic Trust. Accessed July 16, 2017. https://www.nptrust.org/index.php?%2Fhistory-of-giving%2Ftimeline%2F1900s.
  21. “Donor Advised Funds | NPT | National Philanthropic Trust.” NPT Donor Advised Funds | National Philanthropic Trust. Accessed July 16, 2017. https://www.nptrust.org/index.php?%2Fhistory-of-giving%2Ftimeline%2F1900s.
  22. Piller, Charles, Edmund Sanders, and Robyn Dixon. “Dark cloud over good works of Gates Foundation.” Los Angeles Times. January 07, 2007. Accessed July 05, 2017. http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-gatesx07jan07-story.html.
  23. “Gates Foundation.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed July 06, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gates-Foundation.
  24. “What’s the Largest Charitable Donation Warren Buffett Ever Made? .” Investopedia. September 22, 2019. Accessed January 21, 2020. https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/021015/whats-largest-charitable-donation-warren-buffett-ever-made.asp
  25. Stempel, Jonathan. “Warren Buffett Donates $3.4 Billion to Gates’ and Family Charities.” Reuters. July 16, 2018. Accessed January 23, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-buffett-charities/warren-buffett-donates-3-4-billion-to-gates-and-family-charities-idUSKBN1K62NM.
  26. “Financials.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed July 05, 2017. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Financials.
  27. Stepanek, Marcia, and Cristina Maldonado. “Rockefeller 2.0: Gates relaunches philanthropy.” NBCNews.com. June 24, 2008. Accessed July 16, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25332025/ns/us_news-giving/t/rockefeller-gates-relaunches-philanthropy/#.WWunt4jyvIU.
  28. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2015, Part II Line 16.
  29. Tanoria, Yuvika. “Warren Buffett donated Berkshire shares worth $2.9 billion to charities.” Finance Rewind. 2020. Accessed July 21, 2020. https://financerewind.com/news/warren-buffett-donated-berkshire-shares-worth-2-9-billion-to-charities/
  30. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2018. Part VIII (List of Officers, Directors, etc.). Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/02/Gates-Foundation-2018-Form-990.pdf

    See PDF page 675

  31. “Transcript: Bill Moyers Interviews Bill Gates.” PBS. May 09, 2003. Accessed July 16, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_gates.html.
  32. “Executive Leadership Team: Mark Suzman.” Gates Foundation. Accessed February 10, 2020. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Executive-Leadership-Team/Mark-Suzman
  33. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2018. Part VIII (List of Officers, Directors, etc.). Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/02/Gates-Foundation-2018-Form-990.pdf

    See PDF page 675

  34. Betsy McKay. “Gates Foundation CEO to Step Down.” Wall Street Journal. December 5, 2019. Accessed February 10, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/gates-foundation-ceo-to-step-down-11575570659
  35. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2018. Part VIII (List of Officers, Directors, etc.). Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/02/Gates-Foundation-2018-Form-990.pdf

    See PDF page 675

  36. Who We Are.” Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. Accessed January 21, 2020. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/who-we-are/general-information/financials/foundation-trust
  37. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2018. Schedule B. Archived here: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/02/Gates-Foundation-2018-Form-990.pdf
  38. Berke, Jeremy. “A $1 billion Gates Foundation-backed education initiative failed to help students, according to a new report — here’s what happened.” Business Insider.com. June 27, 2018. Accessed August 15, 2018. https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-education-initiative-failure-2018-6.
  39. Berke, Jeremy. “A $1 billion Gates Foundation-backed education initiative failed to help students, according to a new report — here’s what happened.” Business Insider.com. June 27, 2018. Accessed August 15, 2018. https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-education-initiative-failure-2018-6.
  40. Lamm, Greg. “Gates Foundation will spend $158M on U.S. poverty.” Bizjournals.com. Accessed August 15, 2018. https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2018/05/gates-foundation-will-spend-158m-on-u-s-poverty.html.
  41. Nauman, Billy, and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson. “Fossil Fuel Divestment Has ‘Zero’ Climate Impact, Says Bill Gates.” Financial Times. Financial Times, September 17, 2019. https://www.ft.com/content/21009e1c-d8c9-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17.
  42. Nauman, Billy, and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson. “Fossil Fuel Divestment Has ‘Zero’ Climate Impact, Says Bill Gates.” Financial Times. Financial Times, September 17, 2019. https://www.ft.com/content/21009e1c-d8c9-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17.
  43. The Center for Responsive Politics. “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation”. Open Secrets.org. May 16, 2017. Accessed July 16, 2017. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000031958&cycle=A.
  44. Data from FoundationSearch: Demos. www.FoundationSearch.com.
  45. Return of Foundation Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2020. Schedule I.
  46. Hayden Ludwig. “Arabella Advisors: Democrats’ Darkest ‘Dark Money.'” The American Conservative. May 12, 2021. Accessed Jan. 17, 2022. https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/arabella-advisors-democrats-darkest-dark-money/
  47. Layton, Lyndsey. “How Bill Gates pulled off the swift Common Core revolution.” The Washington Post. June 07, 2014. Accessed July 05, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bill-gates-pulled-off-the-swift-common-core-revolution/2014/06/07/a830e32e-ec34-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html?utm_term=.7f5355683d3f.
  48. Layton, Lyndsey. “How Bill Gates pulled off the swift Common Core revolution.” The Washington Post. June 07, 2014. Accessed July 05, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bill-gates-pulled-off-the-swift-common-core-revolution/2014/06/07/a830e32e-ec34-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html?utm_term=.7f5355683d3f.
  49. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Teaching Channel. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://www.teachingchannel.org/faq.
  50. “Teaching Channel Launches: New Teacher Resource Now Available Online And On TV.” Teaching Channel. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://www.teachingchannel.org/pressrelease001.
  51. Baker, Al. “Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the Left.” The New York Times. February 16, 2014. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/17/nyregion/new-york-early-champion-of-common-core-standards-joins-critics.html.
  52. Strauss, Valerie. “Common Core isn’t preparing students very well for college or career, new report says.” The Washington Post. June 09, 2016. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/09/common-core-isnt-preparing-students-very-well-for-college-or-career-new-report-says/?utm_term=.9af2385bbe12.
  53. Strauss, Valerie. “Gates Foundation chief admits Common Core mistakes.” The Washington Post. June 02, 2016. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/02/gates-foundation-chief-admits-common-core-mistakes/?utm_term=.69f43fd5bc8b.
  54. The Times Editorial Board. “Gates Foundation failures show philanthropists shouldn’t be setting America’s public school agenda.” Los Angeles Times. June 01, 2016. Accessed July 18, 2017. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-gates-education-20160601-snap-story.html.
  55. Stepanek, Marcia, and Cristina Maldonado. “Rockefeller 2.0: Gates relaunches philanthropy.” NBCNews.com. June 24, 2008. Accessed July 16, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25332025/ns/us_news-giving/t/rockefeller-gates-relaunches-philanthropy/#.WWunt4jyvIU.
  56. Piller, Charles, Edmund Sanders, and Robyn Dixon. “Dark cloud over good works of Gates Foundation.” Los Angeles Times. January 07, 2007. Accessed July 05, 2017. http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-gatesx07jan07-story.html.
  57. Stepanek, Marcia, and Cristina Maldonado. “Rockefeller 2.0: Gates relaunches philanthropy.” NBCNews.com. June 24, 2008. Accessed July 16, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25332025/ns/us_news-giving/t/rockefeller-gates-relaunches-philanthropy/#.WWunt4jyvIU.
  58. Bowman, Andrew. “The flip side to Bill Gates’ charity billions.” New Internationalist. April 01, 2012. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://newint.org/features/2012/04/01/bill-gates-charitable-giving-ethics.
  59. “Gated Development – is the Gates Foundation always a force for good?” Global Justice Now. June 16, 2016. Accessed July 18, 2017. http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/resources/gated-development-gates-foundation-always-force-good.
  60. Connett, David. “Gates Foundation accused of ‘dangerously skewing’ aid priorities by promoting ‘corporate globalisation’.” The Independent. February 19, 2016. Accessed July 18, 2017. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/gates-foundation-accused-of-dangerously-skewing-aid-priorities-by-promoting-big-business-a6822036.html.
  61. Levy, Nat. “Former Bill & Melinda Gates digital chief sues organization, claims he was misled about his role.” GeekWire. April 25, 2017. Accessed July 18, 2017. https://www.geekwire.com/2017/former-bill-melinda-gates-executive-sues-organization-claims-misled-role/.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Alexander Friedman
    Former Chief Financial Officer
  2. Mark Suzman
    CEO (since 2020)
  3. Jeff Raikes
    Former CEO
  4. Melinda Gates
    Co-Founder and Trustee
  5. Bill Gates
    Co-Founder, Co-Chair, Main Funder
  6. Michael Madnick
    Former Deputy Director for Global Health Policy
  7. Susan Desmond-Hellmann
    Former CEO (2014-2020)

Donation Recipients

  1. 50CAN (Non-profit)
  2. Abt Associates (For-profit)
  3. Africare (Non-profit)
  4. Alliance for Excellent Education (Non-profit)
  5. American Academy of Pediatrics (Non-profit)
  6. American Council on Education (Non-profit)
  7. Aspen Institute (Non-profit)
  8. Avina Americas (Non-profit)
  9. Bloomberg Family Foundation (Bloomberg Philanthropies) (Non-profit)
  10. Brookings Institution (Non-profit)
  11. Business for Social Responsibility (Non-profit)
  12. Catapult.org (Non-profit)
  13. Center for American Progress (CAP) (Non-profit)
  14. Center for Education Reform (Non-profit)
  15. Center for Investigative Reporting (Non-profit)
  16. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) (Non-profit)
  17. Center for Strategic and International Studies (Non-profit)
  18. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) (Non-profit)
  19. Change.org Foundation (Non-profit)
  20. City Year (Non-profit)
  21. Clinton Health Access Initiative (Non-profit)
  22. Code for America (Non-profit)
  23. Common Sense Media (Non-profit)
  24. Consortium for Educational Change (CEC) (Non-profit)
  25. Convergence Center for Policy Resolution (Non-profit)
  26. Corporation for Public Broadcasting (Non-profit)
  27. Council for a Strong America (Non-profit)
  28. Council on Foreign Relations (Non-profit)
  29. DKT International (Non-profit)
  30. Economic Opportunity Institute (Non-profit)
  31. Emerald Cities Collaborative (Non-profit)
  32. ExcelinEd (Non-profit)
  33. Family Planning 2020 (Non-profit)
  34. Four Freedoms Fund (Non-profit)
  35. FSG (Non-profit)
  36. Gender Funders CoLab (Non-profit)
  37. Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (Non-profit)
  38. Global Fund for Women (Non-profit)
  39. Guardian (For-profit)
  40. Gynuity Health Projects (Gynuity Institute) (Non-profit)
  41. Hudson Institute (Non-profit)
  42. International Center for Research on Women (Non-profit)
  43. International Rescue Committee (Non-profit)
  44. Justice at Stake (Non-profit)
  45. Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) (Non-profit)
  46. LEV Foundation (Non-profit)
  47. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (Non-profit)
  48. MSI Reproductive Choices (Marie Stopes International) (Non-profit)
  49. Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) (Non-profit)
  50. National Congress of American Indians (Non-profit)
  51. National Public Radio (NPR) (Non-profit)
  52. National Urban League (Non-profit)
  53. NEO Philanthropy (Non-profit)
  54. New America (New America Foundation) (Non-profit)
  55. New Venture Fund (NVF) (Non-profit)
  56. New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) (Non-profit)
  57. Obama Foundation (Non-profit)
  58. Opportunity Institute (Non-profit)
  59. Oxfam America (Non-profit)
  60. Panorama Global (Non-profit)
  61. Participant (For-profit)
  62. Partnership for Public Service (Non-profit)
  63. Pathfinder International (Non-profit)
  64. PBS Foundation (Non-profit)
  65. Pew Charitable Trusts (Non-profit)
  66. Philanthropy Roundtable (Non-profit)
  67. Poynter Institute for Media Studies (Non-profit)
  68. Public Advocates (Non-profit)
  69. Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting (Non-profit)
  70. Social Justice Fund Northwest (Non-profit)
  71. Solutions Journalism Network (Non-profit)
  72. Success Academy Charter Schools (SA) (Non-profit)
  73. Sundance Institute (Non-profit)
  74. Tax Policy Center (TPC) (Other Group)
  75. Tides Center (Non-profit)
  76. UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) (Non-profit)
  77. UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) Action Fund (Non-profit)
  78. Washington State Budget and Policy Center (Non-profit)
  79. Western States Center (Non-profit)
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: January 1, 2007

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form PF $6,827,303,678 $5,016,321,070 $51,780,459,259 $6,383,837,760 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form PF $5,860,099,037 $5,292,071,460 $51,038,075,591 $7,878,517,366 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form PF $4,767,997,029 $6,368,195,336 $40,412,918,228 $7,578,626,361 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form PF $4,385,065,764 $4,926,081,246 $44,320,862,806 $5,933,530,352 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $4,117,613,802 $4,208,158,857 $41,310,207,525 $5,348,822,390 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $3,876,243,306 $3,353,710,458 $37,176,776,438 $5,226,163,668 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $3,959,278,622 $4,957,299,731 $34,640,122,664 $5,804,382,745 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

    500 5TH AVE N
    SEATTLE, WA 98109-4636