Foundation Fact Sheet (At A Glance) | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2024)

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

Grantmaking areas

We also have a small Charitable Sector Support initiative.

Locations

Leadership

Co-chairs and Board of Trustees

Executive Leadership

Division Leadership

Foundation facts (1)

Current number of foundation employees:2,026
Total grant payments since inception (through Q4 2023): $77.6 billion (2)
Total 2023 Charitable Support: $7.7 billion (3)
Total 2022 Charitable Support: $7.0 billion (3)
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates total giving to the foundation from inception through 2023: $59.5 billion
Warren Buffett total giving to the foundation from 2006 through 2023: $39.3 billion
Foundation Trust Endowment as of December 31, 2023: $75.2 billion

(1) As of December 31, 2023. Financial figures are rounded to the nearest hundred million. 2023 figures are unaudited.
(2) Includes grant payments made by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and previous foundations of the Gates family (William H. Gates Foundation, Gates Library Foundation, and Gates Learning Foundation) from 1994 onward.
(3) Includes operational expenditures, grant payments and direct charitable contracts, but not program related investments.

Geographic Reach

In 2023 the foundation funded grantees in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Internationally, we funded work in 135 countries.

Foundation Fact Sheet (At A Glance) | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2024)

FAQs

Is the Gates Foundation the same as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? ›

Foundation facts

Includes grant payments made by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and previous foundations of the Gates family (William H. Gates Foundation, Gates Library Foundation, and Gates Learning Foundation) from 1994 onward.

What is the issue with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? ›

In numerous papers over the past decade, researchers have raised concerns about the foundation's lack of transparency, its veto power over other global health institutions, and its spending priorities. Some experts worry that the Gateses' health philanthropy has become too big to scrutinize.

Does the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation still exist? ›

Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the second largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $69 billion in assets as of 2020.

What are the four core values of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? ›

We are guided by five core values
  • Optimism. We are optimists by nature: we see the glass as half full and are motivated to confront problems that others consider impossible to solve. ...
  • Collaboration. ...
  • Rigor. ...
  • Innovation. ...
  • Inclusion.

Who is the biggest donor in the world? ›

According to the EdelGive Foundation and Hurun Report 2021, the founder of Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, has been recognized as the most charitable person of the past century, having donated a staggering Rs 829,734 crore.

How much money is needed to start a foundation? ›

There is no set amount needed to establish a private foundation. It really just depends on how much money your endowment fund needs to generate an adequate amount of investment income to fund your chosen grants. Most foundations will start off with anywhere from several hundred thousand dollars to millions of dollars.

Does the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation actually do anything? ›

Our Global Development Division focuses on improving the delivery of high-impact health products and services to the world's poorest communities and helps countries expand access to health coverage.

Where does the Gates Foundation money go? ›

We provide funding to organizations to achieve measurable impact in the fight against poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. This is our largest funding vehicle, accounting for over 90% of our charitable giving.

Are Bill Gates and Warren Buffett really friends? ›

Buffett, who is 93, and Gates 68, have been longtime friends for 30 years. Through business ventures that turned philanthropic, they have assisted countless people worldwide. Together they launched The Giving Pledge campaign encouraging other rich individuals to donate much of their wealth towards charitable efforts.

What is the biggest charity in the world? ›

The largest charitable foundation in terms of world total assets is the Novo Nordisk Foundation in Copenhagen, Denmark with assets of $49.1 billion. A close second is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with funds of 46.8 billion. Catholic Charities is a network of charities with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

Who has donated the most money to charity? ›

Here are the billionaires who give away the most money, according to Forbes
  • Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett has a lifetime giving of $56.7 billion. ...
  • Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. ...
  • George Soros. ...
  • Michael Bloomberg. ...
  • MacKenzie Scott. ...
  • Jim and Marilyn Simons. ...
  • Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. ...
  • Steve and Connie Ballmer.
Mar 5, 2024

How many lives have been saved by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation? ›

How Bill and Melinda Gates helped save 122m lives – and what they want to solve next. It was the biggest philanthropic gesture ever, the billionaire investor equivalent of Batman and Superman joining forces to fight world crime.

Why did Bill Gates start the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? ›

Bill and Melinda Gates envisioned the GCGH as a way “to identify research areas with the greatest promise for saving and improving lives in the developing world; to fund novel, interdisciplinary approaches among researchers seeking solutions; and to get the 'rich-world' scientific community to apply its experience to ...

What is the agenda of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? ›

We are focused on the areas of greatest need, on the ways in which we can do the most good. From poverty to health, to education, our areas of focus offer the opportunity to dramatically improve the quality of life for billions of people.

What is the legal structure of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? ›

In October 2006, our trustees created a two-entity structure. One entity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, distributes money to grantees. The other, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, manages the endowment assets. This structure enables us to separate our program work from the investment of our assets.

What did Bill Gates foundation used to be called? ›

He first answered his son's request for help in using his resources to improve reproductive and child health in the developing world by directing the William H. Gates Foundation, which was established in 1994. It merged with the Gates Learning Foundation to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000.

What companies does the Gates Foundation own? ›

These are the top 10 stocks held at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at the end of the fourth quarter.
  • FedEx. The FedEx flight used by Teri Eidson and Nicole McCallister on their record breaking journey. ...
  • Walmart. ...
  • Coca-Cola FEMSA. ...
  • Ecolab. ...
  • Deere. ...
  • Caterpillar. ...
  • Waste Management. ...
  • Canadian National Railway.
Feb 23, 2024

How many offices does the Gates Foundation have? ›

In addition to our Seattle headquarters, we have offices in Washington, D.C.; London, United Kingdom; Delhi, India; Beijing, China; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Abuja, Nigeria.

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