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Gates Foundation
| Gates Foundation | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Seattle, Washington |
| Top official: | Susan Desmond-Hellmann |
| Founder(s): | Bill and Melinda Gates |
| Year founded: | 2000 |
| Website: | Official website |
Gates Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Seattle, Washington. The foundation was started in 2000 to advocate for public health initiatives in the developing world.[1] According to its website, The Gates Foundation says it is a "philanthropic organization that works to dramatically reduce disease and poverty and build a more equal world."[2]
Background
Bill Gates established the William H. Gates Foundation in 1994 to address health in the Pacific Northwest. In 1997, he and his wife, Melinda Gates, founded the Gates Library Foundation to provide internet in U.S. libraries. In 2000, they merged the two to focus on health, education, and libraries.[1] Originially the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, they renamed to the Gates Foundation in 2025, after Melinda left.[3] In 2025, Bill Gates announced he intended to increase spending with the goal of winding down the organization by 2045.[4]
According to its website, the Gates Foundation's mission is "to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life."[2]
Leadership
As of December 2025, the following were listed as members of the organization's executive board:[5]
- Bill Gates, Chair
- Mark Suzman
- Ashish Dhawan
- Helen Gayle
- Strive Masiyiwa
- Minouche Shafik
- Tom Tierney
Work and activities
Philanthropy
According to its website, the Gates Foundation "invest[s] our expertise and resources in organizations, research institutions, and global alliances that are fueling progress toward a future that is free of infectious diseases, provides economic opportunity for all, and ensures the health of mothers and babies.
Our charitable support, which in 2024 totaled more than US$8 billion, focuses on innovative products, ideas, and approaches that have the potential to save and improve the greatest number of lives. Our efforts span more than four dozen program areas and engage thousands of partners that are leading the work on the ground—including nonprofit organizations, government agencies, private enterprises, scientists, community groups, and policy researchers."[2]
Additionally, the website says the following about its areas of focus:[6]
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Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Gates Foundation's revenues and expenses from 2014 to 2024. The information comes from ProPublica.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $4.4 billion | $4.9 billion |
| 2015 | $4.8 billion | $6.4 billion |
| 2016 | $5.3 billion | $5.7 billion |
| 2017 | $5.4 billion | $6.3 billion |
| 2018 | $5.6 billion | $4.8 billion |
| 2019 | $5.9 billion | $5.3 billion |
| 2020 | $6.8 billion | $5 billion |
| 2021 | $6.7 billion | $5.4 billion |
| 2022 | $7 billion | $7.3 billion |
| 2023 | $7.8 billion | $8.8 billion |
| 2024 | $8.1 billion | $7.7 billion |
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Gates + Foundation"
See also
- What is an influencer?
- School board elections project
- Education policy project
- Education policy in the United States
- Bill Gates
- Common Core State Standards Initiative
External links
- Gates Foundation
- Gates Foundation on Facebook
- Gates Foundation on Instagram
- Gates Foundation on LinkedIn
- Gates Foundation on X
- Gates Foundation on YouTube
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gates Notes, "My philanthropy," accessed December 22, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Gates Foundation, "About," accessed December 22, 2025
- ↑ Gates Foundation, "Statement from CEO Mark Suzman about Melinda French Gates," May 13, 2024
- ↑ Gates Foundation, "Gates Foundation Will Double Spending Over Next 20 Years to Accelerate Progress on Saving and Improving Lives," May 8, 2025
- ↑ Gates Foundation, "Executive Leadership," accessed December 22, 2025
- ↑ Gates Foundation, "Our Work," accessed December 22, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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