Gates Foundation

The Gates Foundation, previously known as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was formed in 2000 by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. 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

At-A-Glance

Formation:

2000

CEO:

Mark Suzman (since 2020)

Susan Desmond-Hellman (2014-2020)

Location: Seattle, WA View on map
Tax ID: 56-2618866
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $78,673,465,696 Revenue: $8,084,056,958 Expenses: $7,696,309,308

Contents

    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 Gates Foundation Trust, the foundation’s “sister” nonprofit that was established in 2006 to manage the group’s endowment and investment portfolio. 2 At the time of its creation, the Trust was controlled by three people: Bill Gates, Melinda, and billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, who pledged $31 billion to the Foundation in 2006. They were 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.” 3 4

    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. 5

    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. 6 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. 7

    As of 2024, following Bill and Melinda divorce in 2021, Melinda stepped down in May 2024 as co-chair of the Foundation. As of January 2025, Bill Gates is listed as the sole chair and trustee, and the name was changed to the Gates Foundation following Melinda’s departure.  8

    Founding and Mission

    The Gates Foundation was founded in 1994 as the William H. Gates Foundation. It was created by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his then-wife Melinda French Gates, and was run by Gates’ father, William H. Gates, Sr., ostensibly to focus on global health. 9

    Bill and Melinda 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. 10

    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 organization called the Gates Foundation Trust, then titled the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, to handle foundation assets. 10 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. 9

    As of 2024, following Bill and Melinda divorce in 2021, Melinda stepped down in May 2024 as co-chair of the Foundation. As of January 2025, Bill Gates is listed as the sole chair and trustee, and the name was changed to the Gates Foundation following Melinda’s departure.  8

    In May 2025, Bill Gates announced he would be giving away roughly $200 billion through the Gates Foundation by 2045, where he would divest and close the Foundation by the end of that year. In addition, during an interview with Reuters, Gates criticized tech entrepreneur and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk over the cuts DOGE had made to the Federal Government so far, claiming “[t]he picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one…[t]he number of deaths will start going up for the first time … it’s going to be millions more deaths because of the resources.” 11 In January 2026,  the Foundation announced that its board had approved a $9 billion annual payout as part of it’s commitment to expedite it’s mission before 2045. 12

    In advance of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, Bill Gates published an essay on his personal website outlining what he described as “three tough truths about climate.” In the piece, Gates argued that while climate change remains a serious global challenge, it should not be viewed as an existential crisis or “the end of civilization.” He emphasized that the “doomsday view” of climate change diverts resources from more effective efforts to improve life in a warming world. Gates urged a strategic focus on innovation and adaptation, highlighting that poverty and disease continue to pose greater threats to human welfare than climate impacts for most people, particularly in low-income regions. He noted that excessive cold causes significantly more deaths annually than extreme heat and criticized efforts to restrict energy development in poorer countries, stating that “using more energy is a good thing” when it supports economic growth and public health. 13

    Organizational Overview

    When it was initially founded, the Gates Foundation was controlled by three trustees: Bill Gates, his then-wife Melinda, and Warren Buffett. William H. Gates, Sr. was the foundation’s previous co-chair. 14 As of 2020, the foundation listed 1,489 employees and had given to grantees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as more than 100 countries. 15 By January 2025, Bill is listed as the sole chair of the Foundation’s board following Melinda stepping down as co-chair following their divorce proceedings being finalized. 8

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

    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: 17

    • 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

    Contributions

    Most of the money for the 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. 18 On his 43rd birthday in 1998, Gates gave the foundation $1 billion. 19 In 1999, Gates and his then-wife Melinda contributed $16 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 19

    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. 20 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. 9 The gift is paid in yearly installments with most recent contribution of $3.6 billion on July 1, 2019. 21 To date, Buffett has contributed $24.5 billion to the BMGF. 22

    In 2006, the foundation trustees restructured and created the Gates Foundation Trust to hold donated investment assets from Bill Gates, and his then-wife Melinda, and annual contributions from Warren Buffett. 23 In turn, the trust funds foundation programs and grants. 18 Tax documents from 2015 listed Bill Gates and Melinda as the sole trustees of the Trust at the time. 16

    In 2020, the Gates Foundation received nearly $12.7 million in Berkshire Hathaway stock from Warren Buffett. 24

    Leadership

    Co-Chairs and Trustees

    As of 2024, Bill Gates is listed as the sole chair and trustee for the Gates Foundation. Following his divorce from his former wife Melinda in 2021, in May 2024 it was announced she would be stepping down as co-chair of the Foundation. This led to the organization rebranding itself as the Gates Foundation (previously titled the Bill and Melida Gates Foundation). 8 Gates’ former wife Melinda and billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett were previous trustees of the Foundation. 25

    In addition, William “Bill” H. Gates, Sr., a retired business executive and father of Bill Gates, was a previous Gates Foundation co-chair, an attorney, and had formerly served as head of Planned Parenthood. 26

    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. 27 In 2018, Suzman reported $995,462 in total compensation in his role as director of Global Development Policy and Advocacy. 28

    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. 29 In 2018, Desmond-Hellman reported total compensation of $1,489,778 as CEO of the foundation. 28

    Funding

    Donors to the Gates Foundation

    Also see 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 Gates Foundation Trust, a separate but related foundation created in 2006 to manage its “sister” group’s endowment assets and investment portfolio. 30

    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. 31

    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.” 32 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.” 32

    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. 33

    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.” 34 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.” 34

    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 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. 35 The 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. 36

    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. 37 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. 38

    Common Core

    In 2014, the Washington Post characterized the involvement of the then-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.” 39

    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. 39

    The Gates Foundation provided seed money the non-profit Teaching Channel website and Teaching Channel television program to promote Common Core teaching instructions. 40 The effort was launched in September 2011 with programs airing on public television stations. 41

    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. 42 A 2016 report found that Common Core was not preparing students very well for college or a career. 43

    In May, 2016, then-CEO Sue Desmond-Hellman admitted in an annual letter that the foundation had made mistakes with Common Core. 44 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. 45

    Post-2024 Activities

    According to a May 2025 Wall Street Journal article, the Gates Foundation was listed as one of several nonprofit organizations informally partnering to discuss efforts in preventing their tax-exempt statuses from allegedly being revoked by the Second Trump Administration. Being convened by the MacArthur Foundation, the “coalition” also consists of the Ford Foundation as well as the Charles Koch Foundation and the Council on Foundations. A statement released by a Gates Foundation spokesperson claimed, “[p]reserving the sector’s charitable status is essential to ensuring that nonprofits can continue delivering critical services that millions of people—in the U.S. and globally—rely on.” 46

    In July 2025, the Gates Foundation joined a coalition including Ballmer Group, Stand Together, and the Valhalla Foundation to launch NextLadder Ventures, a $1 billion initiative aimed at expanding economic opportunity for low-income Americans. The 15-year effort supports for-profit and nonprofit entrepreneurs and organizations in developing tools to aid those suffering from job loss, housing instability, or health crises. Ryan Ripple currently serves as the CEO of NextLadder Ventures, previously serving as the founding director of U.S. economic mobility and opportunity at the Gates Foundation. In order to aid in this development, NextLadder ventures will employ Artificial Intelligence tools developed by Anthropic AI. 47

    In 2025, Burkina Faso suspended Target Malaria, a Gates Foundation-supported research project aimed at curbing malaria transmission by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes. The government cited domestic opposition and rising anti-Western sentiment, ordering all samples destroyed, though global health organizations continue to stress the urgent need for malaria control in Africa. 48

    On October 28, 2025, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent letters to the Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Ford Foundation requesting to know how they were complying with national tax laws amid allegations that all three had previously provided funding to organizations and other entities with reported connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and affiliates. Each letter argued that “to maintain tax exempt status, an organization’s activities must be charitable in nature and may not directly support or promote the interests of a foreign government…I am writing today to ask you whether these reports are true or not and, if true, how your organization’s conduct comports with 501(c)(3) requirements.” 49 According to the news release from Sen. Grassley’s office, as well as previous tax filings, in 2023 the Gates Foundation had donated nearly $11.7 million to entities and organizations allegedly affiliated with the CCP. 49 In addition, a 2024 story by the Washington Examiner reported that in the same year, the Gates Foundation had donated $2 million to CRRC, a state-run manufacturing corporation, to assist with funding work on  “water, sanitation, and hygiene.” 50 The U.S Department of Defense previously had CRRC under the Pentagon’s “1260H entity list” which listed entities “directly or indirectly owned, controlled or beneficially owned by” the Chinese military.” 50 Finally, it was reported that another $6.7 million had been donated to several state-run universities and institutions. Sen. Grassley’s press release also alleged that in fiscal year 2022 the Gates Foundation had donated “roughly $23 million to over 20 different Chinese entities, some of which were labeled “foreign governments.”” 50 49

    As of February 2026, it was announced the Gates Foundation would partner with OpenAI to start a $50 million “Horizon 1000” initiative to provide AI capabilities to roughly 1,000 clinics in Africa. 51

    In 2026, Bill Gates addressed staff in a town hall meeting regarding his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. Gates apologized for bringing foundation executives into meetings with Epstein and said the relationship was “the opposite of the values of the Foundation.” He acknowledged that the association had negatively affected the organization’s reputation, describing its work as “reputational sensitive.” 52

    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. 18

    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. 20 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. 18

    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.” 6

    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.” 53 The report authors called on an international investigation into Gates Foundation spending. 54

    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.” 55

    Association with Jeffery Epstein

    In 2024–2025, renewed scrutiny emerged regarding historical interactions between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and associates of convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein. Reporting based on U.S. Department of Justice document releases indicated that between 2013 and 2019, the foundation awarded approximately $8 million in grants to the International Peace Institute (IPI) to support polio eradication initiatives in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 56

    Documents reviewed by media outlets suggested that Epstein had contact with IPI officials and, at times, was included in communications related to the grants, including program updates and regional information. However, there was no evidence presented that grant funds were used for purposes other than their stated charitable objectives.56

    A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation stated that its grantmaking to IPI was focused solely on programmatic goals and that Epstein had no involvement in the foundation’s grantmaking processes. The foundation has also indicated it is reviewing materials related to past communications involving Epstein and foundation staff. 56

    Separately, Bill Gates publicly acknowledged maintaining contact with Epstein until 2014 and expressed regret over the relationship. 56

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $78,673,465,696 $8,084,056,958 $7,696,309,308 View
    2023 $76,951,451,400 $7,810,137,842 $8,837,147,189 View
    2022 $68,907,954,709 $6,988,022,771 $7,268,313,012 View
    2021 $54,953,064,583 $6,739,008,078 $5,404,355,222 View
    2020 $51,780,459,259 $6,827,303,678 $5,016,321,070 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Mark SuzmanCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BOARD MEMBER$1,833,079
    Trevor MundelPRESIDENT, GLOBAL HEALTH$1,329,113
    Cheikh Oumar SeydiDEPUTY DIRECTOR, GEO$1,246,314
    Zhi-jie ZhengDIRECTOR, CHINA COUN$1,158,454
    Sindura GanapathiPRINCIPAL OFFICER, H$1,089,091
    Suneeta KrishnanDEPUTY DIRECTOR, STR$1,086,151
    Roshan ShresthaADVISOR, WATER, SANI$1,069,628
    Christopher EliasPRESIDENT, GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT$1,060,838
    Rodger VoorhiesPRESIDENT, GLOBAL GROWTH & OPPORTUNITY$1,001,717
    Allan C GolstonPRESIDENT, US PROGRAM$966,921
    Carolyn AinslieCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER$947,100
    Gargee GhoshPRESIDENT, GLOBAL POLICY & ADVOCACY$933,960
    Anita ZaidiPRESIDENT, GENDER EQUALITY$921,360
    Ankur VoraCHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER$726,624
    Lauren W BrightCHIEF LEGAL OFFICER & SECRETARY$669,775
    Shana TarbellCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER$622,003
    Sonia VoraCHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER$611,664
    Susan ByrnesCHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER$611,600
    Joe CorneliusLLC OFFICER$558,842
    Keith MatthewsLLC OFFICER$498,840
    June Yoshinari Start 5162024CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER$468,437
    Leslie Mays End 5162024CHIEF DIVERSITY,EQUITY,& INCL. OFFICER$237,923

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $60,637,454,474
    • Number of Grants: 58
    • Number of Funders: 34

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $8,096,000,0002024 Gates Foundation TrustTO FUND THE CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF THE FOUNDATION
    $7,751,200,0002023 Gates Foundation TrustTO FUND THE CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF THE FOUNDATION
    $6,806,925,0002022 Gates Foundation TrustTO FUND THE CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF THE FOUNDATION
    $6,755,162,8102020 Gates Foundation TrustTO FUND THE CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF THE FOUNDATION
    $6,131,700,0002021 Gates Foundation TrustTO FUND THE CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF THE FOUNDATION
    $15,802,1702020 New Venture FundINTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS
    $1,168,4282022 Tides CenterHEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES
    $126,9622024 PATHPRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
    $11,1382020 PLEDGELING FOUNDATIONGENERAL
    $10,0002020 The Rosenfeld Rumford Steckler Family Foundation IncEducational & training program
    $10,0002020 Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust IncUNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT
    $5,2502022 Johnson Charitable Gift FundGENERAL FUND
    $5,0502020 Givinga FoundationPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $5,0002025 Kuhn FoundationTO FURTHER RECIPIENT'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE
    $4,0002021 Sam and Esther Friedman Family FoundationCAPITAL CAMPAIGN
    $4,0002020 Sam and Esther Friedman Family FoundationCapital campaign
    $2,2262020 Remy Louis Chatain Jr FoundationCOMPUTER PURCHASE
    $2,0002022 The Huisking Foundation IncVARIOUS PROGRAMS
    $2,0002021 The Huisking Foundation IncVACCINATION EFFORTS
    $1,5002024 Lapan Memorial Sunshine Foundation Inc C/o David LapanSUPPORT
    $1,0002023 Vyuha IncGENERAL SUPPORT. THE ORGANIZATION CAN USE THE FUNDS AS NEEDED IN FURTHERANCE OF ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSE.
    $4002021 Fishback Family FoundationMEDICAL
    $4002020 Fishback Family FoundationMEDICAL
    $3502020 Duke Energy FoundationEMPLOYEE MATCHING GIFTS
    $1002020 Sempra FoundationHEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $88,256,019,343
    • Number of Grants: 38,225
    • Number of Recipients: 8,731

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,600,000,0002021 GAVI Allianceto save lives and protect people's health by increasing equitable and sustainable use of vaccines
    $846,400,0002023 The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malariato support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
    $844,002,7782023 Gates Medical Research Instituteto develop transformative therapies, biologics, vaccines, and biomarkers that will improve the lives of the world’s poorest populations
    $731,783,6902020 The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malariato support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
    $330,000,0002023 European Investment Bankto partner with the EC on polio eradication via performance payments
    $300,000,0002025 The Rotary Foundation of Rotary Internationalto support global polio eradication activities through the Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus program
    $300,000,0002022 The Rotary Foundation of Rotary Internationalto support global polio eradication activities through the Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus program
    $283,358,7992024 The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and MalariaGLOBAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ANALYSIS
    $276,581,8172024 Gates Medical Research InstituteENTERICS, DIAGNOSTICS, GENOMICS & EPIDEMIOLOGY; MALARIA; MATERNAL, NEWBORN, CHILD NUTRITION AND HEALTH; PNEUMONIA & PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS; RESEARCH AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES; TUBERCULOSIS; VACCINE DEVELOPMENT
    $202,000,0002021 Gates Medical Research Instituteto develop transformative therapies, biologics, vaccines, and biomarkers that will improve the lives of the world's poorest populations
    $160,499,8962022 PATHto transform the business and operating model for PATH's vaccine development efforts in order to speed the efficient and effective progression of a vaccine pipeline with industry-standard quality
    $150,000,0002022 Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovationsto fund research and development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases for populations in need
    $150,000,0002020 GAVI Allianceto reduce the impact of COVID by accelerating the introduction and scale up of vaccines, support catch-up vaccination of children missed by routine immunization due to the pandemic, and support the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator
    $122,264,5132021 University of Washington FoundationPhase 3 Clinical Development of MK-8527 for HIV Prevention
    $120,500,0002024 The Rotary Foundation of Rotary InternationalPOLIO
    $105,000,0002023 Agrato support AGRA as our proximate partner to advance inclusive agricultural transformation on the African continent
    $105,000,0002022 World Health Organizationto end the circulation of vaccine-derived polioviruses through timely, high-quality vaccination campaigns
    $100,000,0002025 Islamic Development Bankto replenish the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), housed at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and jointly funded by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and the foundation
    $100,000,0002022 International Bank for Reconstruction and Developmentto contribute to the Global Financing Facility (GFF) in Support of Every Woman, Every Child, a multi-donor trust fund housed at the World Bank in order to provide financial support to enable countries to invest in strategies and interventio
    $100,000,0002022 Pfizer, Inc.to support continued development of a maternal Group B streptococcus (GBS) vaccine to prevent infant morbidity and deaths
    $100,000,0002022 The Scripps Research Instituteto deliver drug candidates and vaccine adjuvants addressing global health priority diseases including TB, malaria and potential pandemic viral diseases
    $90,000,0002023 AgraTo provide general operating support
    $89,174,1602020 World Health Organizationto support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) efforts to replenish the mOPV2 stockpile to ensure there is the necessary supply to effectively respond in a timely manner to a cVDPV2 or WPV2 outbreak, should they occur
    $87,078,7622021 University of ManitobaTo provide integrated technical assistance to GoUP to strengthen health and nutrition systems for improving RMNCHN and HSS outcomes in UP
    $87,000,0002023 World Health Organizationto support the Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) for in-country Human Resource (HR) outbreak surge support and polio campaign implementation.

    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. “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
    3. The Giving Pledge, About. Accessed January 6, 2023. https://givingpledge.org/About.aspx
    4. Woodhouse, Leighton. “How Big Philanthropy became Big Grift.” The Spectator, December 18, 2022. https://thespectator.com/topic/bad-samaritans-big-philanthropy/
    5. “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.
    6. 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.
    7. “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.
    9. “Gates Foundation.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed July 06, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gates-Foundation.
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    11. Ribby, Jennifer. “Bill Gates to give away $200 billion by 2045, says Musk is ‘killing’ world’s poorest children.” Reuters, May 8, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/business/bill-gates-give-away-fortune-by-2045-200bn-worlds-poorest-2025-05-08/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social 
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