Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{Use American English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox organization
| logo = [[File:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation logo.svg|250px]]
| formation = {{start date and age|2000}}<ref name="gatesfoundation.org" />
| type = [[Foundation (United States law)#Private foundation|Non-operating private foundation]]<br>([[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] [[Tax exemption|exemption status]]): [[501(c)(3)]]<ref name=foundcen>FoundationCenter.org [https://fdo.foundationcenter.org/grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&key=GATE023], accessed 2016-02-10</ref>
| purpose = [[Healthcare]], [[Education]], Ending [[poverty]]
| headquarters = [[Seattle, Washington]], [[United States]]
| key_people = [[Bill Gates]]<br>{{small|(Co-Chair)}}<br> [[Melinda Gates]]<br>{{small|(Co-Chair)}}<br>[[William H. Gates Sr.]]<br>{{small|(Co-Chair)}}<br>[[Susan Desmond-Hellmann]]<br>{{small|(CEO)}}
| name = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
| abbreviation = BMGF
| founders = {{unbulleted list|[[Bill Gates]]|[[Melinda Gates]]}}
| area_served = Worldwide
| method = Donations and grants
| revenue =
| endowment = [[United States dollar|US$]]44.3 [[1,000,000,000|billion]] {{As of|2014|12|31|lc=on}}<ref name="FactSheet"/>
| num_employees = 1,383<ref name="FactSheet" />
| owner =
| former name = ''William H. Gates Foundation''<br>(1994–1999)
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.gatesfoundation.org|gatesfoundation.org}}
}}
'''Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation''' ('''BMGF'''), also known as the '''Gates Foundation''', is a [[private foundation]] founded by [[Bill Gates|Bill]] and [[Melinda Gates]]. It was launched in 2000, and is said to be the largest private foundation in the US, holding $38 billion in assets.<ref name="NCCS">National Center for Charitable Statistics</ref> The primary aims of the foundation are, globally, to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, and in America, to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology.
The foundation, based in [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]], is controlled by its three trustees: Bill and Melinda Gates, and [[Warren Buffett]]. Other principal officers include Co-Chair [[William H. Gates, Sr.]] and Chief Executive Officer [[Susan Desmond-Hellmann]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=APM Meets Melinda Gates, Philanthropist and wife to the richest man in the world - The Maravi Post |url=http://www.maravipost.com/life-and-style/people/9143-apm-meets-melinda-gates,-philanthropist-and-wife-to-the-richest-man-in-the-world.html |website=www.maravipost.com |access-date=2016-02-05 |last=maravipost |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416161359/http://www.maravipost.com/life-and-style/people/9143-apm-meets-melinda-gates%2C-philanthropist-and-wife-to-the-richest-man-in-the-world.html |archivedate=April 16, 2016 |df=mdy }}</ref>
It had an [[Financial endowment|endowment]] of [[United States dollar|US$]]44.3 [[1,000,000,000|billion]] {{As of|2014|12|31|lc=on|df=us}}.<ref name="FactSheet">{{cite web| date=30 April 2015| publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation| url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Financials| title=Consolidated Financial Statements December 31, 2014 and 2013| accessdate=2015-10-28}}</ref> The scale of the foundation and the way it seeks to apply business techniques to giving makes it one of the leaders in [[venture philanthropy]],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5517656 | work=The Economist | title=The birth of philanthrocapitalism | date=2006-02-23}}</ref> though the foundation itself notes that the philanthropic role has limitations.<ref name="GuidingPrinciples">{{cite web|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/Pages/guiding-principles.aspx|title=Guiding Principles|publisher=}}</ref> In 2007, its founders were ranked as the second most generous philanthropists in America, and Warren Buffett the first.<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/philanthropy_individual.html The 50 most generous Americans] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920122703/http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/philanthropy_individual.html |date=September 20, 2013 }}</ref> As of May 16, 2013, Bill Gates had donated US$28 billion to the foundation.<ref name="gatesfoundation.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/Pages/foundation-timeline.aspx|title=Foundation Timeline and History – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationlegacy may focus more on philanthropy than on Microsoft - Computerworld|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Gates Retakes World's Richest Title From Carlos Slim|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-16/bill-gates-retakes-world-s-richest-title-from-carlos-slim.html|work=Blooomberg|publisher=Blooomberg L.P|accessdate=16 May 2013|first=Alex|last=Cuadros|author2=Crayton Harrison|date=17 May 2013}}</ref> Since its founding, the foundation has endowed and supported a broad range of social, health, and education developments including the establishment of the [[Gates Cambridge Scholarships]] at [[Cambridge University]].
{{TOC limit|3}}
==History==
[[File:B&M Gates Complex.jpg|thumb|right|Complex as seen from the [[Space Needle]]]]
[[File:Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation front.JPG|thumb|Front building]]
[[File:Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation rear building.JPG|thumb|Rear building]]
In 1994, the foundation was formed as the William H. Gates Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Executive-Leadership-Team/William-H-Gates-Sr|title=William H Gates Sr|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref> During the foundation's following years, funding grew to US$2 billion. On June 15, 2006, Gates announced his plans to transition out of a day-to-day role with [[Microsoft]], effective July 31, 2008,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jun06/06-15CorpNewsPR.mspx |title=Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates |publisher=Microsoft PressPass |date=2006-06-15 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619230935/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jun06/06-15CorpNewsPR.mspx |archivedate=June 19, 2006 |df=mdy }}</ref> to allow him to devote more time to working with the foundation.
In 2005, [[Bill Gates|Bill]] and [[Melinda Gates]], along with the musician [[Bono]], were named by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' as [[Time Magazine Person of the Year|Persons of the Year 2005]] for their outstanding charitable work.<ref>{{Cite web|title = TIME names Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates Persons of Year - CNN.com|url = http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/18/time.poy/index.html?iref=mpstoryview|website = www.cnn.com|access-date = 2016-02-05}}</ref> In the case of Bill and Melinda Gates, the work referenced was that of this foundation.
In April 2010, Gates was invited to visit and speak at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] where he asked the students to take on the hard problems of the world in their futures. He also explained the nature and philosophy of his philanthropic endeavors.<ref>Guo, Jeff; McQueen, Rob,
[http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N21/gates.html "Gates asks students to tackle world's problems : Disease and education among biggest challenges"], ''[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]'', Volume 130, Issue 21, Friday, April 23, 2010</ref><ref>Guo, Jeff, [http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N21/gates/interview.html "In interview, Gates describes philanthropic journey"], ''The Tech'', Volume 130, Issue 21, April 23, 2010. (video & transcript). "After he spoke at Kresge Auditorium, Bill Gates sat down with The Tech to talk more about his college tour, his philanthropy, and the philosophy behind it."</ref>
In 2010, the foundation's founders started the Commission on Education of Health Professionals for the 21st Century, entitled "Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publichealthglobal.org/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Providing-Affordable-Healthcare-Education.html&Itemid=92|title=Public Health Global Watch|publisher=|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
A 2011 survey of grantees found that many believed the foundation did not make its goals and strategies clear and sometimes did not understand those of the grantees; that the foundation's decision- and grantmaking procedures were too opaque; and that its communications could be more consistent and responsive. The foundation's response was to improve the clarity of its explanations, make "orientation calls" to grantees upon awarding grants, tell grantees who their foundation contact is, give timely feedback when they receive a grantee report, and establish a way for grantees to provide anonymous or attributed feedback to the foundation.<ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/learning/Pages/GranteeProgressReport2012.aspx Improving our Work with You: A Progress Report - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]. Gatesfoundation.org (2012-09-06). Retrieved on 2013-07-18.</ref> The foundation also launched a podcast series.<ref>[http://www.soundcloud.com/BMGF Gates Foundation's Spotlight page on SoundCloud - Hear the world's sounds]. Soundcloud.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-18.</ref>
In 2013, [[Hillary Clinton]] launched a partnership between the foundation and the [[Clinton Foundation]] to gather and study data on the progress of women and girls around the world since the 1995 United Nations [[Fourth World Conference on Women|Fourth World Conference On Women]] in Beijing.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/02/13/hillary-clinton-launches-global-data-project-on-women-and-girls/|title=Hillary Clinton launches global data project on women and girls|work=Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="philanthropynewsdigest.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/wyss-clinton-foundations-partner-on-full-participation-by-women-and-girls|title=Wyss, Clinton Foundations Partner on Full Participation by Women and Girls|author=Foundation Center|work=Philanthropy News Digest (PND)}}</ref> This is called "No Ceilings: The Full Participation Project."<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/><ref name="philanthropynewsdigest.org"/>
===Warren Buffett donation===
On June 25, 2006, [[Warren Buffett]] (then the world's richest person, estimated worth of US$62 billion as of April 16, 2008) pledged to give the foundation approximately 10 million [[Berkshire Hathaway]] Class B [[share (finance)|shares]] spread over multiple years through annual contributions, with the first year's donation of 500,000 shares being worth approximately US$1.5 billion.<ref>{{cite news| title=Warren Buffett gives away his fortune| url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/25/magazines/fortune/charity1.fortune/index.htm| date=2008-03-05| work=Fortune| publisher=Time Warner via CNNMoney.com| accessdate=2007-12-10| first=Carol J.| last=Loomis| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128090517/http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/25/magazines/fortune/charity1.fortune/index.htm| archivedate=November 28, 2007| deadurl=no| df=mdy-all}}</ref> Buffett set conditions so that these contributions do not simply increase the foundation's endowment, but effectively work as a matching contribution, doubling the Foundation's annual giving. [[Bloomberg News]] noted, "Buffett's gift came with three conditions for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Bill or Melinda Gates must be alive and active in its administration; it must continue to qualify as a charity; and each year it must give away an amount equal to the previous year's Berkshire gift, plus an additional amount equal to 5 percent of net [[asset]]s. Buffett gave the foundation two years to abide by the third requirement."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=axbiyJ8O.yKk&refer=top_world_news|title=Buffett Makes $30.7 Bln Donation to Gates Foundation (Update8)|publisher=}}</ref><ref>http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=7451{{dead link|date=May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/home/facesinthenews/2006/06/26/buffett-gates-philanthropy-cx_cn_0626autofacescan03.html|title=Buffett Will Double Gates Foundation's Spending|first=Chris|last=Noon|date=26 June 2006|work=Forbes}}</ref> The Gates Foundation received 5% (500,000) of the shares in July 2006 and will receive 5% of the ''remaining'' earmarked shares in the July of each following year (475,000 in 2007, 451,250 in 2008).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/25/magazines/fortune/charity3.fortune/index.htm | work=CNN | title=How Buffett's giveaway will work | date=2006-06-25 | accessdate=2010-04-26 | first=Carol J. | last=Loomis}}</ref><ref>http://berkshirehathaway.com/donate/bmgfltr.pdf</ref> In July 2018, Buffet announced another donation of his company's Class B stock, this time worth $2 billion, to the Gates Foundation.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/08/warren-buffett-stock-donations_n_3561866.html Warren Buffett Makes Huge Charity Stock Donation To Gates Foundation, Other Charities]. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-18.</ref>
==Activities==
=== Program areas and grant database ===
To maintain its status as a charitable foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation must donate funds equal to at least 5 percent of its assets each year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Private Family Foundations|url=http://www.savewealth.com/planning/estate/foundations/|work=SaveWealth|publisher=SaveWealth|accessdate=6 April 2014|year=2014}}</ref> As of April 2014, the foundation is organized into four program areas under chief executive officer Susan Desmond-Hellmann, who "sets strategic priorities, monitors results, and facilitates relationships with key partners":<ref>{{cite web|title=Susan Desmond-Hellmann |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Susan-Desmond-Hellman |work=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |publisher=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=2 June 2014 |year=2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602194755/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Susan-Desmond-Hellman |archivedate=June 2, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* Global Development Division
* Global Health Division
* United States Division
* Global Policy & Advocacy Division
* Global Growth & Opportunity Division<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/what-we-do|title=What We Do|last=|first=|date=|year=2014|work=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|publisher=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=29 May 2018}}</ref>
The foundation maintains an online database of grants on its website which includes for each grant the name of the grantee organization, the purpose of the grant and the amount.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|title=How We Work - Grantmaking|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database|work=|publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=}}</ref> This database is publicly available.
=== Open access policy ===
In November 2014, the Gates Foundation announced that they were adopting an [[Open access mandate|open access (OA) policy]] for [[open access (publishing)|publications]] and [[open science data|data]], "to enable the unrestricted access and reuse of all peer-reviewed published research funded by the foundation, including any underlying data sets".<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2014/11/Knowledge-is-Power|title = Knowledge is Power: Sharing Information Can Accelerate Global Health Impact|date = 20 November 2014|accessdate = 30 December 2014|website = Impatient Optimists|publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref> This move has been widely applauded by those who are working in the area of [[capacity building]] and knowledge sharing.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}} Its terms have been called the most stringent among similar OA policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.nature.com/news/2014/11/gates-foundation-announces-worlds-strongest-policy-on-open-access-research.html|title = Gates Foundation announces world's strongest policy on open access research|website = News blog Nature.com|publisher = |accessdate = 23 January 2015|date = 21 November 2014}}</ref> As of January 1, 2015 their Open Access policy is effective for all new agreements.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/General-Information/Open-Access-Policy|title = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Open Access Policy|date = |accessdate = 7 April 2015|website = Website of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|publisher = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref> In March 2017, it was confirmed that the open access policy, Gates Open Research<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gatesopenresearch.org/|title=Gates Open Research|website=gatesopenresearch.org|access-date=2017-03-24}}</ref> would be based on the same initiative launched in 2016 by [[Wellcome Trust]] in their Wellcome Open Research policy<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/|title=Wellcome Open Research provides all Wellcome researchers with a place to rapidly publish any results they think are worth sharing.|website=wellcomeopenresearch.org|access-date=2017-03-24}}</ref> launched in partnership with [[F1000Research|F1000 Research]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/gates-foundation-joins-shift-towards-open-access-platforms|title=Gates Foundation joins shift towards open access platforms|date=2017-03-23|work=Times Higher Education (THE)|access-date=2017-03-24|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Butler|first=Declan|title=Gates Foundation announces open-access publishing venture|url=http://www.nature.com/news/gates-foundation-announces-open-access-publishing-venture-1.21700|journal=Nature|language=en|doi=10.1038/nature.2017.21700}}</ref>
===Funds for grants in developing countries===
The following table lists the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's committed funding as recorded in their [[International Aid Transparency Initiative]] (IATI) publications. The Gates Foundation announced in October 2013 that it would join the IATI.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/General-Information/Information-Sharing-Approach/International-Aid-Transparency-Initiative |title=International Aid Transparency Initiative |accessdate=September 2, 2016 |publisher=Gates Foundation}}</ref> The IATI publications only include a subset of Gates Foundation grants (mainly excluding grants to developed countries), and contain few grants before 2009 (which are excluded from the table).<ref name="iati-pub">{{cite web |url=https://iatiregistry.org/publisher/bmgf |title=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=August 28, 2016 |publisher=IATI Registry |date=2016-08-16}}</ref> The Gates Foundation states on the IATI Registry site that "reporting starts from 2009 and excludes grants related to our US programs and grants that if published could harm our employees, grantees, partners, or the beneficiaries of our work".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iatiregistry.org/publisher/about/bmgf |publisher=IATI Registry |accessdate=September 2, 2016 |title=About - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation}}</ref>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!
! colspan="8" | Committed funding (US$ millions)
|-
! DAC 5 Digit Sector<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iatistandard.org/202/codelists/Sector/ |title=DAC 5 Digit Sector |publisher=IATI Standard}}</ref>!! 2009 !! 2010 !! 2011 !! 2012 !! 2013 !! 2014 !! 2015 !! Sum
|-
| Infectious disease control
| style="text-align:right;" | 256.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 720.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 462.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 528.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 1248.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 1271.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 1097.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 5586.4
|-
| Malaria control
| style="text-align:right;" | 324.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 101.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 133.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 75.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 302.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 377.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 140.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 1456.1
|-
| STD control including HIV/AIDS
| style="text-align:right;" | 175.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 26.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 291.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 199.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 184.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 264.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 1308.0
|-
| Tuberculosis control
| style="text-align:right;" | 69.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 211.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 59.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 273.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 135.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 100.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 244.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 1094.0
|-
| Reproductive health care
| style="text-align:right;" | 173.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 66.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 77.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 84.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 207.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 130.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 905.8
|-
| Agricultural research
| style="text-align:right;" | 84.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 27.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 196.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 192.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 207.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 14.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 83.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 807.2
|-
| Family planning
| style="text-align:right;" | 104.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 21.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 21.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 49.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 145.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 181.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 688.9
|-
| Health policy and administrative management
| style="text-align:right;" | 119.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 14.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 145.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 75.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 61.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 113.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 130.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 659.5
|-
| Agricultural development
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 30.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 35.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 325.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 86.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 481.3
|-
| Agricultural policy and administrative management
| style="text-align:right;" | 72.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 30.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 77.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 77.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 86.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 19.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 96.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 460.3
|-
| Promotion of development awareness
| style="text-align:right;" | 47.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 45.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 35.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 41.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 124.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 61.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 80.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 436.2
|-
| Basic health care
| style="text-align:right;" | 22.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 23.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 43.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 73.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 1.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 45.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 206.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 416.7
|-
| Basic [[Human nutrition|nutrition]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 19.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 15.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 40.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 51.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 63.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 55.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 148.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 395.2
|-
| Basic [[sanitation]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 10.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 34.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 82.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 74.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 59.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 48.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 64.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 375.5
|-
| Financial policy and administrative management
| style="text-align:right;" | 29.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 18.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 9.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 8.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 70.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 32.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 53.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 222.5
|-
! Other
! style="text-align:right;" | 487.5
! style="text-align:right;" | 273.8
! style="text-align:right;" | 2208.9
! style="text-align:right;" | 260.2
! style="text-align:right;" | 332.1
! style="text-align:right;" | 433.3
! style="text-align:right;" | 2195.7
! style="text-align:right;" | 6191.5
|-
! Total
! style="text-align:right;" | 2001.9
! style="text-align:right;" | 1662.0
! style="text-align:right;" | 3887.2
! style="text-align:right;" | 2183.0
! style="text-align:right;" | 3125.9
! style="text-align:right;" | 3518.4
! style="text-align:right;" | 5106.6
! style="text-align:right;" | 21485.1
|}
The following table lists the top receiving organizations to which the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed funding, between 2009 and 2015. The table again only includes grants recorded in the Gates Foundation's IATI publications.<ref name="iati-pub"/>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Organization !! Amount (US$ millions)
|-
| [[GAVI Alliance]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,152.8
|-
| [[World Health Organization]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,535.1
|-
| [[The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 777.6
|-
| [[PATH (global health organization)|PATH]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 635.2
|-
| [[United States Fund for UNICEF]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 461.1
|-
| [[The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 400.1
|-
| [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 340.0
|-
| [[Global Alliance for TB Drug Development]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 338.4
|-
| [[Medicines for Malaria Venture]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 334.1
|-
| [[PATH Vaccine Solutions]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 333.4
|-
| [[UNICEF Headquarters]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 277.6
|-
| [[Johns Hopkins University]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 265.4
|-
| [[Aeras]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 227.6
|-
| [[Clinton Health Access Initiative Inc]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 199.5
|-
| [[International Development Association]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 174.7
|-
| [[CARE]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 166.2
|-
| [[World Health Organization Nigeria Country Office]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 166.1
|-
| [[French Development Agency|Agence française de développement]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.0
|-
| [[Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 153.1
|-
| [[Cornell University]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 146.7
|-
| [[Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 146.4
|-
| [[United Nations Foundation]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 143.0
|-
| [[University of Washington Foundation]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 138.2
|-
| [[Foundation for the National Institutes of Health]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 136.2
|-
| [[Emory University]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 123.2
|-
| [[University of California San Francisco]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 123.1
|-
| [[Population Services International]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 122.5
|-
| [[University of Oxford]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 117.8
|-
| [[International Food Policy Research Institute]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 110.7
|-
| [[International Institute of Tropical Agriculture]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 104.8
|}
==Financials==
The foundation explains on its website that its trustees divided the organization into two entities: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. The foundation section, based in Seattle, US, "focuses on improving health and alleviating extreme poverty", and its trustees are Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. The trust section manages "the investment assets and transfer proceeds to the foundation as necessary to achieve the foundation's charitable goals"—it holds the assets of Bill and Melinda Gates, who are the sole trustees, and receives contributions from Buffett.<ref name="Fin">{{cite web|title=Who We Are - Financials|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Financials|work=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|publisher=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|accessdate=6 April 2014|year=2014}}</ref>
The foundation posts its audited financial statements and [[Form 990#Fiduciary reporting|990-PF]] forms on the "Financials" section of its website as they become available. At the end of 2012, the foundation registered a cash sum of US$4,998,000, down from US$10,810,000 at the end of 2011. Unrestricted net assets at the end of 2012 were worth US$31,950,613,000, while total assets were worth US$37,176,777,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION Consolidated Financial Statements|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/~/media/GFO/Who%20We%20Are/Financials/12GatesFoundation_FS.pdf|work=BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION Consolidated Financial Statements|publisher=KPMG|accessdate=6 April 2014|format=PDF|date=31 December 2012}}</ref>
===Trust Investments===
{{asof |2016}}, the foundation appeared to have the following stakes in investments:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streetinsider.com/entities/Bill%20Melinda%20Gates%20Foundation%20Trust/?view_portfolio|title=StreetInsider.com - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust|publisher=|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref>[[Arcos Dorados Holdings]] ~ 2.36% stake, [[AutoNation, Inc.]] ~ 1.56% stake
[[Berkshire Hathaway]] Class B Stock ~ 6.59% stake, [[British Petroleum]] ~ 0.24% stake (US$372 million<ref name=":6">[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/26/residents-blame-durban-oil-refineries-for-health-problems Residents blame Durban oil refineries for health problems] The Guardian 26.5.2015</ref>), [[Canadian National Railway Co.]] ~ 2.06% stake, [[Caterpillar, Inc.]] ~ 1.77% stake, [[Coca-Cola Co.]] ~ 0.77% stake [[Crown Castle International Corp.]] ~ 1.60% stake, [[Exxon Mobil]] ~ 0.19% stake, [[FedEx Corp.]] ~ 0.97% stake, [[FEMSA]] ~ 3.06% stake, [[Liberty Global]] ~ 2.12% stake, [[McDonald's Corporation|McDonald's Corp.]] ~ 1.09% stake [[Republic Services, Inc.]] ~ 0.37% stake, [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] - US$5.5 million,<ref name=":6" /> [[Televisa]] ~ 2.9% stake, [[Wal-Mart]] ~ 0.36%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streetinsider.com/holdings.php?q=WMT|title=Notable Holders of Wal-Mart Stores (WMT)|work=StreetInsider.com|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> stake, [[Waste Management, Inc.]] ~ 3.97% stake.
==Global development division==
{{refimprove section|date=March 2014}}
[[Christopher Elias]] leads the foundation's efforts to combat extreme poverty through grants as president of the Global Development Program.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who We Are - Leadership CHRISTOPHER ELIAS PRESIDENT |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Christopher-Elias |work=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=6 April 2014 |year=2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090439/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Christopher-Elias |archivedate=April 7, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
In March 2006, the foundation announced a US$5 million grant for the [[International Justice Mission]] (IJM), a human rights organization based in Washington, D.C., US to work in the area of [[sex trafficking]]. The official announcement explained that the grant would allow the IJM to "create a replicable model for combating sex trafficking and slavery" that would involve the opening of an office in a region with high rates of sex trafficking, following research. The office was opened for three years for the following purposes: "conducting undercover investigations, training law enforcement, rescuing victims, ensuring appropriate aftercare, and seeking perpetrator accountability".<ref>{{cite web|title=Gates Foundation Awards $5 Million to Fight Sex Trafficking|url=http://www.philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/gates-foundation-awards-5-million-to-fight-sex-trafficking|work=Philanthropy News Digest|publisher=Foundation Center|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=21 March 2006}}</ref>
The IJM used the grant money to found "Project Lantern" and established an office in the [[Philippines]] city of [[Cebu]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/gates-foundation-awards-5-million-to-fight-sex-trafficking|title=Gates Foundation Awards $5 Million to Fight Sex Trafficking|last=Center|first=Foundation|work=Philanthropy News Digest (PND)|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/beyond-rescue/|title=Beyond Rescue|last=Thrupkaew|first=Noy|date=2009-10-08|work=The Nation|access-date=2018-01-04|issn=0027-8378}}</ref> In 2010, the results of the project were published, in which the IJM stated that Project Lantern had led to "an increase in law enforcement activity in sex trafficking cases, an increase in commitment to resolving sex trafficking cases among law enforcement officers trained through the project, and an increase in services – like shelter, counseling and career training – provided to trafficking survivors". At the time that the results were released, the IJM was exploring opportunities to replicate the model in other regions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Project Lantern: Game-Changing Results in the Fight Against Trafficking|url=http://www.ijm.org/projectlantern|work=IJM|publisher=IJM|accessdate=6 April 2014|year=2010}}</ref>
===Gates Cambridge Scholarships===
In October 2000, William Gates established the [[Gates Cambridge Scholarships]] which allow students and scholars from the U.S. and around the world to study at [[Cambridge University]], one of the top universities in the world. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship has often been compared to the [[Rhodes Scholarship]], given its similarly international scope and substantial endowment. In 2000, the Gates Foundation endowed the scholarship trust with $210 million to help outstanding graduate students outside of the [[United Kingdom]] study at the [[University of Cambridge]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/about|title=About|last=alex.corr|date=2014-10-20|work=Gates Cambridge|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref> The Gates Foundation has continued to contribute funds to expand the scholarship, making it one of the largest and best endowed scholarships in the world. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship accepts less than 0.3% of applicants and remains extremely competitive. Each year, approximately 100 new graduate students from around the world receive funding to study at [[Cambridge University]].
[[File:Selwyn College Cambridge Main Gate.jpg|thumb|[[Selwyn College, Cambridge|Selwyn College]], [[University of Cambridge]]]]
===Financial assistance===
* [[Alliance for Financial Inclusion]] (AFI): A US$35 million grant for the AFI supports a coalition of countries from the developing world to create savings accounts, insurance, and other financial services that are made available to people living on less than $2 per day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewcave/2014/07/31/banking-for-the-poor-will-this-be-bill-gatess-greatest-philanthropic-achievement/#2a6a59b19a1f|title=Banking For The Poor: Will This Be Bill Gates' Greatest Philanthropic Achievement?|last=Cave|first=Andrew|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}
* [[Financial Access Initiative]]: A US$5 million grant allows Financial Access Initiative to conduct field research and answer important questions about [[Microcredit|microfinance]] and financial access in impoverished countries around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wagner.nyu.edu/impact/centers/fai|title=Financial Access Initiative {{!}} NYU Wagner|website=wagner.nyu.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref>
* [[Pro Mujer]]: A five-year US$3.1 million grant to Pro Mujer—a microfinance network in [[Latin America]] combining financial services with healthcare for the poorest women entrepreneurs—will be used to research new opportunities for the poorest segment of the Latin American microfinance market.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060426005812/en/Gates-Foundation-Awards-Pro-Mujer-3.1-Million|title=Gates Foundation Awards Pro Mujer $3.1 Million To Develop Innovative Microcredit Products|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Grameen Foundation]]: A US$1.5 million grant allows Grameen Foundation to approve more microloans that support Grameen's goal of helping five million additional families, and successfully freeing 50 percent of those families from poverty within five years.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Gates Foundation Awards $1.5 Million to Grameen Foundation|publisher=[[Grameen Foundation]]|date=2006-08-29|url=http://www.grameenfoundation.org/resource_center/newsroom/news_releases/~story=168|accessdate=2007-10-26|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005013401/http://www.grameenfoundation.org/resource_center/newsroom/news_releases/~story%3D168|archivedate=October 5, 2007|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
===Agricultural Development===
* [[International Rice Research Institute]]: Between November 2007 and October 2010, the Gates Foundation offered US$19.9 million to the [[International Rice Research Institute]]. The goal of the aid was to support the increasing world demand for rice. The Gates Foundation claims: "To keep up with worldwide demand, the production of rice will have to increase by about 70 percent in the next two decades."<ref>{{cite web|title=Growing Better Rice for a Hungry World|url=http://www.good.is/posts/growing-better-rice-for-a-hungry-world|work=Good|publisher=GOOD Worldwide Inc|accessdate=17 March 2014|date=23 May 2011}}</ref> The [[International Rice Research Institute]] has developed [[Golden Rice]], a genetically modified rice variant used to combat [[Vitamin A deficiency]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Agricultural-Development/Golden-Rice|title= Agricultural Development Golden Rice|access-date= 3 Feb 2016|deadurl= yes|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160203145910/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Agricultural-Development/Golden-Rice|archivedate= February 3, 2016|df= mdy-all}}</ref>
* [[Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa]] (AGRA): The Gates Foundation has partnered with the [[Rockefeller Foundation]] to enhance agricultural science and small-farm productivity in [[Africa]], building on the [[Green Revolution]] that the Rockefeller Foundation spurred in the 1940s and 1960s. The Gates Foundation has made an initial US$100 million investment in this effort, to which the Rockefeller Foundation has contributed US$50 million.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}
===Water, sanitation and hygiene===
[[File:Sanitation Value Chain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|The "[[sanitation]] value chain" used by the Gates Foundation to illustrate their approach to sanitation, showing collection, transport, treatment and [[reuse of excreta|reuse]].<ref name=":8">BMGF (2015). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2317 Building demand for sanitation - a 2015 portfolio update and overview] - Water, sanitation, and hygiene strategy, June 2015. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, USA</ref>]]
[[File:2011 07-Internal ReinventTheToilet Animation.webm|thumb|The Gates Foundation created this video to advocate for increased innovation for [[toilet]]s and everything they are connected to]]
[[File:The vision of a toilet that is small - and pleasant - enough to fit inside someone's home (prototype but not fully functional) (13359389583).jpg|thumb|Example for technology innovation: The off-grid Nano Membrane Toilet of [[Cranfield University]] - prototype on display at Reinvent the Toilet Fair in Delhi, India ]]
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ([[WASH]]) program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in mid-2005 as a "Learning Initiative", and became a full-fledged program under the Global Development Division in early 2010.<ref name=":8"/> The Foundation has since 2005 undertaken a wide range of efforts in the WASH sector involving research, experimentation, reflection, [[advocacy]], and field implementation. In 2009, the Foundation decided to refocus its WASH effort mainly on [[sustainable sanitation]] services for the poor, using non-piped sanitation services (i.e. without the use of [[Sanitary sewer|sewers]]),<ref name=":8"/> and less on [[water supply]]. This was because the sanitation sector was generally receiving less attention from other [[Official development assistance|donors]] and from governments, and because the Foundation believed it had the potential to make a real difference through strategic investments.
In mid 2011, the Foundation announced in its new "Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Strategy Overview" that its funding now focuses primarily on sanitation, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, because access to [[improved sanitation]] is lowest in those regions.<ref name=":0">BMGF (2011). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1663 Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Strategy Overview], Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref> Their grant-making focus has been since 2011 on sanitation science and technology ("transformative technologies"), delivery models at scale, urban sanitation markets, building demand for sanitation, [[Monitoring and evaluation|measurement and evaluation]] as well as policy, advocacy and communications.<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":0" />
In mid 2011, the foundation stated that they had committed more than US$265 million to the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector over the past five years, i.e. since about 2006.<ref name=":0" /> For the time period of about 2008 to mid 2015, all grants awarded to water, sanitation and hygiene projects totaled a value of around US$650 million, according to the publicly available grant database.<ref name=":7" />
[[File:Earth auger toilet with squatting plate (13358958903).jpg|thumb|Example of low-tech toilet development being funded: A [[urine-diverting dry toilet]] called Earth Auger toilet from Ecuador/USA]]
Improved sanitation in the developing world is a global need, but a neglected priority, as shown by the data collected by the [[Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation]] (JMP) of UNICEF and WHO. This program is tasked to monitor progress towards the [[Millennium Development Goal]] (MDG) relating to drinking water and sanitation.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.wssinfo.org/data-estimates/|title = Data and estimates|date = |accessdate = 12 March 2015|website = JMP - WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation|publisher = WHO/UNICEF|last = |first = |deadurl = yes|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150219114756/http://www.wssinfo.org/data-estimates|archivedate = February 19, 2015|df = mdy-all}}</ref> About one billion people have no sanitation facility whatsoever and continue to defecate in gutters, behind bushes or in open water bodies, with no dignity or privacy. This is called [[open defecation]] and it poses significant health risks.<ref name=":2">JMP (2014). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2036 Progress on drinking water and sanitation, 2014 Update]. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), {{ISBN|978 92 4 150724 0}}, page 6</ref> India is the country with the highest number of people practicing open defecation: around 600 million people.<ref name=":3">JMP (2014). [http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP_report_2014_webEng.pdf Progress on drinking water and sanitation, 2014 Update] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421023056/http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP_report_2014_webEng.pdf |date=April 21, 2015 }}. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), {{ISBN|978 92 4 150724 0}}, page 19.</ref> The Foundation has been funding many sanitation research and demonstration projects in India since about 2011.<ref>BMGF (2014). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2001 Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, Delhi, India - Program and Technical Guides]. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref>
====Technology Innovations====
In 2011, the foundation launched a program called "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" with the aim to promote the development of innovations in toilet design to benefit the 2.5 billion people that do not have access to safe and effective sanitation.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Reinvent-the-Toilet-Challenge|title = What we do - Reinvent the Toilet Challenge - Strategy Overview|date = |accessdate = 8 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref><ref name=":1">BMGF (2012). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1636 Reinvent the Toilet Challenge (RTTC, Round 1 and 2), Grand Challenges Explorations (Round 6 and 7) - Request for proposals, grant conditions, Seattle exhibition fair program and exhibitor guide.] Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref> This program has generated significant interest of the mainstream media.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/opinion/bill-gates-cant-build-a-toilet.html?_r=0|title = Bill Gates Can’t Build a Toilet|date = 18 November 2013|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = New York Times Opinion Pages|publisher = New York Times|last = Kass|first = Jason}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/after-10-years-few-payoffs-from-gatesrsquo-lsquogrand-challengesrsquo/|title = After 10 years, few payoffs from Gates’ ‘Grand Challenges’|date = 21 December 2014|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = The Seattle Times, Local News|publisher = The Seattle Times|last = Doughton|first = Sandy}}</ref> It was complemented by a program called "Grand Challenges Explorations" (2011 to 2013 with some follow-up grants reaching until 2015) which involved grants of US$100,000 each in the first round.<ref name=":1"/> Both funding schemes explicitly excluded project ideas that relied on centralized [[sanitary sewer|sewerage systems]] or are not compatible with development country contexts.<ref name=":5">Radke, N., Spuhler, D. (2013) [http://www.susana.org/_resources/documents/default/2-1636-gates-grant-schemes-simple-overview-may-2013-version-2.pdf Brief overview of conditions for water, sanitation and hygiene grants by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]</ref>
[[File:Microbial fuel cell stack that converts urine into electricity (13359544514).jpg|thumb|[[Microbial fuel cell]] stack that converts [[urine]] into electricity (research by [[University of the West of England]], UK)]]
Since the launch of the "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge", more than a dozen research teams, mainly at universities in the U.S., Europe, India, China and South Africa, have received grants to develop innovative on-site and off-site waste treatment solutions for the urban poor. The grants were in the order of 400,000 USD for their first phase, followed by typically 1-3 million USD for their second phase; many of them investigated resource recovery or processing technologies for [[excreta]] or [[fecal sludge]].<ref>Elisabeth von Muench, Dorothee Spuhler, Trevor Surridge, Nelson Ekane, Kim Andersson, Emine Goekce Fidan, Arno Rosemarin (2013) [http://www.susana.org/_resources/documents/default/2-2042-ssp-17okt20134-10-about-the-gates-sanitation-grants-on-forum.pdf Sustainable Sanitation Alliance members take a closer look at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's sanitation grants], Sustainable Sanitation Practice Journal, Issue 17, p. 4-10</ref>
The "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" is focused on "reinventing the [[flush toilet]]". The aim was to create a toilet that not only removes [[pathogen]]s from human [[excreta]], but also [[resource recovery|recovers resources]] such as energy, clean water, and [[nutrient]]s (a concept also known as [[reuse of excreta]]). It should operate "[[off-the-grid]]" without connections to water, sewer, or electrical networks. Finally, it should costs less than 5 US-cents per user per day.<ref name=":5" /><ref name="Shaw" />
High-tech toilets for tackling the growing public health problem of [[human waste]] are gaining increasing attention, but this focus on a "technology fix" has also been criticized by many in the sector.<ref name=":4" /> However, low-tech solutions may be more practical in poor countries, and research is also funded by the foundation for such toilets.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Reinventing the toilet for 2.5 billion in need|doi = 10.2471/BLT.14.020714|last = Humphreys|first = Gary|publisher = Bull World Health Organ 2014;92:470–471|year = 2014}}</ref><ref name="Shaw">{{cite book|url=http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1993|title=A Collection of Contemporary Toilet Designs|date=2014|publisher=EOOS and WEDC, Loughborough University, UK|year=|isbn=978 1 84380 155 9|location=|pages=40|last1=Shaw|first1=R.}}</ref>
The Reinvent the Toilet Challenge is a long-term research and development effort to develop a hygienic, stand-alone toilet. This challenge is being complemented by another investment program to develop new technologies for improved [[Fecal sludge management|pit latrine emptying]] (called by the foundation the "Omni-Ingestor"<ref>Frederick, R., Gurski, T. (2012). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1718 Synapse Dewatering Investigation Report - Omni-Ingestor Phase 2, Milestone 1]. Consultancy report by Synapse (USA) commissioned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref>) and [[Septage|fecal sludge]] processing (called "[[Omni-Processor]]"). The aim of the "Omni Processor" is to convert [[excreta]] (for example [[Fecal sludge management|fecal sludge]]) into beneficial products such as energy and soil nutrients with the potential to develop local business and revenue.<ref>Kuchenrither, R. D., Stone, L., Haug, R. T. (2012). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1640 Omni-Processor Landscaping Project]. Consultancy report by WERF (Water Environment Research Foundation), commissioned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref>
==== Examples of transformative technologies research ====
* About 200 sanitation projects in many different countries and at various scales - some with a technology focus, some with a focus on market development or policy and advocacy, have received funding by the foundation since 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.susana.org/en/resources/projects?vbl_2%5B%5D=&vbl_22%5B612%5D=612|title = Projects, filtered by funding source Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|date = 24 March 2015|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = Sustainable Sanitation Alliance Website|publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref>
* The [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]] in Durban, South Africa Gates Foundation was awarded US$1.6 million in 2014 to act as a hub for sanitation researchers and product developers.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2014/11/OPP1119939|title = How we work, grant database (grant for UKZN)|date = |accessdate = 27 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref>
* One example of an [[Omni-Processor]] is a [[combustion]] based system designed to turn fecal sludge into energy and [[drinking water]]. The development of this particular prototype by U.S.-based company Janicki Bioenergy attracted media attention for the sanitation crisis and the work of the foundation after Bill Gates drank water produced from this process.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesnotes.com/Development/Omniprocessor-From-Poop-to-Potable|title = From poop to portable, This Ingenious Machine Turns Feces Into Drinking Water|date = 5 January 2015|accessdate = 13 January 2015|website = gatesnotes, The Blog of Bill Gates|publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref>
* Examples for the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge include: Scientists at the [[University of Colorado Boulder]] were giving funding of US$1.8 million to develop a prototype [[toilet]] that uses solar heat to treat the [[feces|fecal matter]] and produce [[biochar]].<ref>{{cite web|title=World's First Solar Powered Toilet to be unveiled in India this month|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/03/worlds-first-solar-powered-toilet-to-be-unveiled-in-india-this-month/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|accessdate=14 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2012/08/OPP1065047|title = How we work, grant database (grant for Uni Colorado Boulder)|date = |accessdate = 27 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref> Funding has been provided to [[RTI International]] since 2012 to develop a toilet based on electrochemical disinfection and solid waste combustion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Technology|url=http://abettertoilet.org/toilet-technologies/|work=A Better Toilet For A Cleaner World|publisher=RTI International|accessdate=17 March 2014|year=2014|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317082223/http://abettertoilet.org/toilet-technologies/|archivedate=March 17, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database#q/k=RTI&issue=Water%2C%20Sanitation%2C%20and%20Hygiene|title = How we work, grant database (grants for RTI)|date = |accessdate = 27 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref>
=== Other Global Initiatives ===
Some examples include:
* [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]]: The foundation made total grant donations of US$3 million to various charities to help with the aid effort for victims of the earthquake. These charities include: [[CARE (relief agency)|CARE international]], [[International Rescue Committee]], [[Mercy Corps]], [[Save the Children]], and [[World Vision]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37580|title=Mercy Corps|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37578|title=Save the Children Federation|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37577|title=CARE|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37576|title=World Vision|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37572|title=International Rescue Committee|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref>
* [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]]: The foundation made a donation of US$500,000 for the earthquake.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pakistan Earthquake Homeless Number May Surpass Tsunami|url=http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/articles/pakistan-earthquake-homeless-number-may-surpass-tsunami|work=Mercy Corps|publisher=Mercy Corps|accessdate=17 March 2014|date=13 October 2005}}</ref>
* In 2014, the Gates Foundation released "flexible funds" in the order of US$50 million to United Nations agencies and other organizations involved in the work against the deadly disease [[Ebola]] in West Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/health-29145497|title = New money added to emergency response to Ebola outbreak|date = 10 Sep 2014|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = BBC News - Health|publisher = BBC, UK|last = Dreaper|first = Jane}}</ref>
==Global health division==
Since 2011, the president of the Global Health Program is Trevor Mundel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Leadership - Trevor Mundel |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Trevor-Mundel |work=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=6 April 2014 |year=2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090436/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Trevor-Mundel |archivedate=April 7, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* [[The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria]]: The foundation has donated more than $6.6 billion for global health programs, including over US$1.3 billion donated as of 2012 on [[malaria]] alone, greatly increasing the dollars spent per year on malaria research.<ref name="garrett gates">[http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070101faessay86103/laurie-garrett/the-challenge-of-global-health.html The Challenge of Global Health] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109083214/http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070101faessay86103/laurie-garrett/the-challenge-of-global-health.html |date=January 9, 2007 }} Foreign Affairs, January/February 2007</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/science/16malaria.html|title=Gates Foundation's Influence Criticized|date=February 16, 2008|work=The New York Times|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref> Before the Gates efforts on malaria, malaria drugmakers had largely given up on producing drugs to fight the disease, and the foundation is the world's largest donor to research on diseases of the poor.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> With the help of Gates-funded vaccination drives, deaths from [[measles]] in Africa have dropped by 90 percent since 2000.<ref name="LA">{{Cite news|last1=Piller|first1=Charles|last2=Smith|first2=Doug|title=Unintended victims of Gates Foundation generosity|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| date=2007-12-16|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gates16dec16,0,6256166,full.story?coll=la-home-center}}</ref>
The foundation has donated billions of dollars to help sufferers of [[AIDS]], [[tuberculosis]] and malaria, protecting millions of children from death at the hands of preventable diseases.<ref name="LA"/> However, a 2007 investigation by ''The [[Los Angeles Times]]''<ref name="LA"/> claimed there are three major unintended consequences with the foundation's allocation of aid. First, sub-Saharan Africa already suffered from a shortage of primary doctors before the arrival of the Gates Foundation, but "by pouring most contributions into the fight against such high-profile killers as AIDS, Gates grantees have increased the demand for specially trained, higher-paid clinicians, diverting staff from basic care" in sub-Saharan Africa. This "brain drain" adds to the existing doctor shortage and pulls away additional trained staff from children and those suffering from other common killers. Second, "the focus on a few diseases has shortchanged basic needs such as nutrition and transportation".<ref name="LA" /> Third, "Gates-funded vaccination programs have instructed caregivers to ignore – even discourage patients from discussing – ailments that the vaccinations cannot prevent".<ref name="LA" />
In response, the Gates Foundation has said that African governments need to spend more of their budgets on public health than on wars, that the foundation has donated at least $70 million to help improve nutrition and agriculture in Africa, in addition to its disease-related initiatives and that it is studying ways to improve the delivery of health care in Africa.<ref name="LA"/>
Both insiders and external critics have suggested that there is too much deference to Bill Gates's personal views within the Gates Foundation, insufficient internal debate, and pervasive "group think."<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/12/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation|title=Inside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |work=[[The Guardian]] |date= July 12, 2010|first=Andy|last=Beckett}}</ref> Critics also complain that Gates Foundation grants are often awarded based on social connections and ideological allegiances rather than based on formal external review processes or technical competence.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>
Critics have suggested that Gates' approach to Global Health and Agriculture favors the interests of large pharmaceutical and agribusiness companies (in which Gates invests) over the interests of the people of developing countries.<ref>http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/d1.3.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newint.org/features/2012/04/01/bill-gates-charitable-giving-ethics/|title=The flip side to Bill Gates' charity billions -- New Internationalist|first=Andrew|last=Bowman|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/cbertini/Media/Kristi_Heim.pdf|title=Professor Catherine Bertini|publisher=|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humanosphere.org/social-business/2014/10/critics-say-gates-foundations-agriculture-program-wont-help-poor-farmers/|title=Critics say Gates Foundation's agriculture program won't help poor farmers|author=Guest|work=Humanosphere}}</ref>
The Global Health Program's other significant grants include:
* [[Poliomyelitis eradication|Polio eradication]]: In 2006, the foundation provided US$86 million toward efforts attempting to eradicate [[poliomyelitis]] (polio).<ref>[http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/HistContributionWebMay06.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414095646/http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/HistContributionWebMay06.pdf|date=April 14, 2008}}</ref>
* The [[GAVI Alliance]]: The Foundation gave the GAVI Alliance (formerly the "Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization") a donation of US$750 million on January 25, 2005.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Gates Foundation, Norway Contribute $1 Billion to Increase Child Immunization in Developing Countries|publisher=GAVI Alliance|date=2005-01-24|url=http://www.gavialliance.org/media_centre/press_releases/2005_01_24_en_pr_newfunds.php|accessdate=2007-10-24| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013063234/http://www.gavialliance.org/media_centre/press_releases/2005_01_24_en_pr_newfunds.php| archivedate=October 13, 2007<!--DASHBot-->| deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Thomson|first=Iain|title=Bill Gates gives $750m to help African children|date=2005-01-25|url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2126576/bill-gates-gives-750m-help-african-children|accessdate=2007-10-24|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102051550/http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2126576/bill-gates-gives-750m-help-african-children|archivedate=November 2, 2007|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Children's Vaccine Program: The Children's Vaccine Program, run by the [[Program for Appropriate Technology in Health]] (PATH), received a donation of US$27 million to help vaccinate against [[Japanese encephalitis]] on December 9, 2003.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Children's Vaccine Program Receives Grant From Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Combat Japanese Encephalitis| publisher=[[Program for Appropriate Technology in Health]]|date=2003-12-09|url=http://childrensvaccine.org/html/rel-031209.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031221215749/http://childrensvaccine.org/html/rel-031209.htm|archivedate=2003-12-21|accessdate=2007-10-24}}</ref>
* [[University of Washington Department of Global Health]]: The Foundation provided approximately US$30 million for the foundation of the new Department of Global Health at the University of Washington in [[Seattle]], US. The donation promoted three of the foundation's target areas: education, Pacific Northwest and global health.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}
* HIV Research: The foundation donated a total of US$287 million to various [[HIV/AIDS]] researchers. The money was split between 16 different research teams across the world, on the condition that the findings are shared amongst the teams.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News |title=Gates gives $287m to HIV research|date=20 July 2006|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5197082.stm|accessdate=2007-10-24}}</ref>
* [[Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation]]: The foundation gave the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation more than US$280 million to develop and license an improved vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) for use in [[Disease burden|high-burden countries]] (HBCs).<ref>{{cite web|last=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Announcement |title=Gates Foundation Commits $82.9 Million to Develop New Tuberculosis Vaccines |date=2004-02-12 |url=http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/4134 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010163118/http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/4134 |archivedate=October 10, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nightingale|first=Katherine|title=Gates foundation gives US$280 million to fight TB|date=2007-09-19|url=http://www.scidev.net/en/news/gates-foundation-gives-us280-million-to-fight-tb.html}}</ref>
* Cheaper high-tech tuberculosis (TB) test: In August 2012, the Foundation, in partnership with [[President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief|PEPFAR]] (United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]] (United States Agency for International Development) and [[UNITAID]] (an international drug purchasing facility hosted by WHO), announced they had finalized an agreement to reduce the cost of a commercial TB test (Cepheid's Xpert MTB/RIF run on the [[GeneXpert MTB/RIF|GeneXpert platform]]), from US$16.86 to US$9.98.<ref>{{cite web|title=Negotiated prices for Xpert® MTB/RIF and FIND country list|url=http://www.finddiagnostics.org/about/what_we_do/successes/find-negotiated-prices/xpert_mtb_rif.html|work=FIND Diagnostics|publisher=FIND|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=October 2013|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407082202/http://www.finddiagnostics.org/about/what_we_do/successes/find-negotiated-prices/xpert_mtb_rif.html|archivedate=April 7, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> This test can take the place of smear microscopy, a technique first developed in the 1880s by Robert Koch. Smear microscopy often does not show TB infection in persons who are also co-infected with HIV, whereas the GeneXpert system can show TB in the co-infected patient. In addition, the system can show whether the particular TB strain is resistant to the [[bactericidal]] antibiotic [[rifampicin]], a widely accepted indicator of the presence of multidrug resistant tuberculosis.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public-Private Partnership Announces Immediate 40 Percent Cost Reduction for Rapid TB Test|url=http://www.who.int/tb/features_archive/GeneXpert_press_release_final.pdf|work=World Health Organization|publisher=United Nations|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Published evidence and commentary on the Xpert MTB/RIF assay|url=http://www.stoptb.org/wg/gli/assets/documents/map/XpertPublications.pdf|work=Stop TB Partnership|publisher=World Health Organization|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=12 March 2014}}</ref>
* [[Visceral leishmaniasis]] (VL) research: The Foundation awarded the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]]'s Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases a US$5 million grant in 2009 for research into visceral leishmaniasis (VL), an emerging parasitic disease in [[Ethiopia]], Africa, where it is frequently associated with HIV/AIDS, and is a leading cause of adult illness and death. The project, a collaborative effort with [[Addis Ababa University]], will gather data for analysis—to identify the weak links in the transmission cycle—and devise methods for control of the disease.<ref>{{cite news|title=$5 m for disease control in Ethiopia|url=http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/5-m-for-disease-control-in-ethiopia|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=Israel21C|date=30 December 2009}}</ref> In 2005 the Foundation provided a US$30 million grant to [[The Institute for OneWorld Health]] to support the nonprofit pharmaceutical company's VL work in the rural communities of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Institute for OneWorld Health receives multimillion dollar grant|url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/ifoh-ifo113005.php|work=EurekAlert!|publisher=AAAS and EurekAlert!|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=1 December 2005}}</ref> By September 2006, the company had received approval from the Indian body Drug-Controller General of India (DCGI) for the Paromomycin Intramuscular (IM) Injection, a drug that provides an effective cure for VL following a 21-day course.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Cure for Deadly Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala-Azar) Approved by Government of India, Institute for OneWorld Health and Gland Pharma Limited Achieve Critical Paromomycin Milestone|url=http://businesswireindia.com/news/news-details/new-cure-deadly-visceral-leishmaniasis-kala-azar-approved-by-governmen/10736|work=Business Wire India|publisher=Business Wire India|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=14 September 2008}}</ref> In 2010 Raj Shankar Ghosh, the Regional Director for the South Asia Institute for OneWorld Health, explained that the Foundation funded "the majority of our work" in the development of the drug.<ref>{{cite web|title=Q & A: Institute for OneWorld Health |url=https://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/virulence/OneWorldVir.pdf |work=Access Granted Rita. |publisher=Landes Bioscience |accessdate=6 April 2014 |first=Kyle |last=Funk |date=September–October 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085007/https://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/virulence/OneWorldVir.pdf |archivedate=April 7, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* Next-Generation Condom: The foundation gave US$100,000 to 11 applicants in November 2013 to develop an improved condom; that is, one that "significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order to improve uptake and regular use", according to the Gates Foundation's [[Grand Challenges in Global Health]] website.<ref>{{cite web|title=TOPIC: Develop the Next Generation of Condom|url=http://www.grandchallenges.org/Explorations/Topics/Pages/NextGenerationCondomRound11.aspx|work=Grand Challenges in Global Health|publisher=Grand Challenges in Global Health|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=March 2013}}</ref> Further grants of up to US$1 million will be given to projects that are successful.<ref>{{cite news|title=Innovation: Next-Gen Condoms|url=http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/2013-12-05/innovation-next-gen-condoms|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=Bloomberg Businessweek|date=5 December 2013|first=Nick|last=Lieber}}</ref>
* [[Neglected tropical diseases]] (NTDs): Alongside WHO, the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, and the World Bank, the Foundation endorsed the [[London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases]], "to eradicate, eliminate and intensify control of 17 selected diseases by 2015 and 2020", at a meeting on January 30, 2012, held at the Royal College of Physicians in London, UK.<ref>{{cite web|title=WHO roadmap inspires unprecedented support to defeat neglected tropical diseases|url=http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/London_meeting_follow_up/en/|work=World Health Organization|publisher=WHO|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=3 February 2012}}</ref> Gates was the principal organizer responsible for bringing together the heads of 13 of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and the Foundation's monetary commitment to the Declaration was US$363 million over five years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Drug companies join forces to combat deadliest tropical diseases|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/jan/30/drug-companies-join-tropical-diseases|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=30 January 2012|first=Sarah|last=Boseley}}</ref> On April 3, 2014, the two-year anniversary of the Declaration, Gates attended a meeting in [[Paris]], France, at which participants reviewed the progress that had been made against 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The Foundation committed a further US$50 million, together with US$50 million from the [[Children's Investment Fund Foundation]] and US$120 million from the World Bank.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bill Gates: world must step up fight against neglected tropical diseases|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/apr/03/bill-gates-world-must-fight-tropical-diseases|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 April 2014|first=Sarah|last=Boseley}}</ref>
* [[Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations]] (CEPI): A global group tasked with more quickly developing [[vaccine]]s against infectious disease threats worldwide was launched on 8 January 2017 by a coalition of governments and nonprofit groups including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, funded with an initial investment of $460 million from [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[Norway]], the [[Wellcome Trust]] and the Gates foundation, aims to develop [[vaccine]]s against known infectious disease threats that could be deployed quickly to contain outbreaks before they become global health emergencies, the group said in a statement at the [[World Economic Forum]] in [[Davos|Davos, Switzerland]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-18/gates-foundation-joins-new-460-million-coalition-for-vaccines|title=Gates Foundation Joins New $460 Million Coalition for Vaccines|date=2017-01-18|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wellcome.ac.uk/news/global-fund-outsmart-epidemics|title=Global fund to outsmart epidemics {{!}} Wellcome|website=wellcome.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref>
==United States division==
Under President [[Allan Golston]], the United States Program has made grants such as the following:
===Donation to Planned Parenthood===
Up to 2013, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided $71 million to [[Planned Parenthood]] and affiliated organizations. In 2014, Melinda Gates has stated that the foundation "has decided not to fund abortion", focusing instead on family planning and contraception in order to avoid conflation of abortion and family planning.<ref name="melindablog"/> In response to questions about this decision, Gates stated in a June 2014 blog post that "[she], like everyone else, struggle[s] with the issue" and that "the emotional and personal debate about abortion is threatening to get in the way of the lifesaving consensus regarding basic family planning".<ref name="melindablog">{{cite web|title=Reflections on My Recent Travels|first=Melinda|last=Gates|publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|date=2014-06-02|url=http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2014/06/Reflections-on-My-Trip-to-Toronto|accessdate=2014-06-15}}</ref> Since this time, their endeavors have shifted to a more globalperspective, focusing on voluntary family planning and maternal and newborn health<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Family-Planning|title=Family Planning|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Health/Maternal-Newborn-and-Child-Health-Discovery-and-Tools|title=Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Discovery & Tools|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref>.
===Libraries===
In 1997, the charity introduced a U.S. Libraries initiative with a goal of "ensuring that if you can get to a public library, you can reach the internet". Only 35% of the world's population has access to the Internet.<ref name="Bill 2014">Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (2014). "What We Do: Global Libraries Strategy Overview." The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Global-Libraries</ref> The foundation has given grants, installed computers and software, and provided training and technical support in partnership with public libraries nationwide in an effort to increase access and knowledge.<ref name="Bill 2014"/> Helping provide access and training for these resources, this foundation helps move public libraries into the digital age.<ref name="Bill 2014"/>
Most recently, the foundation gave a US$12.2 million grant to the [[Southeastern Library Network]] (SOLINET) to assist libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi on the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]], many of which were damaged or destroyed by [[Hurricane Katrina|Hurricanes Katrina]] and [[Hurricane Rita|Rita]].
===Education===
A key aspect of the Gates Foundation's U.S. efforts involves an overhaul of the country's education policies at both the K-12 and college levels, including support for teacher evaluations and charter schools and opposition to seniority-based layoffs and other aspects of the education system that are typically backed by teachers' unions.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/education/22gates.html|title=Behind Grass-Roots School Advocacy, Bill Gates|date=May 22, 2011|work=The New York Times|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref> It spent $373 million on education in 2009.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> It has also donated to the two largest national teachers' unions.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> The foundation was the biggest early backer of the [[Common Core State Standards Initiative]].<ref name="nytimes.com"/> In October 2017 it was announced that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would spend more than $1.7 billion over five years to pay for new initiatives in public education.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/10/19/bill-gates-has-another-plan-for-k-12-public-education-the-others-didnt-go-so-well/|title=Analysis {{!}} Bill Gates has a(nother) billion-dollar plan for K-12 public education. The others didn’t go so well.|last=Strauss|first=Valerie|date=2017-10-19|work=Washington Post|access-date=2017-10-30|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
One of the foundation's goals is to lower poverty by increasing the number of college graduates in the United States, and the organization has funded "Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery" grants to think tanks and advocacy organizations to produce white papers on ideas for changing the current system of federal financial aid for college students, with a goal of increasing graduation rates.<ref name="chronicle.com">{{cite news|url=http://chronicle.com/article/The-Gates-Effect/140323/|title=Marc Parry, Kelly Field, & Beckie Supiano, "The Gates Effect", The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 13, 2014|publisher=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Reimagining Financial Aid|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/14/look-all-15-reimagining-aid-design-and-delivery-reports-gates-foundation|work=|publisher=Inside Higher Education|accessdate=December 21, 2014|date=March 24, 2013|author=Libby A. Nelson}}</ref> One of the ways the foundation has sought to increase the number of college graduates is to get them through college faster, but that idea has received some pushback from organizations of universities and colleges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronicle.com/article/How-Gates-Shapes-State/140303/|title=Katherine Mangan, "How Gates Shapes State Higher-Education Policy," The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 14, 2013|work=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref>
As part of its education-related initiatives, the foundation has funded journalists, think tanks, lobbying organizations and governments. Millions of dollars of grants to news organizations have funded reporting on education and higher education, including more than $1.4 million to the Education Writers Association to fund training for journalists who cover education.<ref name="shape conversation">{{cite news|url=http://chronicle.com/article/To-Shape-the-National/140297/|title=Jennifer Ruark, "To Shape the National Conversation, Gates and Lumina Support Journalism," The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 14, 2013|publisher=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref> While some critics have feared the foundation for directing the conversation on education or pushing its point of view through news coverage, the foundation has said it lists all its grants publicly and does not enforce any rules for content among its grantees, who have editorial independence.<ref name="nytimes.com"/><ref name="shape conversation"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Storytelling Matters: A Look at the Gates Foundation's Media Grantmaking|url=http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2012/02/Storytelling-Matters-A-Look-at-the-Gates-Foundations-Media-Grantmaking|work=|publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|accessdate=December 21, 2014|date=February 21, 2012}}</ref> Union activists in Chicago have accused Gates Foundation grantee Teach Plus, which was founded by new teachers and advocates against seniority-based layoffs, of "[[astroturfing]]".<ref name="nytimes.com"/>
The K-12 and higher education reform programs of the Gates Foundation have been criticized by some education professionals, parents, and researchers because they have driven the conversation on education reform to such an extent that they may marginalize researchers who do not support Gates' predetermined policy preferences.<ref name="chronicle.com"/> Several Gates-backed policies such as small schools, charter schools, and increasing class sizes have been expensive and disruptive, but some studies indicate they have not improved educational outcomes and may have caused harm.<ref name="dissent">{{cite web|url=http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/got-dough-how-billionaires-rule-our-schools|title=Joanne Barkan, Got Dough? How Billionaires Rule Our Schools, Dissent Magazine, Winter 2011|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/08/an-educator-challenges-the-gates-foundation/|title=Valerie Strauss, An educator challenges the Gates Foundation, The Washington Post, Oct. 8, 2014|publisher=Washington Post}}</ref>
Examples of some of the K-12 reforms advocated by the foundation include closing ineffective neighborhood schools in favor of privately run [[Charter schools in the United States|charter schools]]; extensively using standardized test scores to evaluate the progress of students, teachers, and schools; and merit pay for teachers based on student test scores. Critics also believe that the Gates Foundation exerts too much influence over public education policy without being accountable to voters or taxpayers.
<ref name="dissent"/><ref>Diane Ravitch. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: Basic Books, 2010.</ref><ref>Philip E. Kovacs. The Gates Foundation and the Future of U.S. "Public" Schools. Routledge, 2011.</ref>
Some of the foundation's educational initiatives have included:
* [[Gates Cambridge Scholarships]]: In 2000, the Gates Foundation donated $210 million to help outstanding graduate students from the U.S. and around the world to study at the prestigious [[University of Cambridge]]. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship has often been compared to the [[Rhodes Scholarship]] given its international scope and substantial endowment, The scholar remains extremely competitive with just 0.3% of applicants being selected. Each year, approximately 100 new graduate students from around the world receive funding to attend [[Cambridge University]]. Several buildings at the [[University of Cambridge]] also bear the name of William and Melinda Gates after sizable contributions to their construction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk/ |title=gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk |publisher= |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509054021/http://www.gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk/ |archivedate=May 9, 2015 }}</ref>
[[File:20130808 Kings Back Court 01.jpg|thumb|[[Cambridge University]]]]
* [[Cornell University]]: Faculty of Computing and Information Science received US$25 million from the Foundation for a new Information Science building, which will be named the "Bill and Melinda Gates Hall". The total cost of the building is expected to be US$60 million. Construction began in March 2012, and officially opened in January 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/01/cornells-new-gates-hall-not-what-it-seems|title=Cornell's new Gates Hall is not what it seems - Cornell Chronicle|publisher=}}</ref>
* [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]: Part of the [[Ray and Maria Stata Center]] is known as the "Gates Tower" in recognition of partial funding of the building.
* [[Carnegie Mellon University]]: The foundation gave US$20 million to the [[Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science]] for a new Computer Science building called the "Gates Center for Computer Science".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmu.edu/cmnews/extra/060407_gates.html|title=University Unveils Plans for New Gates Center for Computer Science|publisher=}}</ref> It officially opened on September 22, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gateshillman.blog.cs.cmu.edu/?p%3D122 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2010-08-31 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723190426/http://gateshillman.blog.cs.cmu.edu/?p=122 |archivedate=July 23, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* Smaller schools: The Gates Foundation claims one in five students is unable to read and grasp the contents of what they read, and African American and Latino students are graduating high school with the skills of a middle school student.<ref name="Tom Vander Ark 2002, pg 55-59">Tom Vander Ark, The Case for Smaller Schools; Vol 59, No. 5 January 2002, pg 55-59</ref> Gates Foundation has invested more than US$250 million in grants to create new small schools, reduce student-to-teacher ratios, and to divide up large high schools through the schools-within-a-school model.<ref name="Tom Vander Ark 2002, pg 55-59" />
* D.C. Achievers Scholarships: The Gates Foundation announced March 22, 2007 a US$122 million initiative to send hundreds of the District of Columbia's poorest students to college.<ref>[https://archive.fo/20120713071924/http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/3/22/210318.shtml Bill Gates Gives $122M for D.C. Scholarships.]. March 23, 2007.</ref>
* [[Gates Millennium Scholars]]: Administered by the [[United Negro College Fund]], the foundation donated US$1.5 billion for scholarships to high achieving minority students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsp.org/|title=The Gates Millennium Scholars Program|publisher=}}</ref>
* NewSchools Venture Fund: The foundation contributed US$30 million to help NewSchools to manage more charter schools, which aim to prepare students in historically underserved areas for college and careers.
* [[Strong American Schools]]: On April 25, 2007, the Gates Foundation joined forces with the [[Eli Broad|Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation]] pledging a joint US$60 million to create [[Strong American Schools]], a nonprofit project responsible for running [[Strong American Schools|ED in 08]], an initiative and information campaign aimed at encouraging 2008 presidential contenders to include education in their campaign policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30913FB3F5A0C768EDDAD0894DF404482|title=Billionaires Start $60 Million Schools Effort|date=25 April 2007|publisher=}}</ref>
* [[Teaching Channel]]: The Gates Foundation announced in September 2011 a US$3.5 million initiative to launch a multi-platform service delivering professional development videos for teachers over the Internet, public television, cable and other digital outlets.<ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants-2011/Pages/The-Teaching-Channel-OPP1040433.aspx Gates Foundation Announces Grant To Teaching Channel] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129050721/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants-2011/Pages/The-Teaching-Channel-OPP1040433.aspx |date=November 29, 2012 }}</ref> To date, over 500,000 teachers and educators have joined the community to share ideas, lesson plans and teaching methods.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teachingchannel.org/teachers|title=Teaching Channel Community|work=Teaching Channel}}</ref>
* The Texas High School Project: The project was set out to increase and improve high school graduation rates across Texas. The foundation committed US$84.6 million to the project beginning in 2003. The project focuses its efforts on high-need schools and districts statewide, with an emphasis on urban areas and the Texas-Mexico border.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edtx.org|title=Educate Texas|publisher=}}</ref>
* [[University Scholars Program]]: Donated US$20 million in 1998 to endow a [[scholarship]] program at Melinda Gates' alma mater, [[Duke University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.duke.edu/web/usp/|title=University Scholars Program|publisher=|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> The program provides full scholarships to about 10 members of each undergraduate class and one member in each class in each of the professional schools (schools of medicine, business, law, divinity, environment, nursing, and public policy), as well as to students in the Graduate School pursuing doctoral degrees in any discipline. Graduate and professional school scholars serve as mentors to the undergraduate scholars, who are chosen on the basis of financial need and potential for interdisciplinary academic interests. Scholars are chosen each spring from new applicants to Duke University's undergraduate, graduate, and professional school programs. The program features seminars to bring these scholars together for interdisciplinary discussions and an annual spring symposium organized by the scholars.
* Washington State Achievers Scholarship: The Washington State Achievers program encourages schools to create cultures of high academic achievement while providing scholarship support to select college-bound students.
* William H. Gates Public Service Law Program: This program awards five full scholarships annually to the [[University of Washington]] [[University of Washington School of Law|School of Law]]. Scholars commit to working in relatively low-paying public service legal positions for at least the first five years following graduation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law.washington.edu/GatesScholar/Default.aspx|title=Gates Public Service Law - UW School of Law - Public Service|publisher=|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
* [[University of Texas at Austin]]: $30 million challenge grant to build the Bill & Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex.<ref>[http://www.cs.utexas.edu/news-events/news/2009/new-computer-science-complex-university-texas-austin-receives-30-million-chall New Computer Science Complex at The University of Texas at Austin Receives $30 Million Challenge Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Computer Science Department The University of Texas at Austin]. Cs.utexas.edu (2009-04-17). Retrieved on 2013-09-04.</ref>
* STAND UP: a national campaign that seeks to positively impact the current crisis within the United States public education system by calling upon community leaders, parents, students and citizens to encourage change and STAND UP for better schools and the future of America's children. STAND UP was co-founded by the [[Eli Broad]] Foundation, and was launched in April 2006 on The Oprah Winfrey Show in a two-part feature.
* [[Every Student Succeeds Act]]: donated about $44 million to help with the 2015 federal education law.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/05/16/us/ap-us-bill-gates-state-school-plans-.html|title=Bill Gates Gives $44M to Influence State Education Reform|date=2018-05-16|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
===Pacific Northwest===
* [[Discovery Institute]]: Donated US$1 million in 2000 to the Discovery Institute and pledged US$9.35 million over 10 years in 2003, including US$50,000 of [[Bruce Chapman]]'s US$141,000 annual salary. According to a Gates Foundation grant maker, this grant is "exclusive to the [[Cascadia project]]" on regional transportation, and it may not be used for the Institute's other activities, including promotion of [[intelligent design]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discovery.org/a/1537|title=Institute Hails $9.3 Million Grant from Gates Foundation|publisher=}}</ref>
* Rainier Scholars: Donated US$1 million.
* [[Computer History Museum]]: Donated US$15 million to the museum in October 2005.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Gates cheers on computer museum|date=2005-10-17|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4350972.stm|accessdate=2007-10-24}}</ref>
==Criticism==
Critics say the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has overlooked the links between poverty and poor academic achievement, and has unfairly demonized teachers for poor achievement by underprivileged students. They contend that the Gates Foundation should be embracing anti-poverty and living wage policies rather than pursuing untested and empirically unsupported education reforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/21/how-bill-gates-and-fellow-billionaires-can-actually-help-public-education/|title=Valerie Strauss, How Bill Gates and fellow billionaires can actually help public education, The Washington Post, April 21, 2014|work=Washington Post}}</ref>
Critics say that Gates-backed reforms such as increasing the use of technology in education may financially benefit Microsoft and the Gates family.<ref name="chronicle.com"/><ref>Lyndsey Layton, How Bill Gates pulled off the swift Common Core revolution, Washington Post, June 7, 2014</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=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?hpid=z1|title=Mark Walsh, The Washington Post's 'Tense' Talk With Bill Gates on Common Core, June 8, 2014|work=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pando.com/2014/06/05/revealed-gates-foundation-financed-pbs-education-programming-which-promoted-microsofts-interests/|title=Nathaniel Mott and David Sirota, REVEALED: Gates Foundation financed PBS education programming which promoted Microsoft's interests, June 5, 2014|work=PandoDaily}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.workers.org/articles/2014/06/17/profit-tech-corporations-gain-common-core-testing/|title=Betsey Piette, For-profit tech corporations gain from Common Core testing, June 17, 2014|work=Workers World}}</ref>
The foundation trust invests undistributed assets, with the exclusive goal of maximizing the [[return on investment]]. As a result, its investments include companies that have been criticized for worsening poverty in the same developing countries where the foundation is attempting to relieve poverty.<ref name=":6" /><ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/2007/1/9/report_gates_foundation_causing_harm_with Report: Gates Foundation Causing Harm With the Same Money It Uses To Do Good], Democracy Now!, January 09, 2007</ref> These include companies that pollute heavily and pharmaceutical companies that do not sell into the developing world.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gatesx07jan07,0,6827615.story Dark cloud over good works of Gates Foundation], Los Angeles Times, January 7, 2007</ref>
In response to press criticism, the foundation announced in 2007 a review of its investments to assess social responsibility.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003517601_gatesinvest10.html Gates Foundation to review investments] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516015458/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003517601_gatesinvest10.html |date=May 16, 2007 }}, The Seattle Times, January 10, 2007</ref> It subsequently cancelled the review and stood by its policy of investing for maximum return, while using voting rights to influence company practices.<ref>[Gates Foundation to maintain its investment plan], The Austin Statesman, January 14, 2007</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/article/181342/how-gates-foundations-investments-are-undermining-its-own-good-works|title=How the Gates Foundation's Investments Are Undermining Its Own Good Works|publisher=}}</ref>
Critics have called on the Gates Foundation to end its investments in the [[GEO Group]], the second largest private prison corporation in the United States. A large part of the prison's work involves incarcerating and detaining migrants that have been detained by the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] and now the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]]. <ref>Joe Watson, "Demonstrators Protest Gates Foundation’s $2.2 Million Investment in GEO Group," "Prison Legal News," July 2016 https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/jul/6/demonstrators-protest-gates-foundations-22-million-investment-geo-group/</ref><ref>2012 tax return uploaded to this web page: http://www.iamawake.co/revealed-bill-gates-invests-billions-in-fast-food-private-prison-and-oil-companies/</ref><ref>Madison Pauly, "A Brief History of America’s Private Prison Industry," "Mother Jones," July/August 2016 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/history-of-americas-private-prison-industry-timeline/</ref> In spring 2014 the Gates Foundation acknowledged its $2.2 million investment in the prison corporation.<ref>Lael Henterly, "Gates Foundation resists pressure to pull private prison investment," "The Seattle Globalist," May 8, 2014 http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2014/05/08/gates-foundation-private-prison-investments-geo-nwdc/24430</ref> It has more recently rebuffed critics' request that it sever investment ties with the prison corporation. It has refused to comment on whether it is continuing its investments.<ref>Alex Park, "Is the Gates Foundation Still Investing in Private Prisons?," "Mother Jones, December 8, 2014 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/12/gates-foundation-still-investing-private-prisons/</ref><ref>Joe Watson, "Demonstrators Protest Gates Foundation’s $2.2 Million Investment in GEO Group," "Prison Legal News," July 2016 https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/jul/6/demonstrators-protest-gates-foundations-22-million-investment-geo-group/</ref>
==Lifespan==
In October 2006, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was split into two entities: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which manages the endowment assets and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which "... conducts all operations and grantmaking work, and it is the entity from which all grants are made".<ref>[http://www.philanthropy.com/free/update/2006/11/2006112901.htm Gates Foundation Announces That It Doesn't Plan to Operate Forever] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220226/http://www.philanthropy.com/free/update/2006/11/2006112901.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815085113/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm |date=August 15, 2008 }}</ref> Also announced was the decision to "... spend all of [the Trust's] resources within 20<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBHJ-8Bch4E|title=Interview with Bill Gates September 21, 2013 (Video 33:52)|work=YouTube}}</ref> years after Bill's and Melinda's deaths".<ref name="autogenerated2">[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm Announcements - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815085113/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm |date=August 15, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://philanthropy.com/article/Gates-Foundation-Announces/55464/|title=The Chronicle, 11/29/2006: Gates Foundation Announces That It Doesn't Plan to Operate Forever|work=The Chronicle of Philanthropy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Gates_foundation_to_spend_all_assets_1201.html|title=Gates foundation to spend all assets within 50 years of trustees' deaths|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116493514082937519?mod=home_whats_news_us|title=Gates Foundation Sets Its Lifespan|first=Sally|last=Beatty|date=1 December 2006|work=WSJ}}</ref> This would close the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust and effectively end the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In the same announcement it was reiterated that [[Warren Buffett]] "... has stipulated that the proceeds from the Berkshire Hathaway shares he still owns at death are to be used for philanthropic purposes within 10 years after his estate has been settled".<ref name="autogenerated2" />
The plan to close the Foundation Trust is in contrast to most large charitable foundations that have no set closure date. This is intended to lower administrative costs over the years of the Foundation Trust's life and ensure that the Foundation Trust not fall into a situation where the vast majority of its expenditures are on administrative costs, including salaries, with only token amounts contributed to charitable causes.<ref name="autogenerated1" />
==Awards==
* In 2006, the foundation won the [[Prince of Asturias Award]] for International Cooperation.<ref>[http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/ing/04/premiados/trayectorias/trayectoria807.html Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204114126/http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/ing/04/premiados/trayectorias/trayectoria807.html |date=December 4, 2008 }}</ref>
* In 2007, then-[[President of India]] [[Pratibha Devisingh Patil]] presented the [[Indira Gandhi Prize|Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development]] to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/gates-foundation-to-get-indira-gandhi-peace-prize/284494/|title=Gates Foundation to get Indira Gandhi peace prize|publisher=}}</ref>
* In recognition for the foundation's philanthropic activities in India, Bill and Melinda Gates jointly received India's third highest civilian honor [[Padma Bhushan]] in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/advani-bachchan-dilip-kumar-get-padma-vibhushan/article6821421.ece|title=Advani, Bachchan, Dilip Kumar get Padma Vibhushan|author=PTI|work=The Hindu}}</ref>
* On November 22, 2016, President [[Barack Obama]] honored Bill and Melinda Gates with [[Presidential Medal of Freedom|The Presidential Medal of Freedom]] for their philanthropic efforts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/campaign/medal-of-freedom|title=The Presidential Medal of Freedom|website=The White House|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Corporate social responsibility]]
* [[Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition]]
* [[List of wealthiest charitable foundations]]
* [[Philanthropy]]
* [[Social enterprise]]
* [[Social entrepreneurship]]
* [[Social responsibility]]
==Notes and references==
<!-- This article uses [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]]. Please use this format when adding references to material in the article. External links added directly to this section will be swiftly deleted without notice. -->
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website}}
* [http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/topfunders/top100assets.html The Foundation Center: Top 100 US Foundations by asset size] Gates Foundation ranked number one.
* [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/g/gates_bill_and_melinda_foundation/index.html?inline=nyt-org New York Times] Updated news on the Foundation.
{{Bill Gates}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|47|37|25|N|122|20|44|W|format=dms|display=title|type:landmark_region:US-WA}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gates}}
[[Category:NBBJ buildings]]
[[Category:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation| ]]
[[Category:Bill Gates]]
[[Category:Foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Biomedical research foundations]]
[[Category:Rockefeller Foundation]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2000]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Medical and health foundations]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize]]
[[Category:International development agencies]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Seattle]]
[[Category:Research institutes in Seattle]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{Use American English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox organization
| logo = [[File:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation logo.svg|250px]]
| formation = {{start date and age|2000}}<ref name="gatesfoundation.org" />
| type = [[Foundation (United States law)#Private foundation|Non-operating private foundation]]<br>([[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] [[Tax exemption|exemption status]]): [[501(c)(3)]]<ref name=foundcen>FoundationCenter.org [https://fdo.foundationcenter.org/grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&key=GATE023], accessed 2016-02-10</ref>
| purpose = [[Healthcare]], [[Education]], Ending [[poverty]]
| headquarters = [[Seattle, Washington]], [[United States]]
| key_people = [[Bill Gates]]<br>{{small|(Co-Chair)}}<br> [[Melinda Gates]]<br>{{small|(Co-Chair)}}<br>[[William H. Gates Sr.]]<br>{{small|(Co-Chair)}}<br>[[Susan Desmond-Hellmann]]<br>{{small|(CEO)}}
| name = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
| abbreviation = BMGF
| founders = {{unbulleted list|[[Bill Gates]]|[[Melinda Gates]]}}
| area_served = Worldwide
| method = Donations and grants
| revenue =
| endowment = [[United States dollar|US$]]44.3 [[1,000,000,000|billion]] {{As of|2014|12|31|lc=on}}<ref name="FactSheet"/>
| num_employees = 1,383<ref name="FactSheet" />
| owner =
| former name = ''William H. Gates Foundation''<br>(1994–1999)
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.gatesfoundation.org|gatesfoundation.org}}
}}
'''Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation''' ('''BMGF'''), also known as the '''Gates Foundation''', is a [[private foundation]] founded by [[Bill Gates|Bill]] and [[Melinda Gates]]. It was launched in 2000, and is said to be the largest private foundation in the US, holding $38 billion in assets.<ref name="NCCS">National Center for Charitable Statistics</ref> The primary aims of the foundation are, globally, to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, and in America, to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology.
The foundation, based in [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]], is controlled by its three trustees: Bill and Melinda Gates, and [[Warren Buffett]]. Other principal officers include Co-Chair [[William H. Gates, Sr.]] and Chief Executive Officer [[Susan Desmond-Hellmann]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=APM Meets Melinda Gates, Philanthropist and wife to the richest man in the world - The Maravi Post |url=http://www.maravipost.com/life-and-style/people/9143-apm-meets-melinda-gates,-philanthropist-and-wife-to-the-richest-man-in-the-world.html |website=www.maravipost.com |access-date=2016-02-05 |last=maravipost |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416161359/http://www.maravipost.com/life-and-style/people/9143-apm-meets-melinda-gates%2C-philanthropist-and-wife-to-the-richest-man-in-the-world.html |archivedate=April 16, 2016 |df=mdy }}</ref>
It had an [[Financial endowment|endowment]] of [[United States dollar|US$]]44.3 [[1,000,000,000|billion]] {{As of|2014|12|31|lc=on|df=us}}.<ref name="FactSheet">{{cite web| date=30 April 2015| publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation| url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Financials| title=Consolidated Financial Statements December 31, 2014 and 2013| accessdate=2015-10-28}}</ref> The scale of the foundation and the way it seeks to apply business techniques to giving makes it one of the leaders in [[venture philanthropy]],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5517656 | work=The Economist | title=The birth of philanthrocapitalism | date=2006-02-23}}</ref> though the foundation itself notes that the philanthropic role has limitations.<ref name="GuidingPrinciples">{{cite web|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/Pages/guiding-principles.aspx|title=Guiding Principles|publisher=}}</ref> In 2007, its founders were ranked as the second most generous philanthropists in America, and Warren Buffett the first.<ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/philanthropy_individual.html The 50 most generous Americans] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920122703/http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/philanthropy_individual.html |date=September 20, 2013 }}</ref> As of May 16, 2013, Bill Gates had donated US$28 billion to the foundation.<ref name="gatesfoundation.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/Pages/foundation-timeline.aspx|title=Foundation Timeline and History – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationlegacy may focus more on philanthropy than on Microsoft - Computerworld|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Gates Retakes World's Richest Title From Carlos Slim|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-16/bill-gates-retakes-world-s-richest-title-from-carlos-slim.html|work=Blooomberg|publisher=Blooomberg L.P|accessdate=16 May 2013|first=Alex|last=Cuadros|author2=Crayton Harrison|date=17 May 2013}}</ref> Since its founding, the foundation has endowed and supported a broad range of social, health, and education developments including the establishment of the [[Gates Cambridge Scholarships]] at [[Cambridge University]].
{{TOC limit|3}}
==History==
[[File:B&M Gates Complex.jpg|thumb|right|Complex as seen from the [[Space Needle]]]]
[[File:Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation front.JPG|thumb|Front building]]
[[File:Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation rear building.JPG|thumb|Rear building]]
In 1994, the foundation was formed as the William H. Gates Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Executive-Leadership-Team/William-H-Gates-Sr|title=William H Gates Sr|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref> During the foundation's following years, funding grew to US$2 billion. On June 15, 2006, Gates announced his plans to transition out of a day-to-day role with [[Microsoft]], effective July 31, 2008,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jun06/06-15CorpNewsPR.mspx |title=Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates |publisher=Microsoft PressPass |date=2006-06-15 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619230935/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jun06/06-15CorpNewsPR.mspx |archivedate=June 19, 2006 |df=mdy }}</ref> to allow him to devote more time to working with the foundation.
In 2005 he suck is dick when he sleep, [[Bill Gates|Bill]] and [[Melinda Gates]], along with the musician [[Bono]], were named by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' as [[Time Magazine Person of the Year|Persons of the Year 2005]] for their outstanding charitable work.<ref>{{Cite web|title = TIME names Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates Persons of Year - CNN.com|url = http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/18/time.poy/index.html?iref=mpstoryview|website = www.cnn.com|access-date = 2016-02-05}}</ref> In the case of Bill and Melinda Gates, the work referenced was that of this foundation.
In April 2010, Gates was invited to visit and speak at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] where he asked the students to take on the hard problems of the world in their futures. He also explained the nature and philosophy of his philanthropic endeavors.<ref>Guo, Jeff; McQueen, Rob,
[http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N21/gates.html "Gates asks students to tackle world's problems : Disease and education among biggest challenges"], ''[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]'', Volume 130, Issue 21, Friday, April 23, 2010</ref><ref>Guo, Jeff, [http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N21/gates/interview.html "In interview, Gates describes philanthropic journey"], ''The Tech'', Volume 130, Issue 21, April 23, 2010. (video & transcript). "After he spoke at Kresge Auditorium, Bill Gates sat down with The Tech to talk more about his college tour, his philanthropy, and the philosophy behind it."</ref>
In 2010, the foundation's founders started the Commission on Education of Health Professionals for the 21st Century, entitled "Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publichealthglobal.org/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Providing-Affordable-Healthcare-Education.html&Itemid=92|title=Public Health Global Watch|publisher=|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
A 2011 survey of grantees found that many believed the foundation did not make its goals and strategies clear and sometimes did not understand those of the grantees; that the foundation's decision- and grantmaking procedures were too opaque; and that its communications could be more consistent and responsive. The foundation's response was to improve the clarity of its explanations, make "orientation calls" to grantees upon awarding grants, tell grantees who their foundation contact is, give timely feedback when they receive a grantee report, and establish a way for grantees to provide anonymous or attributed feedback to the foundation.<ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/learning/Pages/GranteeProgressReport2012.aspx Improving our Work with You: A Progress Report - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]. Gatesfoundation.org (2012-09-06). Retrieved on 2013-07-18.</ref> The foundation also launched a podcast series.<ref>[http://www.soundcloud.com/BMGF Gates Foundation's Spotlight page on SoundCloud - Hear the world's sounds]. Soundcloud.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-18.</ref>
In 2013, [[Hillary Clinton]] launched a partnership between the foundation and the [[Clinton Foundation]] to gather and study data on the progress of women and girls around the world since the 1995 United Nations [[Fourth World Conference on Women|Fourth World Conference On Women]] in Beijing.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/02/13/hillary-clinton-launches-global-data-project-on-women-and-girls/|title=Hillary Clinton launches global data project on women and girls|work=Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="philanthropynewsdigest.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/wyss-clinton-foundations-partner-on-full-participation-by-women-and-girls|title=Wyss, Clinton Foundations Partner on Full Participation by Women and Girls|author=Foundation Center|work=Philanthropy News Digest (PND)}}</ref> This is called "No Ceilings: The Full Participation Project."<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/><ref name="philanthropynewsdigest.org"/>
===Warren Buffett donation===
On June 25, 2006, [[Warren Buffett]] (then the world's richest person, estimated worth of US$62 billion as of April 16, 2008) pledged to give the foundation approximately 10 million [[Berkshire Hathaway]] Class B [[share (finance)|shares]] spread over multiple years through annual contributions, with the first year's donation of 500,000 shares being worth approximately US$1.5 billion.<ref>{{cite news| title=Warren Buffett gives away his fortune| url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/25/magazines/fortune/charity1.fortune/index.htm| date=2008-03-05| work=Fortune| publisher=Time Warner via CNNMoney.com| accessdate=2007-12-10| first=Carol J.| last=Loomis| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128090517/http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/25/magazines/fortune/charity1.fortune/index.htm| archivedate=November 28, 2007| deadurl=no| df=mdy-all}}</ref> Buffett set conditions so that these contributions do not simply increase the foundation's endowment, but effectively work as a matching contribution, doubling the Foundation's annual giving. [[Bloomberg News]] noted, "Buffett's gift came with three conditions for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Bill or Melinda Gates must be alive and active in its administration; it must continue to qualify as a charity; and each year it must give away an amount equal to the previous year's Berkshire gift, plus an additional amount equal to 5 percent of net [[asset]]s. Buffett gave the foundation two years to abide by the third requirement."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=axbiyJ8O.yKk&refer=top_world_news|title=Buffett Makes $30.7 Bln Donation to Gates Foundation (Update8)|publisher=}}</ref><ref>http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=7451{{dead link|date=May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/home/facesinthenews/2006/06/26/buffett-gates-philanthropy-cx_cn_0626autofacescan03.html|title=Buffett Will Double Gates Foundation's Spending|first=Chris|last=Noon|date=26 June 2006|work=Forbes}}</ref> The Gates Foundation received 5% (500,000) of the shares in July 2006 and will receive 5% of the ''remaining'' earmarked shares in the July of each following year (475,000 in 2007, 451,250 in 2008).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/25/magazines/fortune/charity3.fortune/index.htm | work=CNN | title=How Buffett's giveaway will work | date=2006-06-25 | accessdate=2010-04-26 | first=Carol J. | last=Loomis}}</ref><ref>http://berkshirehathaway.com/donate/bmgfltr.pdf</ref> In July 2018, Buffet announced another donation of his company's Class B stock, this time worth $2 billion, to the Gates Foundation.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/08/warren-buffett-stock-donations_n_3561866.html Warren Buffett Makes Huge Charity Stock Donation To Gates Foundation, Other Charities]. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-18.</ref>
==Activities==
=== Program areas and grant database ===
To maintain its status as a charitable foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation must donate funds equal to at least 5 percent of its assets each year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Private Family Foundations|url=http://www.savewealth.com/planning/estate/foundations/|work=SaveWealth|publisher=SaveWealth|accessdate=6 April 2014|year=2014}}</ref> As of April 2014, the foundation is organized into four program areas under chief executive officer Susan Desmond-Hellmann, who "sets strategic priorities, monitors results, and facilitates relationships with key partners":<ref>{{cite web|title=Susan Desmond-Hellmann |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Susan-Desmond-Hellman |work=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |publisher=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=2 June 2014 |year=2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602194755/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Susan-Desmond-Hellman |archivedate=June 2, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* Global Development Division
* Global Health Division
* United States Division
* Global Policy & Advocacy Division
* Global Growth & Opportunity Division<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/what-we-do|title=What We Do|last=|first=|date=|year=2014|work=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|publisher=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|accessdate=29 May 2018}}</ref>
The foundation maintains an online database of grants on its website which includes for each grant the name of the grantee organization, the purpose of the grant and the amount.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|title=How We Work - Grantmaking|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database|work=|publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=}}</ref> This database is publicly available.
=== Open access policy ===
In November 2014, the Gates Foundation announced that they were adopting an [[Open access mandate|open access (OA) policy]] for [[open access (publishing)|publications]] and [[open science data|data]], "to enable the unrestricted access and reuse of all peer-reviewed published research funded by the foundation, including any underlying data sets".<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2014/11/Knowledge-is-Power|title = Knowledge is Power: Sharing Information Can Accelerate Global Health Impact|date = 20 November 2014|accessdate = 30 December 2014|website = Impatient Optimists|publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref> This move has been widely applauded by those who are working in the area of [[capacity building]] and knowledge sharing.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}} Its terms have been called the most stringent among similar OA policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.nature.com/news/2014/11/gates-foundation-announces-worlds-strongest-policy-on-open-access-research.html|title = Gates Foundation announces world's strongest policy on open access research|website = News blog Nature.com|publisher = |accessdate = 23 January 2015|date = 21 November 2014}}</ref> As of January 1, 2015 their Open Access policy is effective for all new agreements.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/General-Information/Open-Access-Policy|title = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Open Access Policy|date = |accessdate = 7 April 2015|website = Website of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|publisher = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref> In March 2017, it was confirmed that the open access policy, Gates Open Research<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gatesopenresearch.org/|title=Gates Open Research|website=gatesopenresearch.org|access-date=2017-03-24}}</ref> would be based on the same initiative launched in 2016 by [[Wellcome Trust]] in their Wellcome Open Research policy<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/|title=Wellcome Open Research provides all Wellcome researchers with a place to rapidly publish any results they think are worth sharing.|website=wellcomeopenresearch.org|access-date=2017-03-24}}</ref> launched in partnership with [[F1000Research|F1000 Research]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/gates-foundation-joins-shift-towards-open-access-platforms|title=Gates Foundation joins shift towards open access platforms|date=2017-03-23|work=Times Higher Education (THE)|access-date=2017-03-24|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Butler|first=Declan|title=Gates Foundation announces open-access publishing venture|url=http://www.nature.com/news/gates-foundation-announces-open-access-publishing-venture-1.21700|journal=Nature|language=en|doi=10.1038/nature.2017.21700}}</ref>
===Funds for grants in developing countries===
The following table lists the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's committed funding as recorded in their [[International Aid Transparency Initiative]] (IATI) publications. The Gates Foundation announced in October 2013 that it would join the IATI.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/General-Information/Information-Sharing-Approach/International-Aid-Transparency-Initiative |title=International Aid Transparency Initiative |accessdate=September 2, 2016 |publisher=Gates Foundation}}</ref> The IATI publications only include a subset of Gates Foundation grants (mainly excluding grants to developed countries), and contain few grants before 2009 (which are excluded from the table).<ref name="iati-pub">{{cite web |url=https://iatiregistry.org/publisher/bmgf |title=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=August 28, 2016 |publisher=IATI Registry |date=2016-08-16}}</ref> The Gates Foundation states on the IATI Registry site that "reporting starts from 2009 and excludes grants related to our US programs and grants that if published could harm our employees, grantees, partners, or the beneficiaries of our work".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iatiregistry.org/publisher/about/bmgf |publisher=IATI Registry |accessdate=September 2, 2016 |title=About - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation}}</ref>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!
! colspan="8" | Committed funding (US$ millions)
|-
! DAC 5 Digit Sector<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iatistandard.org/202/codelists/Sector/ |title=DAC 5 Digit Sector |publisher=IATI Standard}}</ref>!! 2009 !! 2010 !! 2011 !! 2012 !! 2013 !! 2014 !! 2015 !! Sum
|-
| Infectious disease control
| style="text-align:right;" | 256.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 720.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 462.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 528.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 1248.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 1271.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 1097.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 5586.4
|-
| Malaria control
| style="text-align:right;" | 324.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 101.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 133.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 75.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 302.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 377.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 140.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 1456.1
|-
| STD control including HIV/AIDS
| style="text-align:right;" | 175.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 26.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 291.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 199.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 184.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 264.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 1308.0
|-
| Tuberculosis control
| style="text-align:right;" | 69.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 211.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 59.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 273.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 135.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 100.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 244.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 1094.0
|-
| Reproductive health care
| style="text-align:right;" | 173.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 66.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 77.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 84.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 207.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 130.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 905.8
|-
| Agricultural research
| style="text-align:right;" | 84.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 27.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 196.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 192.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 207.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 14.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 83.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 807.2
|-
| Family planning
| style="text-align:right;" | 104.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 21.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 21.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 49.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 145.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 181.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 688.9
|-
| Health policy and administrative management
| style="text-align:right;" | 119.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 14.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 145.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 75.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 61.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 113.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 130.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 659.5
|-
| Agricultural development
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 30.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 35.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 325.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 86.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 481.3
|-
| Agricultural policy and administrative management
| style="text-align:right;" | 72.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 30.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 77.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 77.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 86.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 19.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 96.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 460.3
|-
| Promotion of development awareness
| style="text-align:right;" | 47.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 45.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 35.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 41.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 124.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 61.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 80.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 436.2
|-
| Basic health care
| style="text-align:right;" | 22.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 23.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 43.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 73.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 1.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 45.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 206.3
| style="text-align:right;" | 416.7
|-
| Basic [[Human nutrition|nutrition]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 19.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 15.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 40.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 51.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 63.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 55.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 148.2
| style="text-align:right;" | 395.2
|-
| Basic [[sanitation]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 10.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 34.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 82.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 74.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 59.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 48.7
| style="text-align:right;" | 64.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 375.5
|-
| Financial policy and administrative management
| style="text-align:right;" | 29.0
| style="text-align:right;" | 18.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 9.8
| style="text-align:right;" | 8.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 70.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 32.9
| style="text-align:right;" | 53.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 222.5
|-
! Other
! style="text-align:right;" | 487.5
! style="text-align:right;" | 273.8
! style="text-align:right;" | 2208.9
! style="text-align:right;" | 260.2
! style="text-align:right;" | 332.1
! style="text-align:right;" | 433.3
! style="text-align:right;" | 2195.7
! style="text-align:right;" | 6191.5
|-
! Total
! style="text-align:right;" | 2001.9
! style="text-align:right;" | 1662.0
! style="text-align:right;" | 3887.2
! style="text-align:right;" | 2183.0
! style="text-align:right;" | 3125.9
! style="text-align:right;" | 3518.4
! style="text-align:right;" | 5106.6
! style="text-align:right;" | 21485.1
|}
The following table lists the top receiving organizations to which the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed funding, between 2009 and 2015. The table again only includes grants recorded in the Gates Foundation's IATI publications.<ref name="iati-pub"/>
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Organization !! Amount (US$ millions)
|-
| [[GAVI Alliance]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,152.8
|-
| [[World Health Organization]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,535.1
|-
| [[The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 777.6
|-
| [[PATH (global health organization)|PATH]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 635.2
|-
| [[United States Fund for UNICEF]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 461.1
|-
| [[The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 400.1
|-
| [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 340.0
|-
| [[Global Alliance for TB Drug Development]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 338.4
|-
| [[Medicines for Malaria Venture]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 334.1
|-
| [[PATH Vaccine Solutions]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 333.4
|-
| [[UNICEF Headquarters]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 277.6
|-
| [[Johns Hopkins University]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 265.4
|-
| [[Aeras]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 227.6
|-
| [[Clinton Health Access Initiative Inc]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 199.5
|-
| [[International Development Association]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 174.7
|-
| [[CARE]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 166.2
|-
| [[World Health Organization Nigeria Country Office]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 166.1
|-
| [[French Development Agency|Agence française de développement]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 165.0
|-
| [[Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 153.1
|-
| [[Cornell University]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 146.7
|-
| [[Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 146.4
|-
| [[United Nations Foundation]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 143.0
|-
| [[University of Washington Foundation]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 138.2
|-
| [[Foundation for the National Institutes of Health]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 136.2
|-
| [[Emory University]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 123.2
|-
| [[University of California San Francisco]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 123.1
|-
| [[Population Services International]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 122.5
|-
| [[University of Oxford]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 117.8
|-
| [[International Food Policy Research Institute]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 110.7
|-
| [[International Institute of Tropical Agriculture]]
| style="text-align:right;" | 104.8
|}
==Financials==
The foundation explains on its website that its trustees divided the organization into two entities: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. The foundation section, based in Seattle, US, "focuses on improving health and alleviating extreme poverty", and its trustees are Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. The trust section manages "the investment assets and transfer proceeds to the foundation as necessary to achieve the foundation's charitable goals"—it holds the assets of Bill and Melinda Gates, who are the sole trustees, and receives contributions from Buffett.<ref name="Fin">{{cite web|title=Who We Are - Financials|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Financials|work=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|publisher=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|accessdate=6 April 2014|year=2014}}</ref>
The foundation posts its audited financial statements and [[Form 990#Fiduciary reporting|990-PF]] forms on the "Financials" section of its website as they become available. At the end of 2012, the foundation registered a cash sum of US$4,998,000, down from US$10,810,000 at the end of 2011. Unrestricted net assets at the end of 2012 were worth US$31,950,613,000, while total assets were worth US$37,176,777,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION Consolidated Financial Statements|url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/~/media/GFO/Who%20We%20Are/Financials/12GatesFoundation_FS.pdf|work=BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION Consolidated Financial Statements|publisher=KPMG|accessdate=6 April 2014|format=PDF|date=31 December 2012}}</ref>
===Trust Investments===
{{asof |2016}}, the foundation appeared to have the following stakes in investments:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streetinsider.com/entities/Bill%20Melinda%20Gates%20Foundation%20Trust/?view_portfolio|title=StreetInsider.com - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust|publisher=|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref>[[Arcos Dorados Holdings]] ~ 2.36% stake, [[AutoNation, Inc.]] ~ 1.56% stake
[[Berkshire Hathaway]] Class B Stock ~ 6.59% stake, [[British Petroleum]] ~ 0.24% stake (US$372 million<ref name=":6">[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/26/residents-blame-durban-oil-refineries-for-health-problems Residents blame Durban oil refineries for health problems] The Guardian 26.5.2015</ref>), [[Canadian National Railway Co.]] ~ 2.06% stake, [[Caterpillar, Inc.]] ~ 1.77% stake, [[Coca-Cola Co.]] ~ 0.77% stake [[Crown Castle International Corp.]] ~ 1.60% stake, [[Exxon Mobil]] ~ 0.19% stake, [[FedEx Corp.]] ~ 0.97% stake, [[FEMSA]] ~ 3.06% stake, [[Liberty Global]] ~ 2.12% stake, [[McDonald's Corporation|McDonald's Corp.]] ~ 1.09% stake [[Republic Services, Inc.]] ~ 0.37% stake, [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] - US$5.5 million,<ref name=":6" /> [[Televisa]] ~ 2.9% stake, [[Wal-Mart]] ~ 0.36%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.streetinsider.com/holdings.php?q=WMT|title=Notable Holders of Wal-Mart Stores (WMT)|work=StreetInsider.com|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> stake, [[Waste Management, Inc.]] ~ 3.97% stake.
==Global development division==
{{refimprove section|date=March 2014}}
[[Christopher Elias]] leads the foundation's efforts to combat extreme poverty through grants as president of the Global Development Program.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who We Are - Leadership CHRISTOPHER ELIAS PRESIDENT |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Christopher-Elias |work=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=6 April 2014 |year=2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090439/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Christopher-Elias |archivedate=April 7, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
In March 2006, the foundation announced a US$5 million grant for the [[International Justice Mission]] (IJM), a human rights organization based in Washington, D.C., US to work in the area of [[sex trafficking]]. The official announcement explained that the grant would allow the IJM to "create a replicable model for combating sex trafficking and slavery" that would involve the opening of an office in a region with high rates of sex trafficking, following research. The office was opened for three years for the following purposes: "conducting undercover investigations, training law enforcement, rescuing victims, ensuring appropriate aftercare, and seeking perpetrator accountability".<ref>{{cite web|title=Gates Foundation Awards $5 Million to Fight Sex Trafficking|url=http://www.philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/gates-foundation-awards-5-million-to-fight-sex-trafficking|work=Philanthropy News Digest|publisher=Foundation Center|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=21 March 2006}}</ref>
The IJM used the grant money to found "Project Lantern" and established an office in the [[Philippines]] city of [[Cebu]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/gates-foundation-awards-5-million-to-fight-sex-trafficking|title=Gates Foundation Awards $5 Million to Fight Sex Trafficking|last=Center|first=Foundation|work=Philanthropy News Digest (PND)|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/beyond-rescue/|title=Beyond Rescue|last=Thrupkaew|first=Noy|date=2009-10-08|work=The Nation|access-date=2018-01-04|issn=0027-8378}}</ref> In 2010, the results of the project were published, in which the IJM stated that Project Lantern had led to "an increase in law enforcement activity in sex trafficking cases, an increase in commitment to resolving sex trafficking cases among law enforcement officers trained through the project, and an increase in services – like shelter, counseling and career training – provided to trafficking survivors". At the time that the results were released, the IJM was exploring opportunities to replicate the model in other regions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Project Lantern: Game-Changing Results in the Fight Against Trafficking|url=http://www.ijm.org/projectlantern|work=IJM|publisher=IJM|accessdate=6 April 2014|year=2010}}</ref>
===Gates Cambridge Scholarships===
In October 2000, William Gates established the [[Gates Cambridge Scholarships]] which allow students and scholars from the U.S. and around the world to study at [[Cambridge University]], one of the top universities in the world. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship has often been compared to the [[Rhodes Scholarship]], given its similarly international scope and substantial endowment. In 2000, the Gates Foundation endowed the scholarship trust with $210 million to help outstanding graduate students outside of the [[United Kingdom]] study at the [[University of Cambridge]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.gatescambridge.org/about|title=About|last=alex.corr|date=2014-10-20|work=Gates Cambridge|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref> The Gates Foundation has continued to contribute funds to expand the scholarship, making it one of the largest and best endowed scholarships in the world. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship accepts less than 0.3% of applicants and remains extremely competitive. Each year, approximately 100 new graduate students from around the world receive funding to study at [[Cambridge University]].
[[File:Selwyn College Cambridge Main Gate.jpg|thumb|[[Selwyn College, Cambridge|Selwyn College]], [[University of Cambridge]]]]
===Financial assistance===
* [[Alliance for Financial Inclusion]] (AFI): A US$35 million grant for the AFI supports a coalition of countries from the developing world to create savings accounts, insurance, and other financial services that are made available to people living on less than $2 per day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewcave/2014/07/31/banking-for-the-poor-will-this-be-bill-gatess-greatest-philanthropic-achievement/#2a6a59b19a1f|title=Banking For The Poor: Will This Be Bill Gates' Greatest Philanthropic Achievement?|last=Cave|first=Andrew|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}
* [[Financial Access Initiative]]: A US$5 million grant allows Financial Access Initiative to conduct field research and answer important questions about [[Microcredit|microfinance]] and financial access in impoverished countries around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wagner.nyu.edu/impact/centers/fai|title=Financial Access Initiative {{!}} NYU Wagner|website=wagner.nyu.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref>
* [[Pro Mujer]]: A five-year US$3.1 million grant to Pro Mujer—a microfinance network in [[Latin America]] combining financial services with healthcare for the poorest women entrepreneurs—will be used to research new opportunities for the poorest segment of the Latin American microfinance market.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060426005812/en/Gates-Foundation-Awards-Pro-Mujer-3.1-Million|title=Gates Foundation Awards Pro Mujer $3.1 Million To Develop Innovative Microcredit Products|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Grameen Foundation]]: A US$1.5 million grant allows Grameen Foundation to approve more microloans that support Grameen's goal of helping five million additional families, and successfully freeing 50 percent of those families from poverty within five years.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Gates Foundation Awards $1.5 Million to Grameen Foundation|publisher=[[Grameen Foundation]]|date=2006-08-29|url=http://www.grameenfoundation.org/resource_center/newsroom/news_releases/~story=168|accessdate=2007-10-26|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005013401/http://www.grameenfoundation.org/resource_center/newsroom/news_releases/~story%3D168|archivedate=October 5, 2007|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
===Agricultural Development===
* [[International Rice Research Institute]]: Between November 2007 and October 2010, the Gates Foundation offered US$19.9 million to the [[International Rice Research Institute]]. The goal of the aid was to support the increasing world demand for rice. The Gates Foundation claims: "To keep up with worldwide demand, the production of rice will have to increase by about 70 percent in the next two decades."<ref>{{cite web|title=Growing Better Rice for a Hungry World|url=http://www.good.is/posts/growing-better-rice-for-a-hungry-world|work=Good|publisher=GOOD Worldwide Inc|accessdate=17 March 2014|date=23 May 2011}}</ref> The [[International Rice Research Institute]] has developed [[Golden Rice]], a genetically modified rice variant used to combat [[Vitamin A deficiency]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Agricultural-Development/Golden-Rice|title= Agricultural Development Golden Rice|access-date= 3 Feb 2016|deadurl= yes|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160203145910/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Agricultural-Development/Golden-Rice|archivedate= February 3, 2016|df= mdy-all}}</ref>
* [[Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa]] (AGRA): The Gates Foundation has partnered with the [[Rockefeller Foundation]] to enhance agricultural science and small-farm productivity in [[Africa]], building on the [[Green Revolution]] that the Rockefeller Foundation spurred in the 1940s and 1960s. The Gates Foundation has made an initial US$100 million investment in this effort, to which the Rockefeller Foundation has contributed US$50 million.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}
===Water, sanitation and hygiene===
[[File:Sanitation Value Chain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|The "[[sanitation]] value chain" used by the Gates Foundation to illustrate their approach to sanitation, showing collection, transport, treatment and [[reuse of excreta|reuse]].<ref name=":8">BMGF (2015). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2317 Building demand for sanitation - a 2015 portfolio update and overview] - Water, sanitation, and hygiene strategy, June 2015. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, USA</ref>]]
[[File:2011 07-Internal ReinventTheToilet Animation.webm|thumb|The Gates Foundation created this video to advocate for increased innovation for [[toilet]]s and everything they are connected to]]
[[File:The vision of a toilet that is small - and pleasant - enough to fit inside someone's home (prototype but not fully functional) (13359389583).jpg|thumb|Example for technology innovation: The off-grid Nano Membrane Toilet of [[Cranfield University]] - prototype on display at Reinvent the Toilet Fair in Delhi, India ]]
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ([[WASH]]) program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in mid-2005 as a "Learning Initiative", and became a full-fledged program under the Global Development Division in early 2010.<ref name=":8"/> The Foundation has since 2005 undertaken a wide range of efforts in the WASH sector involving research, experimentation, reflection, [[advocacy]], and field implementation. In 2009, the Foundation decided to refocus its WASH effort mainly on [[sustainable sanitation]] services for the poor, using non-piped sanitation services (i.e. without the use of [[Sanitary sewer|sewers]]),<ref name=":8"/> and less on [[water supply]]. This was because the sanitation sector was generally receiving less attention from other [[Official development assistance|donors]] and from governments, and because the Foundation believed it had the potential to make a real difference through strategic investments.
In mid 2011, the Foundation announced in its new "Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Strategy Overview" that its funding now focuses primarily on sanitation, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, because access to [[improved sanitation]] is lowest in those regions.<ref name=":0">BMGF (2011). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1663 Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Strategy Overview], Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref> Their grant-making focus has been since 2011 on sanitation science and technology ("transformative technologies"), delivery models at scale, urban sanitation markets, building demand for sanitation, [[Monitoring and evaluation|measurement and evaluation]] as well as policy, advocacy and communications.<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":0" />
In mid 2011, the foundation stated that they had committed more than US$265 million to the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector over the past five years, i.e. since about 2006.<ref name=":0" /> For the time period of about 2008 to mid 2015, all grants awarded to water, sanitation and hygiene projects totaled a value of around US$650 million, according to the publicly available grant database.<ref name=":7" />
[[File:Earth auger toilet with squatting plate (13358958903).jpg|thumb|Example of low-tech toilet development being funded: A [[urine-diverting dry toilet]] called Earth Auger toilet from Ecuador/USA]]
Improved sanitation in the developing world is a global need, but a neglected priority, as shown by the data collected by the [[Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation]] (JMP) of UNICEF and WHO. This program is tasked to monitor progress towards the [[Millennium Development Goal]] (MDG) relating to drinking water and sanitation.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.wssinfo.org/data-estimates/|title = Data and estimates|date = |accessdate = 12 March 2015|website = JMP - WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation|publisher = WHO/UNICEF|last = |first = |deadurl = yes|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150219114756/http://www.wssinfo.org/data-estimates|archivedate = February 19, 2015|df = mdy-all}}</ref> About one billion people have no sanitation facility whatsoever and continue to defecate in gutters, behind bushes or in open water bodies, with no dignity or privacy. This is called [[open defecation]] and it poses significant health risks.<ref name=":2">JMP (2014). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2036 Progress on drinking water and sanitation, 2014 Update]. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), {{ISBN|978 92 4 150724 0}}, page 6</ref> India is the country with the highest number of people practicing open defecation: around 600 million people.<ref name=":3">JMP (2014). [http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP_report_2014_webEng.pdf Progress on drinking water and sanitation, 2014 Update] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421023056/http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/JMP_report_2014_webEng.pdf |date=April 21, 2015 }}. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), {{ISBN|978 92 4 150724 0}}, page 19.</ref> The Foundation has been funding many sanitation research and demonstration projects in India since about 2011.<ref>BMGF (2014). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/2001 Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, Delhi, India - Program and Technical Guides]. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref>
====Technology Innovations====
In 2011, the foundation launched a program called "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" with the aim to promote the development of innovations in toilet design to benefit the 2.5 billion people that do not have access to safe and effective sanitation.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Reinvent-the-Toilet-Challenge|title = What we do - Reinvent the Toilet Challenge - Strategy Overview|date = |accessdate = 8 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref><ref name=":1">BMGF (2012). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1636 Reinvent the Toilet Challenge (RTTC, Round 1 and 2), Grand Challenges Explorations (Round 6 and 7) - Request for proposals, grant conditions, Seattle exhibition fair program and exhibitor guide.] Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref> This program has generated significant interest of the mainstream media.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/opinion/bill-gates-cant-build-a-toilet.html?_r=0|title = Bill Gates Can’t Build a Toilet|date = 18 November 2013|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = New York Times Opinion Pages|publisher = New York Times|last = Kass|first = Jason}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/after-10-years-few-payoffs-from-gatesrsquo-lsquogrand-challengesrsquo/|title = After 10 years, few payoffs from Gates’ ‘Grand Challenges’|date = 21 December 2014|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = The Seattle Times, Local News|publisher = The Seattle Times|last = Doughton|first = Sandy}}</ref> It was complemented by a program called "Grand Challenges Explorations" (2011 to 2013 with some follow-up grants reaching until 2015) which involved grants of US$100,000 each in the first round.<ref name=":1"/> Both funding schemes explicitly excluded project ideas that relied on centralized [[sanitary sewer|sewerage systems]] or are not compatible with development country contexts.<ref name=":5">Radke, N., Spuhler, D. (2013) [http://www.susana.org/_resources/documents/default/2-1636-gates-grant-schemes-simple-overview-may-2013-version-2.pdf Brief overview of conditions for water, sanitation and hygiene grants by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]</ref>
[[File:Microbial fuel cell stack that converts urine into electricity (13359544514).jpg|thumb|[[Microbial fuel cell]] stack that converts [[urine]] into electricity (research by [[University of the West of England]], UK)]]
Since the launch of the "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge", more than a dozen research teams, mainly at universities in the U.S., Europe, India, China and South Africa, have received grants to develop innovative on-site and off-site waste treatment solutions for the urban poor. The grants were in the order of 400,000 USD for their first phase, followed by typically 1-3 million USD for their second phase; many of them investigated resource recovery or processing technologies for [[excreta]] or [[fecal sludge]].<ref>Elisabeth von Muench, Dorothee Spuhler, Trevor Surridge, Nelson Ekane, Kim Andersson, Emine Goekce Fidan, Arno Rosemarin (2013) [http://www.susana.org/_resources/documents/default/2-2042-ssp-17okt20134-10-about-the-gates-sanitation-grants-on-forum.pdf Sustainable Sanitation Alliance members take a closer look at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's sanitation grants], Sustainable Sanitation Practice Journal, Issue 17, p. 4-10</ref>
The "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" is focused on "reinventing the [[flush toilet]]". The aim was to create a toilet that not only removes [[pathogen]]s from human [[excreta]], but also [[resource recovery|recovers resources]] such as energy, clean water, and [[nutrient]]s (a concept also known as [[reuse of excreta]]). It should operate "[[off-the-grid]]" without connections to water, sewer, or electrical networks. Finally, it should costs less than 5 US-cents per user per day.<ref name=":5" /><ref name="Shaw" />
High-tech toilets for tackling the growing public health problem of [[human waste]] are gaining increasing attention, but this focus on a "technology fix" has also been criticized by many in the sector.<ref name=":4" /> However, low-tech solutions may be more practical in poor countries, and research is also funded by the foundation for such toilets.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Reinventing the toilet for 2.5 billion in need|doi = 10.2471/BLT.14.020714|last = Humphreys|first = Gary|publisher = Bull World Health Organ 2014;92:470–471|year = 2014}}</ref><ref name="Shaw">{{cite book|url=http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1993|title=A Collection of Contemporary Toilet Designs|date=2014|publisher=EOOS and WEDC, Loughborough University, UK|year=|isbn=978 1 84380 155 9|location=|pages=40|last1=Shaw|first1=R.}}</ref>
The Reinvent the Toilet Challenge is a long-term research and development effort to develop a hygienic, stand-alone toilet. This challenge is being complemented by another investment program to develop new technologies for improved [[Fecal sludge management|pit latrine emptying]] (called by the foundation the "Omni-Ingestor"<ref>Frederick, R., Gurski, T. (2012). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1718 Synapse Dewatering Investigation Report - Omni-Ingestor Phase 2, Milestone 1]. Consultancy report by Synapse (USA) commissioned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref>) and [[Septage|fecal sludge]] processing (called "[[Omni-Processor]]"). The aim of the "Omni Processor" is to convert [[excreta]] (for example [[Fecal sludge management|fecal sludge]]) into beneficial products such as energy and soil nutrients with the potential to develop local business and revenue.<ref>Kuchenrither, R. D., Stone, L., Haug, R. T. (2012). [http://www.susana.org/en/resources/library/details/1640 Omni-Processor Landscaping Project]. Consultancy report by WERF (Water Environment Research Foundation), commissioned by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA</ref>
==== Examples of transformative technologies research ====
* About 200 sanitation projects in many different countries and at various scales - some with a technology focus, some with a focus on market development or policy and advocacy, have received funding by the foundation since 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.susana.org/en/resources/projects?vbl_2%5B%5D=&vbl_22%5B612%5D=612|title = Projects, filtered by funding source Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|date = 24 March 2015|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = Sustainable Sanitation Alliance Website|publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref>
* The [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]] in Durban, South Africa Gates Foundation was awarded US$1.6 million in 2014 to act as a hub for sanitation researchers and product developers.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2014/11/OPP1119939|title = How we work, grant database (grant for UKZN)|date = |accessdate = 27 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref>
* One example of an [[Omni-Processor]] is a [[combustion]] based system designed to turn fecal sludge into energy and [[drinking water]]. The development of this particular prototype by U.S.-based company Janicki Bioenergy attracted media attention for the sanitation crisis and the work of the foundation after Bill Gates drank water produced from this process.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesnotes.com/Development/Omniprocessor-From-Poop-to-Potable|title = From poop to portable, This Ingenious Machine Turns Feces Into Drinking Water|date = 5 January 2015|accessdate = 13 January 2015|website = gatesnotes, The Blog of Bill Gates|publisher = |last = |first = }}</ref>
* Examples for the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge include: Scientists at the [[University of Colorado Boulder]] were giving funding of US$1.8 million to develop a prototype [[toilet]] that uses solar heat to treat the [[feces|fecal matter]] and produce [[biochar]].<ref>{{cite web|title=World's First Solar Powered Toilet to be unveiled in India this month|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/03/worlds-first-solar-powered-toilet-to-be-unveiled-in-india-this-month/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|accessdate=14 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2012/08/OPP1065047|title = How we work, grant database (grant for Uni Colorado Boulder)|date = |accessdate = 27 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref> Funding has been provided to [[RTI International]] since 2012 to develop a toilet based on electrochemical disinfection and solid waste combustion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Technology|url=http://abettertoilet.org/toilet-technologies/|work=A Better Toilet For A Cleaner World|publisher=RTI International|accessdate=17 March 2014|year=2014|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317082223/http://abettertoilet.org/toilet-technologies/|archivedate=March 17, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database#q/k=RTI&issue=Water%2C%20Sanitation%2C%20and%20Hygiene|title = How we work, grant database (grants for RTI)|date = |accessdate = 27 May 2015|website = |publisher = Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation|last = |first = }}</ref>
=== Other Global Initiatives ===
Some examples include:
* [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]]: The foundation made total grant donations of US$3 million to various charities to help with the aid effort for victims of the earthquake. These charities include: [[CARE (relief agency)|CARE international]], [[International Rescue Committee]], [[Mercy Corps]], [[Save the Children]], and [[World Vision]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37580|title=Mercy Corps|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37578|title=Save the Children Federation|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37577|title=CARE|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37576|title=World Vision|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2004/12/OPP37572|title=International Rescue Committee|last=|first=|date=|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref>
* [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]]: The foundation made a donation of US$500,000 for the earthquake.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pakistan Earthquake Homeless Number May Surpass Tsunami|url=http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/articles/pakistan-earthquake-homeless-number-may-surpass-tsunami|work=Mercy Corps|publisher=Mercy Corps|accessdate=17 March 2014|date=13 October 2005}}</ref>
* In 2014, the Gates Foundation released "flexible funds" in the order of US$50 million to United Nations agencies and other organizations involved in the work against the deadly disease [[Ebola]] in West Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/health-29145497|title = New money added to emergency response to Ebola outbreak|date = 10 Sep 2014|accessdate = 24 March 2015|website = BBC News - Health|publisher = BBC, UK|last = Dreaper|first = Jane}}</ref>
==Global health division==
Since 2011, the president of the Global Health Program is Trevor Mundel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Leadership - Trevor Mundel |url=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Trevor-Mundel |work=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |accessdate=6 April 2014 |year=2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090436/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Who-We-Are/General-Information/Leadership/Management-Committee/Trevor-Mundel |archivedate=April 7, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* [[The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria]]: The foundation has donated more than $6.6 billion for global health programs, including over US$1.3 billion donated as of 2012 on [[malaria]] alone, greatly increasing the dollars spent per year on malaria research.<ref name="garrett gates">[http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070101faessay86103/laurie-garrett/the-challenge-of-global-health.html The Challenge of Global Health] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109083214/http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070101faessay86103/laurie-garrett/the-challenge-of-global-health.html |date=January 9, 2007 }} Foreign Affairs, January/February 2007</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/science/16malaria.html|title=Gates Foundation's Influence Criticized|date=February 16, 2008|work=The New York Times|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref> Before the Gates efforts on malaria, malaria drugmakers had largely given up on producing drugs to fight the disease, and the foundation is the world's largest donor to research on diseases of the poor.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> With the help of Gates-funded vaccination drives, deaths from [[measles]] in Africa have dropped by 90 percent since 2000.<ref name="LA">{{Cite news|last1=Piller|first1=Charles|last2=Smith|first2=Doug|title=Unintended victims of Gates Foundation generosity|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| date=2007-12-16|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gates16dec16,0,6256166,full.story?coll=la-home-center}}</ref>
The foundation has donated billions of dollars to help sufferers of [[AIDS]], [[tuberculosis]] and malaria, protecting millions of children from death at the hands of preventable diseases.<ref name="LA"/> However, a 2007 investigation by ''The [[Los Angeles Times]]''<ref name="LA"/> claimed there are three major unintended consequences with the foundation's allocation of aid. First, sub-Saharan Africa already suffered from a shortage of primary doctors before the arrival of the Gates Foundation, but "by pouring most contributions into the fight against such high-profile killers as AIDS, Gates grantees have increased the demand for specially trained, higher-paid clinicians, diverting staff from basic care" in sub-Saharan Africa. This "brain drain" adds to the existing doctor shortage and pulls away additional trained staff from children and those suffering from other common killers. Second, "the focus on a few diseases has shortchanged basic needs such as nutrition and transportation".<ref name="LA" /> Third, "Gates-funded vaccination programs have instructed caregivers to ignore – even discourage patients from discussing – ailments that the vaccinations cannot prevent".<ref name="LA" />
In response, the Gates Foundation has said that African governments need to spend more of their budgets on public health than on wars, that the foundation has donated at least $70 million to help improve nutrition and agriculture in Africa, in addition to its disease-related initiatives and that it is studying ways to improve the delivery of health care in Africa.<ref name="LA"/>
Both insiders and external critics have suggested that there is too much deference to Bill Gates's personal views within the Gates Foundation, insufficient internal debate, and pervasive "group think."<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/12/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation|title=Inside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |work=[[The Guardian]] |date= July 12, 2010|first=Andy|last=Beckett}}</ref> Critics also complain that Gates Foundation grants are often awarded based on social connections and ideological allegiances rather than based on formal external review processes or technical competence.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>
Critics have suggested that Gates' approach to Global Health and Agriculture favors the interests of large pharmaceutical and agribusiness companies (in which Gates invests) over the interests of the people of developing countries.<ref>http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/d1.3.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newint.org/features/2012/04/01/bill-gates-charitable-giving-ethics/|title=The flip side to Bill Gates' charity billions -- New Internationalist|first=Andrew|last=Bowman|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/cbertini/Media/Kristi_Heim.pdf|title=Professor Catherine Bertini|publisher=|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humanosphere.org/social-business/2014/10/critics-say-gates-foundations-agriculture-program-wont-help-poor-farmers/|title=Critics say Gates Foundation's agriculture program won't help poor farmers|author=Guest|work=Humanosphere}}</ref>
The Global Health Program's other significant grants include:
* [[Poliomyelitis eradication|Polio eradication]]: In 2006, the foundation provided US$86 million toward efforts attempting to eradicate [[poliomyelitis]] (polio).<ref>[http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/HistContributionWebMay06.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414095646/http://www.polioeradication.org/content/general/HistContributionWebMay06.pdf|date=April 14, 2008}}</ref>
* The [[GAVI Alliance]]: The Foundation gave the GAVI Alliance (formerly the "Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization") a donation of US$750 million on January 25, 2005.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Gates Foundation, Norway Contribute $1 Billion to Increase Child Immunization in Developing Countries|publisher=GAVI Alliance|date=2005-01-24|url=http://www.gavialliance.org/media_centre/press_releases/2005_01_24_en_pr_newfunds.php|accessdate=2007-10-24| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013063234/http://www.gavialliance.org/media_centre/press_releases/2005_01_24_en_pr_newfunds.php| archivedate=October 13, 2007<!--DASHBot-->| deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Thomson|first=Iain|title=Bill Gates gives $750m to help African children|date=2005-01-25|url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2126576/bill-gates-gives-750m-help-african-children|accessdate=2007-10-24|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102051550/http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2126576/bill-gates-gives-750m-help-african-children|archivedate=November 2, 2007|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Children's Vaccine Program: The Children's Vaccine Program, run by the [[Program for Appropriate Technology in Health]] (PATH), received a donation of US$27 million to help vaccinate against [[Japanese encephalitis]] on December 9, 2003.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Children's Vaccine Program Receives Grant From Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Combat Japanese Encephalitis| publisher=[[Program for Appropriate Technology in Health]]|date=2003-12-09|url=http://childrensvaccine.org/html/rel-031209.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031221215749/http://childrensvaccine.org/html/rel-031209.htm|archivedate=2003-12-21|accessdate=2007-10-24}}</ref>
* [[University of Washington Department of Global Health]]: The Foundation provided approximately US$30 million for the foundation of the new Department of Global Health at the University of Washington in [[Seattle]], US. The donation promoted three of the foundation's target areas: education, Pacific Northwest and global health.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}
* HIV Research: The foundation donated a total of US$287 million to various [[HIV/AIDS]] researchers. The money was split between 16 different research teams across the world, on the condition that the findings are shared amongst the teams.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News |title=Gates gives $287m to HIV research|date=20 July 2006|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5197082.stm|accessdate=2007-10-24}}</ref>
* [[Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation]]: The foundation gave the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation more than US$280 million to develop and license an improved vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) for use in [[Disease burden|high-burden countries]] (HBCs).<ref>{{cite web|last=Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Announcement |title=Gates Foundation Commits $82.9 Million to Develop New Tuberculosis Vaccines |date=2004-02-12 |url=http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/4134 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010163118/http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/4134 |archivedate=October 10, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nightingale|first=Katherine|title=Gates foundation gives US$280 million to fight TB|date=2007-09-19|url=http://www.scidev.net/en/news/gates-foundation-gives-us280-million-to-fight-tb.html}}</ref>
* Cheaper high-tech tuberculosis (TB) test: In August 2012, the Foundation, in partnership with [[President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief|PEPFAR]] (United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]] (United States Agency for International Development) and [[UNITAID]] (an international drug purchasing facility hosted by WHO), announced they had finalized an agreement to reduce the cost of a commercial TB test (Cepheid's Xpert MTB/RIF run on the [[GeneXpert MTB/RIF|GeneXpert platform]]), from US$16.86 to US$9.98.<ref>{{cite web|title=Negotiated prices for Xpert® MTB/RIF and FIND country list|url=http://www.finddiagnostics.org/about/what_we_do/successes/find-negotiated-prices/xpert_mtb_rif.html|work=FIND Diagnostics|publisher=FIND|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=October 2013|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407082202/http://www.finddiagnostics.org/about/what_we_do/successes/find-negotiated-prices/xpert_mtb_rif.html|archivedate=April 7, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> This test can take the place of smear microscopy, a technique first developed in the 1880s by Robert Koch. Smear microscopy often does not show TB infection in persons who are also co-infected with HIV, whereas the GeneXpert system can show TB in the co-infected patient. In addition, the system can show whether the particular TB strain is resistant to the [[bactericidal]] antibiotic [[rifampicin]], a widely accepted indicator of the presence of multidrug resistant tuberculosis.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public-Private Partnership Announces Immediate 40 Percent Cost Reduction for Rapid TB Test|url=http://www.who.int/tb/features_archive/GeneXpert_press_release_final.pdf|work=World Health Organization|publisher=United Nations|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Published evidence and commentary on the Xpert MTB/RIF assay|url=http://www.stoptb.org/wg/gli/assets/documents/map/XpertPublications.pdf|work=Stop TB Partnership|publisher=World Health Organization|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=12 March 2014}}</ref>
* [[Visceral leishmaniasis]] (VL) research: The Foundation awarded the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]]'s Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases a US$5 million grant in 2009 for research into visceral leishmaniasis (VL), an emerging parasitic disease in [[Ethiopia]], Africa, where it is frequently associated with HIV/AIDS, and is a leading cause of adult illness and death. The project, a collaborative effort with [[Addis Ababa University]], will gather data for analysis—to identify the weak links in the transmission cycle—and devise methods for control of the disease.<ref>{{cite news|title=$5 m for disease control in Ethiopia|url=http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/5-m-for-disease-control-in-ethiopia|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=Israel21C|date=30 December 2009}}</ref> In 2005 the Foundation provided a US$30 million grant to [[The Institute for OneWorld Health]] to support the nonprofit pharmaceutical company's VL work in the rural communities of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Institute for OneWorld Health receives multimillion dollar grant|url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/ifoh-ifo113005.php|work=EurekAlert!|publisher=AAAS and EurekAlert!|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=1 December 2005}}</ref> By September 2006, the company had received approval from the Indian body Drug-Controller General of India (DCGI) for the Paromomycin Intramuscular (IM) Injection, a drug that provides an effective cure for VL following a 21-day course.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Cure for Deadly Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala-Azar) Approved by Government of India, Institute for OneWorld Health and Gland Pharma Limited Achieve Critical Paromomycin Milestone|url=http://businesswireindia.com/news/news-details/new-cure-deadly-visceral-leishmaniasis-kala-azar-approved-by-governmen/10736|work=Business Wire India|publisher=Business Wire India|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=14 September 2008}}</ref> In 2010 Raj Shankar Ghosh, the Regional Director for the South Asia Institute for OneWorld Health, explained that the Foundation funded "the majority of our work" in the development of the drug.<ref>{{cite web|title=Q & A: Institute for OneWorld Health |url=https://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/virulence/OneWorldVir.pdf |work=Access Granted Rita. |publisher=Landes Bioscience |accessdate=6 April 2014 |first=Kyle |last=Funk |date=September–October 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085007/https://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/virulence/OneWorldVir.pdf |archivedate=April 7, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* Next-Generation Condom: The foundation gave US$100,000 to 11 applicants in November 2013 to develop an improved condom; that is, one that "significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order to improve uptake and regular use", according to the Gates Foundation's [[Grand Challenges in Global Health]] website.<ref>{{cite web|title=TOPIC: Develop the Next Generation of Condom|url=http://www.grandchallenges.org/Explorations/Topics/Pages/NextGenerationCondomRound11.aspx|work=Grand Challenges in Global Health|publisher=Grand Challenges in Global Health|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=March 2013}}</ref> Further grants of up to US$1 million will be given to projects that are successful.<ref>{{cite news|title=Innovation: Next-Gen Condoms|url=http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/2013-12-05/innovation-next-gen-condoms|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=Bloomberg Businessweek|date=5 December 2013|first=Nick|last=Lieber}}</ref>
* [[Neglected tropical diseases]] (NTDs): Alongside WHO, the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, and the World Bank, the Foundation endorsed the [[London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases]], "to eradicate, eliminate and intensify control of 17 selected diseases by 2015 and 2020", at a meeting on January 30, 2012, held at the Royal College of Physicians in London, UK.<ref>{{cite web|title=WHO roadmap inspires unprecedented support to defeat neglected tropical diseases|url=http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/London_meeting_follow_up/en/|work=World Health Organization|publisher=WHO|accessdate=6 April 2014|date=3 February 2012}}</ref> Gates was the principal organizer responsible for bringing together the heads of 13 of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and the Foundation's monetary commitment to the Declaration was US$363 million over five years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Drug companies join forces to combat deadliest tropical diseases|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/jan/30/drug-companies-join-tropical-diseases|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=30 January 2012|first=Sarah|last=Boseley}}</ref> On April 3, 2014, the two-year anniversary of the Declaration, Gates attended a meeting in [[Paris]], France, at which participants reviewed the progress that had been made against 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The Foundation committed a further US$50 million, together with US$50 million from the [[Children's Investment Fund Foundation]] and US$120 million from the World Bank.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bill Gates: world must step up fight against neglected tropical diseases|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/apr/03/bill-gates-world-must-fight-tropical-diseases|accessdate=6 April 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 April 2014|first=Sarah|last=Boseley}}</ref>
* [[Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations]] (CEPI): A global group tasked with more quickly developing [[vaccine]]s against infectious disease threats worldwide was launched on 8 January 2017 by a coalition of governments and nonprofit groups including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, funded with an initial investment of $460 million from [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[Norway]], the [[Wellcome Trust]] and the Gates foundation, aims to develop [[vaccine]]s against known infectious disease threats that could be deployed quickly to contain outbreaks before they become global health emergencies, the group said in a statement at the [[World Economic Forum]] in [[Davos|Davos, Switzerland]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-18/gates-foundation-joins-new-460-million-coalition-for-vaccines|title=Gates Foundation Joins New $460 Million Coalition for Vaccines|date=2017-01-18|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wellcome.ac.uk/news/global-fund-outsmart-epidemics|title=Global fund to outsmart epidemics {{!}} Wellcome|website=wellcome.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref>
==United States division==
Under President [[Allan Golston]], the United States Program has made grants such as the following:
===Donation to Planned Parenthood===
Up to 2013, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided $71 million to [[Planned Parenthood]] and affiliated organizations. In 2014, Melinda Gates has stated that the foundation "has decided not to fund abortion", focusing instead on family planning and contraception in order to avoid conflation of abortion and family planning.<ref name="melindablog"/> In response to questions about this decision, Gates stated in a June 2014 blog post that "[she], like everyone else, struggle[s] with the issue" and that "the emotional and personal debate about abortion is threatening to get in the way of the lifesaving consensus regarding basic family planning".<ref name="melindablog">{{cite web|title=Reflections on My Recent Travels|first=Melinda|last=Gates|publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|date=2014-06-02|url=http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2014/06/Reflections-on-My-Trip-to-Toronto|accessdate=2014-06-15}}</ref> Since this time, their endeavors have shifted to a more globalperspective, focusing on voluntary family planning and maternal and newborn health<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Family-Planning|title=Family Planning|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Health/Maternal-Newborn-and-Child-Health-Discovery-and-Tools|title=Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Discovery & Tools|website=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|language=en|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref>.
===Libraries===
In 1997, the charity introduced a U.S. Libraries initiative with a goal of "ensuring that if you can get to a public library, you can reach the internet". Only 35% of the world's population has access to the Internet.<ref name="Bill 2014">Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (2014). "What We Do: Global Libraries Strategy Overview." The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Global-Libraries</ref> The foundation has given grants, installed computers and software, and provided training and technical support in partnership with public libraries nationwide in an effort to increase access and knowledge.<ref name="Bill 2014"/> Helping provide access and training for these resources, this foundation helps move public libraries into the digital age.<ref name="Bill 2014"/>
Most recently, the foundation gave a US$12.2 million grant to the [[Southeastern Library Network]] (SOLINET) to assist libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi on the [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]], many of which were damaged or destroyed by [[Hurricane Katrina|Hurricanes Katrina]] and [[Hurricane Rita|Rita]].
===Education===
A key aspect of the Gates Foundation's U.S. efforts involves an overhaul of the country's education policies at both the K-12 and college levels, including support for teacher evaluations and charter schools and opposition to seniority-based layoffs and other aspects of the education system that are typically backed by teachers' unions.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/education/22gates.html|title=Behind Grass-Roots School Advocacy, Bill Gates|date=May 22, 2011|work=The New York Times|accessdate=December 17, 2016}}</ref> It spent $373 million on education in 2009.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> It has also donated to the two largest national teachers' unions.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> The foundation was the biggest early backer of the [[Common Core State Standards Initiative]].<ref name="nytimes.com"/> In October 2017 it was announced that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would spend more than $1.7 billion over five years to pay for new initiatives in public education.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/10/19/bill-gates-has-another-plan-for-k-12-public-education-the-others-didnt-go-so-well/|title=Analysis {{!}} Bill Gates has a(nother) billion-dollar plan for K-12 public education. The others didn’t go so well.|last=Strauss|first=Valerie|date=2017-10-19|work=Washington Post|access-date=2017-10-30|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
One of the foundation's goals is to lower poverty by increasing the number of college graduates in the United States, and the organization has funded "Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery" grants to think tanks and advocacy organizations to produce white papers on ideas for changing the current system of federal financial aid for college students, with a goal of increasing graduation rates.<ref name="chronicle.com">{{cite news|url=http://chronicle.com/article/The-Gates-Effect/140323/|title=Marc Parry, Kelly Field, & Beckie Supiano, "The Gates Effect", The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 13, 2014|publisher=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Reimagining Financial Aid|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/14/look-all-15-reimagining-aid-design-and-delivery-reports-gates-foundation|work=|publisher=Inside Higher Education|accessdate=December 21, 2014|date=March 24, 2013|author=Libby A. Nelson}}</ref> One of the ways the foundation has sought to increase the number of college graduates is to get them through college faster, but that idea has received some pushback from organizations of universities and colleges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronicle.com/article/How-Gates-Shapes-State/140303/|title=Katherine Mangan, "How Gates Shapes State Higher-Education Policy," The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 14, 2013|work=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref>
As part of its education-related initiatives, the foundation has funded journalists, think tanks, lobbying organizations and governments. Millions of dollars of grants to news organizations have funded reporting on education and higher education, including more than $1.4 million to the Education Writers Association to fund training for journalists who cover education.<ref name="shape conversation">{{cite news|url=http://chronicle.com/article/To-Shape-the-National/140297/|title=Jennifer Ruark, "To Shape the National Conversation, Gates and Lumina Support Journalism," The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 14, 2013|publisher=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref> While some critics have feared the foundation for directing the conversation on education or pushing its point of view through news coverage, the foundation has said it lists all its grants publicly and does not enforce any rules for content among its grantees, who have editorial independence.<ref name="nytimes.com"/><ref name="shape conversation"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Storytelling Matters: A Look at the Gates Foundation's Media Grantmaking|url=http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2012/02/Storytelling-Matters-A-Look-at-the-Gates-Foundations-Media-Grantmaking|work=|publisher=Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation|accessdate=December 21, 2014|date=February 21, 2012}}</ref> Union activists in Chicago have accused Gates Foundation grantee Teach Plus, which was founded by new teachers and advocates against seniority-based layoffs, of "[[astroturfing]]".<ref name="nytimes.com"/>
The K-12 and higher education reform programs of the Gates Foundation have been criticized by some education professionals, parents, and researchers because they have driven the conversation on education reform to such an extent that they may marginalize researchers who do not support Gates' predetermined policy preferences.<ref name="chronicle.com"/> Several Gates-backed policies such as small schools, charter schools, and increasing class sizes have been expensive and disruptive, but some studies indicate they have not improved educational outcomes and may have caused harm.<ref name="dissent">{{cite web|url=http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/got-dough-how-billionaires-rule-our-schools|title=Joanne Barkan, Got Dough? How Billionaires Rule Our Schools, Dissent Magazine, Winter 2011|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/08/an-educator-challenges-the-gates-foundation/|title=Valerie Strauss, An educator challenges the Gates Foundation, The Washington Post, Oct. 8, 2014|publisher=Washington Post}}</ref>
Examples of some of the K-12 reforms advocated by the foundation include closing ineffective neighborhood schools in favor of privately run [[Charter schools in the United States|charter schools]]; extensively using standardized test scores to evaluate the progress of students, teachers, and schools; and merit pay for teachers based on student test scores. Critics also believe that the Gates Foundation exerts too much influence over public education policy without being accountable to voters or taxpayers.
<ref name="dissent"/><ref>Diane Ravitch. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: Basic Books, 2010.</ref><ref>Philip E. Kovacs. The Gates Foundation and the Future of U.S. "Public" Schools. Routledge, 2011.</ref>
Some of the foundation's educational initiatives have included:
* [[Gates Cambridge Scholarships]]: In 2000, the Gates Foundation donated $210 million to help outstanding graduate students from the U.S. and around the world to study at the prestigious [[University of Cambridge]]. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship has often been compared to the [[Rhodes Scholarship]] given its international scope and substantial endowment, The scholar remains extremely competitive with just 0.3% of applicants being selected. Each year, approximately 100 new graduate students from around the world receive funding to attend [[Cambridge University]]. Several buildings at the [[University of Cambridge]] also bear the name of William and Melinda Gates after sizable contributions to their construction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk/ |title=gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk |publisher= |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509054021/http://www.gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk/ |archivedate=May 9, 2015 }}</ref>
[[File:20130808 Kings Back Court 01.jpg|thumb|[[Cambridge University]]]]
* [[Cornell University]]: Faculty of Computing and Information Science received US$25 million from the Foundation for a new Information Science building, which will be named the "Bill and Melinda Gates Hall". The total cost of the building is expected to be US$60 million. Construction began in March 2012, and officially opened in January 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/01/cornells-new-gates-hall-not-what-it-seems|title=Cornell's new Gates Hall is not what it seems - Cornell Chronicle|publisher=}}</ref>
* [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]: Part of the [[Ray and Maria Stata Center]] is known as the "Gates Tower" in recognition of partial funding of the building.
* [[Carnegie Mellon University]]: The foundation gave US$20 million to the [[Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science]] for a new Computer Science building called the "Gates Center for Computer Science".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmu.edu/cmnews/extra/060407_gates.html|title=University Unveils Plans for New Gates Center for Computer Science|publisher=}}</ref> It officially opened on September 22, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gateshillman.blog.cs.cmu.edu/?p%3D122 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2010-08-31 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723190426/http://gateshillman.blog.cs.cmu.edu/?p=122 |archivedate=July 23, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* Smaller schools: The Gates Foundation claims one in five students is unable to read and grasp the contents of what they read, and African American and Latino students are graduating high school with the skills of a middle school student.<ref name="Tom Vander Ark 2002, pg 55-59">Tom Vander Ark, The Case for Smaller Schools; Vol 59, No. 5 January 2002, pg 55-59</ref> Gates Foundation has invested more than US$250 million in grants to create new small schools, reduce student-to-teacher ratios, and to divide up large high schools through the schools-within-a-school model.<ref name="Tom Vander Ark 2002, pg 55-59" />
* D.C. Achievers Scholarships: The Gates Foundation announced March 22, 2007 a US$122 million initiative to send hundreds of the District of Columbia's poorest students to college.<ref>[https://archive.fo/20120713071924/http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/3/22/210318.shtml Bill Gates Gives $122M for D.C. Scholarships.]. March 23, 2007.</ref>
* [[Gates Millennium Scholars]]: Administered by the [[United Negro College Fund]], the foundation donated US$1.5 billion for scholarships to high achieving minority students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gmsp.org/|title=The Gates Millennium Scholars Program|publisher=}}</ref>
* NewSchools Venture Fund: The foundation contributed US$30 million to help NewSchools to manage more charter schools, which aim to prepare students in historically underserved areas for college and careers.
* [[Strong American Schools]]: On April 25, 2007, the Gates Foundation joined forces with the [[Eli Broad|Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation]] pledging a joint US$60 million to create [[Strong American Schools]], a nonprofit project responsible for running [[Strong American Schools|ED in 08]], an initiative and information campaign aimed at encouraging 2008 presidential contenders to include education in their campaign policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30913FB3F5A0C768EDDAD0894DF404482|title=Billionaires Start $60 Million Schools Effort|date=25 April 2007|publisher=}}</ref>
* [[Teaching Channel]]: The Gates Foundation announced in September 2011 a US$3.5 million initiative to launch a multi-platform service delivering professional development videos for teachers over the Internet, public television, cable and other digital outlets.<ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants-2011/Pages/The-Teaching-Channel-OPP1040433.aspx Gates Foundation Announces Grant To Teaching Channel] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129050721/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grants-2011/Pages/The-Teaching-Channel-OPP1040433.aspx |date=November 29, 2012 }}</ref> To date, over 500,000 teachers and educators have joined the community to share ideas, lesson plans and teaching methods.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teachingchannel.org/teachers|title=Teaching Channel Community|work=Teaching Channel}}</ref>
* The Texas High School Project: The project was set out to increase and improve high school graduation rates across Texas. The foundation committed US$84.6 million to the project beginning in 2003. The project focuses its efforts on high-need schools and districts statewide, with an emphasis on urban areas and the Texas-Mexico border.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edtx.org|title=Educate Texas|publisher=}}</ref>
* [[University Scholars Program]]: Donated US$20 million in 1998 to endow a [[scholarship]] program at Melinda Gates' alma mater, [[Duke University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.duke.edu/web/usp/|title=University Scholars Program|publisher=|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> The program provides full scholarships to about 10 members of each undergraduate class and one member in each class in each of the professional schools (schools of medicine, business, law, divinity, environment, nursing, and public policy), as well as to students in the Graduate School pursuing doctoral degrees in any discipline. Graduate and professional school scholars serve as mentors to the undergraduate scholars, who are chosen on the basis of financial need and potential for interdisciplinary academic interests. Scholars are chosen each spring from new applicants to Duke University's undergraduate, graduate, and professional school programs. The program features seminars to bring these scholars together for interdisciplinary discussions and an annual spring symposium organized by the scholars.
* Washington State Achievers Scholarship: The Washington State Achievers program encourages schools to create cultures of high academic achievement while providing scholarship support to select college-bound students.
* William H. Gates Public Service Law Program: This program awards five full scholarships annually to the [[University of Washington]] [[University of Washington School of Law|School of Law]]. Scholars commit to working in relatively low-paying public service legal positions for at least the first five years following graduation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law.washington.edu/GatesScholar/Default.aspx|title=Gates Public Service Law - UW School of Law - Public Service|publisher=|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
* [[University of Texas at Austin]]: $30 million challenge grant to build the Bill & Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex.<ref>[http://www.cs.utexas.edu/news-events/news/2009/new-computer-science-complex-university-texas-austin-receives-30-million-chall New Computer Science Complex at The University of Texas at Austin Receives $30 Million Challenge Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Computer Science Department The University of Texas at Austin]. Cs.utexas.edu (2009-04-17). Retrieved on 2013-09-04.</ref>
* STAND UP: a national campaign that seeks to positively impact the current crisis within the United States public education system by calling upon community leaders, parents, students and citizens to encourage change and STAND UP for better schools and the future of America's children. STAND UP was co-founded by the [[Eli Broad]] Foundation, and was launched in April 2006 on The Oprah Winfrey Show in a two-part feature.
* [[Every Student Succeeds Act]]: donated about $44 million to help with the 2015 federal education law.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/05/16/us/ap-us-bill-gates-state-school-plans-.html|title=Bill Gates Gives $44M to Influence State Education Reform|date=2018-05-16|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
===Pacific Northwest===
* [[Discovery Institute]]: Donated US$1 million in 2000 to the Discovery Institute and pledged US$9.35 million over 10 years in 2003, including US$50,000 of [[Bruce Chapman]]'s US$141,000 annual salary. According to a Gates Foundation grant maker, this grant is "exclusive to the [[Cascadia project]]" on regional transportation, and it may not be used for the Institute's other activities, including promotion of [[intelligent design]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discovery.org/a/1537|title=Institute Hails $9.3 Million Grant from Gates Foundation|publisher=}}</ref>
* Rainier Scholars: Donated US$1 million.
* [[Computer History Museum]]: Donated US$15 million to the museum in October 2005.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Gates cheers on computer museum|date=2005-10-17|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4350972.stm|accessdate=2007-10-24}}</ref>
==Criticism==
Critics say the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has overlooked the links between poverty and poor academic achievement, and has unfairly demonized teachers for poor achievement by underprivileged students. They contend that the Gates Foundation should be embracing anti-poverty and living wage policies rather than pursuing untested and empirically unsupported education reforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/21/how-bill-gates-and-fellow-billionaires-can-actually-help-public-education/|title=Valerie Strauss, How Bill Gates and fellow billionaires can actually help public education, The Washington Post, April 21, 2014|work=Washington Post}}</ref>
Critics say that Gates-backed reforms such as increasing the use of technology in education may financially benefit Microsoft and the Gates family.<ref name="chronicle.com"/><ref>Lyndsey Layton, How Bill Gates pulled off the swift Common Core revolution, Washington Post, June 7, 2014</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=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?hpid=z1|title=Mark Walsh, The Washington Post's 'Tense' Talk With Bill Gates on Common Core, June 8, 2014|work=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pando.com/2014/06/05/revealed-gates-foundation-financed-pbs-education-programming-which-promoted-microsofts-interests/|title=Nathaniel Mott and David Sirota, REVEALED: Gates Foundation financed PBS education programming which promoted Microsoft's interests, June 5, 2014|work=PandoDaily}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.workers.org/articles/2014/06/17/profit-tech-corporations-gain-common-core-testing/|title=Betsey Piette, For-profit tech corporations gain from Common Core testing, June 17, 2014|work=Workers World}}</ref>
The foundation trust invests undistributed assets, with the exclusive goal of maximizing the [[return on investment]]. As a result, its investments include companies that have been criticized for worsening poverty in the same developing countries where the foundation is attempting to relieve poverty.<ref name=":6" /><ref>[http://www.democracynow.org/2007/1/9/report_gates_foundation_causing_harm_with Report: Gates Foundation Causing Harm With the Same Money It Uses To Do Good], Democracy Now!, January 09, 2007</ref> These include companies that pollute heavily and pharmaceutical companies that do not sell into the developing world.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gatesx07jan07,0,6827615.story Dark cloud over good works of Gates Foundation], Los Angeles Times, January 7, 2007</ref>
In response to press criticism, the foundation announced in 2007 a review of its investments to assess social responsibility.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003517601_gatesinvest10.html Gates Foundation to review investments] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516015458/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003517601_gatesinvest10.html |date=May 16, 2007 }}, The Seattle Times, January 10, 2007</ref> It subsequently cancelled the review and stood by its policy of investing for maximum return, while using voting rights to influence company practices.<ref>[Gates Foundation to maintain its investment plan], The Austin Statesman, January 14, 2007</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/article/181342/how-gates-foundations-investments-are-undermining-its-own-good-works|title=How the Gates Foundation's Investments Are Undermining Its Own Good Works|publisher=}}</ref>
Critics have called on the Gates Foundation to end its investments in the [[GEO Group]], the second largest private prison corporation in the United States. A large part of the prison's work involves incarcerating and detaining migrants that have been detained by the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] and now the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]]. <ref>Joe Watson, "Demonstrators Protest Gates Foundation’s $2.2 Million Investment in GEO Group," "Prison Legal News," July 2016 https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/jul/6/demonstrators-protest-gates-foundations-22-million-investment-geo-group/</ref><ref>2012 tax return uploaded to this web page: http://www.iamawake.co/revealed-bill-gates-invests-billions-in-fast-food-private-prison-and-oil-companies/</ref><ref>Madison Pauly, "A Brief History of America’s Private Prison Industry," "Mother Jones," July/August 2016 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/history-of-americas-private-prison-industry-timeline/</ref> In spring 2014 the Gates Foundation acknowledged its $2.2 million investment in the prison corporation.<ref>Lael Henterly, "Gates Foundation resists pressure to pull private prison investment," "The Seattle Globalist," May 8, 2014 http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2014/05/08/gates-foundation-private-prison-investments-geo-nwdc/24430</ref> It has more recently rebuffed critics' request that it sever investment ties with the prison corporation. It has refused to comment on whether it is continuing its investments.<ref>Alex Park, "Is the Gates Foundation Still Investing in Private Prisons?," "Mother Jones, December 8, 2014 https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/12/gates-foundation-still-investing-private-prisons/</ref><ref>Joe Watson, "Demonstrators Protest Gates Foundation’s $2.2 Million Investment in GEO Group," "Prison Legal News," July 2016 https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/jul/6/demonstrators-protest-gates-foundations-22-million-investment-geo-group/</ref>
==Lifespan==
In October 2006, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was split into two entities: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which manages the endowment assets and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which "... conducts all operations and grantmaking work, and it is the entity from which all grants are made".<ref>[http://www.philanthropy.com/free/update/2006/11/2006112901.htm Gates Foundation Announces That It Doesn't Plan to Operate Forever] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927220226/http://www.philanthropy.com/free/update/2006/11/2006112901.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815085113/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm |date=August 15, 2008 }}</ref> Also announced was the decision to "... spend all of [the Trust's] resources within 20<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBHJ-8Bch4E|title=Interview with Bill Gates September 21, 2013 (Video 33:52)|work=YouTube}}</ref> years after Bill's and Melinda's deaths".<ref name="autogenerated2">[http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm Announcements - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815085113/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/AboutUs/Announcements/Announce-061129.htm |date=August 15, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://philanthropy.com/article/Gates-Foundation-Announces/55464/|title=The Chronicle, 11/29/2006: Gates Foundation Announces That It Doesn't Plan to Operate Forever|work=The Chronicle of Philanthropy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Gates_foundation_to_spend_all_assets_1201.html|title=Gates foundation to spend all assets within 50 years of trustees' deaths|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116493514082937519?mod=home_whats_news_us|title=Gates Foundation Sets Its Lifespan|first=Sally|last=Beatty|date=1 December 2006|work=WSJ}}</ref> This would close the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust and effectively end the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In the same announcement it was reiterated that [[Warren Buffett]] "... has stipulated that the proceeds from the Berkshire Hathaway shares he still owns at death are to be used for philanthropic purposes within 10 years after his estate has been settled".<ref name="autogenerated2" />
The plan to close the Foundation Trust is in contrast to most large charitable foundations that have no set closure date. This is intended to lower administrative costs over the years of the Foundation Trust's life and ensure that the Foundation Trust not fall into a situation where the vast majority of its expenditures are on administrative costs, including salaries, with only token amounts contributed to charitable causes.<ref name="autogenerated1" />
==Awards==
* In 2006, the foundation won the [[Prince of Asturias Award]] for International Cooperation.<ref>[http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/ing/04/premiados/trayectorias/trayectoria807.html Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204114126/http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/ing/04/premiados/trayectorias/trayectoria807.html |date=December 4, 2008 }}</ref>
* In 2007, then-[[President of India]] [[Pratibha Devisingh Patil]] presented the [[Indira Gandhi Prize|Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development]] to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/gates-foundation-to-get-indira-gandhi-peace-prize/284494/|title=Gates Foundation to get Indira Gandhi peace prize|publisher=}}</ref>
* In recognition for the foundation's philanthropic activities in India, Bill and Melinda Gates jointly received India's third highest civilian honor [[Padma Bhushan]] in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/advani-bachchan-dilip-kumar-get-padma-vibhushan/article6821421.ece|title=Advani, Bachchan, Dilip Kumar get Padma Vibhushan|author=PTI|work=The Hindu}}</ref>
* On November 22, 2016, President [[Barack Obama]] honored Bill and Melinda Gates with [[Presidential Medal of Freedom|The Presidential Medal of Freedom]] for their philanthropic efforts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/campaign/medal-of-freedom|title=The Presidential Medal of Freedom|website=The White House|access-date=2016-11-23}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Corporate social responsibility]]
* [[Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition]]
* [[List of wealthiest charitable foundations]]
* [[Philanthropy]]
* [[Social enterprise]]
* [[Social entrepreneurship]]
* [[Social responsibility]]
==Notes and references==
<!-- This article uses [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]]. Please use this format when adding references to material in the article. External links added directly to this section will be swiftly deleted without notice. -->
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website}}
* [http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/topfunders/top100assets.html The Foundation Center: Top 100 US Foundations by asset size] Gates Foundation ranked number one.
* [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/g/gates_bill_and_melinda_foundation/index.html?inline=nyt-org New York Times] Updated news on the Foundation.
{{Bill Gates}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|47|37|25|N|122|20|44|W|format=dms|display=title|type:landmark_region:US-WA}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gates}}
[[Category:NBBJ buildings]]
[[Category:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation| ]]
[[Category:Bill Gates]]
[[Category:Foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Biomedical research foundations]]
[[Category:Rockefeller Foundation]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2000]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Medical and health foundations]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize]]
[[Category:International development agencies]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Seattle]]
[[Category:Research institutes in Seattle]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]' |
