Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $8.0 billion (2024 total charitable support)
Total Assets: $77.2 billion (as of December 31, 2024)
Grant Range: $500,000 - several million dollars (typical)
Geographic Focus: Global (with emphasis on Africa, South Asia, and U.S.)
Application Method: Primarily invitation-only with occasional RFPs
EIN: 56-2618866

Contact Details

Headquarters: 440 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Phone: (206) 709-3400

Email:

General inquiries: info@gatesfoundation.org
Media inquiries: media@gatesfoundation.org
U.S. Program: [email protected]

Website: www.gatesfoundation.org

Grant Database: www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants

Overview

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (often referred to as the Gates Foundation) was formed in 2007 when the William H. Gates Foundation merged with the Gates Library Foundation and Gates Learning Foundation. As the third-wealthiest charitable foundation in the world, it holds $77.2 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024. The foundation's mission is to enhance healthcare, reduce extreme poverty, and expand educational opportunities globally. Since its inception, the foundation has distributed $83.3 billion in grant payments through 2024, with total charitable spending exceeding $102.3 billion. In a major 2024 announcement, the foundation committed to distributing $200 billion over the next 20 years—roughly double what was spent in its first 25 years—before completing its work on December 31, 2045. Under CEO Mark Suzman's leadership since 2020, the foundation has increased its annual payout commitment to $9 billion by 2026, with the 2024 budget set at $8.6 billion. In 2024 alone, the foundation committed $5.4 billion in grants, with approximately one-third ($1.8 billion) directed toward global health programs.

Funding Priorities

Program Areas

The Gates Foundation operates through three main divisions:

Global Health Division

Focuses on harnessing advances in science and technology to save lives in developing countries
Works with partners to deliver vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics
Child mortality prevention (CEO Mark Suzman notes: "For 100 dollars per person per year, we can prevent 90 percent of preventable childhood deaths")
Infectious disease control and eradication
Maternal and reproductive health
Nutrition programs

Global Development Division

Helps the world's poorest people lift themselves out of hunger and poverty
Agricultural productivity enhancement
Financial services for the poor
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) initiatives
Climate resilience (CEO Suzman: "We can't secure health and prosperity without climate resilience")

U.S. Programs

Ensures all students—especially Black, Latino, and low-income students—have opportunity to earn a degree or credential
Charter school sector strengthening
Innovative teaching methods and equitable access to educational resources
Systemic improvements through partnerships with educators and policymakers

Gender Equality (Cross-cutting priority)

Initiatives that close gender gaps
Expand economic opportunities for women
Ensure access to healthcare and education for women worldwide

Geographic Distribution

In 2024, the foundation awarded approximately $1.7 billion (30% of total grants) to programs serving the Africa region, reflecting the foundation's commitment to addressing global health and development challenges in areas of greatest need.

What They Don't Fund

The Gates Foundation explicitly excludes:

Direct grants to individuals (with rare exceptions noted on specific applications)
Domestic health issues in developed countries
Political campaigns and legislative lobbying efforts
Building or capital campaigns
Projects that exclusively serve religious purposes
Unsolicited proposals outside funding priorities

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

The foundation is governed by a board of trustees that meets three times annually to guide the work, approve the annual budget and four-year plan, and review CEO performance. Current board members include:

Bill Gates (Co-founder)
Mark Suzman (CEO and Trustee)
Ashish Dhawan (Independent Trustee)
Dr. Helene D. Gayle (Independent Trustee)
Strive Masiyiwa (Independent Trustee)
Minouche Shafik (Independent Trustee)
Tom Tierney (Independent Trustee)

Board members serve three-year terms with a two-consecutive-term limit. They serve without compensation but may recommend charitable gifts up to $50,000 annually to qualified charities of their choice.

Leadership

Mark Suzman, CEO, has led the foundation since 2020 and serves as a board member. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as managing director of Country Offices, president of Global Policy and Advocacy, and chief strategy officer, building and overseeing development of the foundation's offices in India, China, Africa, and Europe.

Key Leadership Quotes:

On child health priorities: "Children at many levels are the future. They are the human capital of tomorrow."

On innovation opportunities: "There are so many opportunities to make a difference right now—the innovation pipeline is filled with breakthroughs that have the potential to save and improve millions of lives."

On philanthropic approach: The foundation's approach is "rooted in what they see as the comparative advantage of philanthropy: trying to target very specific issues and problems that face either market failures or public good failures, such as support to research into addressing infectious diseases."

Organizational Structure

The foundation operates through a two-entity structure created in October 2006:

The Gates Foundation: Distributes money to grantees
The Gates Foundation Trust: Manages the endowment assets

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Gates Foundation does NOT have an open public application process. The foundation takes a highly selective, proactive approach to grantmaking:

Invitation-Only: The majority of grants are awarded to U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations and other tax-exempt organizations identified by foundation staff through an internal process
Occasional RFPs: The foundation occasionally publishes Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific initiatives
Letters of Inquiry: For certain programs, the foundation accepts unsolicited Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) throughout the year, providing a pathway for organizations to present innovative ideas aligned with the foundation's mission

The foundation does not make grants outside its funding priorities, so alignment with strategic focus areas is essential.

Four-Phase Grant Development Process

The foundation uses a standardized four-phase process for all grants and contracts, with duration varying based on project complexity and partner capacity:

Phase 1: Concept Development

Concludes with internal decision that concept aligns with strategy

Phase 2: Pre-Proposal

Foundation explores and refines concepts with organizations in the field
May involve multiple rounds of discussion and refinement

Phase 3: Investment Review and Approval

Investment proposals reviewed at various levels
More complex grants receive additional levels of review
Foundation executive makes final funding decision

Phase 4: Management and Close

Post-approval implementation and monitoring
Progress tracking and relationship management

Decision Timeline

Organizations can expect several months from submission to decision-making, with exact duration varying based on project complexity, geographic location of the prospective partner, and organizational capacity. The foundation conducts thorough review processes including:

Assessment of alignment with strategic priorities
Feasibility of implementation evaluation
Potential impact analysis
Multiple reviewer evaluations with relevant field expertise
Possible interviews or discussions with organizations

Required Documents

Typical submission requirements include:

Investment document (including proposal narrative)
Detailed budget
Results framework and tracker (for some programs)

Application Success Factors

Demonstrate Clear Strategic Alignment The foundation emphasizes that proposals must clearly articulate how projects align with their mission and strategic goals. "Demonstrating alignment is critical to gaining traction with decision-makers." This is non-negotiable—the foundation will not fund work outside its priorities.

Provide Evidence-Based Support Use data, research findings, or pilot results to illustrate potential success and scalability. "Highlighting measurable outcomes can strengthen your proposal." The foundation employs a rigorous evaluation process assessing innovation, feasibility, potential impact, and strategic alignment.

Showcase Meaningful Partnerships Feature collaborations with other organizations or stakeholders that add credibility and resources to your initiative. "Partnerships often indicate broader support and increased likelihood of success."

Develop Comprehensive Applications Include measurable objectives, a clear implementation plan, and a realistic budget. "Clearly articulate the problem your project aims to address, using data and real-world examples to illustrate the urgency of the issue and why it matters."

Seek Expert Feedback One effective strategy is to seek feedback from peers or mentors who have experience with grant writing or have previously engaged with the Gates Foundation before submitting.

Utilize Foundation Resources Explore the foundation's website thoroughly and review funding guidelines for insights into current focus areas, eligibility requirements, and application expectations. Consider attending informational webinars or workshops hosted by the foundation or organizations that have successfully secured funding.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-based model: This is fundamentally a closed grantmaking process. Don't expect to submit unsolicited proposals unless a specific RFP is published or your program accepts LOIs.
Strategic alignment is mandatory: The foundation will only fund work that fits within its defined priority areas (global health, global development, U.S. education, gender equality). Ensure your project directly advances one of these strategies.
Scale and impact matter: With grants typically ranging from $500,000 to several million dollars, the foundation seeks transformative projects with potential for significant, measurable impact and scalability.
Evidence is essential: Be prepared to demonstrate your organization's capacity and track record with data, pilot results, and measurable outcomes. The review process is rigorous and multi-layered.
Geographic priorities: Nearly one-third of funding goes to Africa-focused programs. If working in global health or development, demonstrate understanding of context and partnerships in priority regions.
Long timeline: Plan for a multi-month decision process involving multiple phases of review, refinement, and approval at various organizational levels.
Relationship building: Since most grants are proactively identified by staff, building relationships with program officers and staying informed about foundation priorities and RFPs is crucial for organizations seeking funding.

References

Accessed: December 2025