Foundation Fact Sheet
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
- Gender Equality
- Global Development Program
- Global Growth & Opportunity Program
- Global Health Program
- Global Policy & Advocacy
- United States Program
We also have a small Charitable Sector Support initiative.
Locations
- Headquarters – Seattle, Washington
- Washington, DC Office – Washington, DC
- India Office – Delhi, India
- China Office – Beijing, China
- Europe and Middle East Offices – London, United Kingdom and Berlin, Germany
- Africa Offices - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Abuja, Nigeria; and Johannesburg, South Africa
Leadership
Co-chairs and Board of Trustees
- Bill Gates, Co-chair
- Melinda French Gates, Co-chair
- Mark Suzman, Board Member
- Ashish Dhawan, Board Member
- Dr. Helene D. Gayle, Board Member
- Strive Masiyiwa, Board Member
- Minouche Shafik, Board Member
- Tom Tierney, Board Member
Executive Leadership
- Mark Suzman, Chief Executive Officer
- Carolyn Ainslie, Chief Financial Officer
- Lauren W. Bright, Chief Legal Officer
- Susan Byrnes, Chief Communications Officer
- Chris Elias, President, Global Development
- Gargee Ghosh, President, Global Policy & Advocacy
- Allan C. Golston, President, United States Program
- Leslie Mays, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
- Trevor Mundel, President, Global Health
- Shana Tarbell, Chief Operating Officer
- Rodger Voorhies, President, Global Growth & Opportunity
- Ankur Vora, Chief Strategy Officer
- Sonia Vora, Chief Human Resources Officer
- Anita Zaidi, President, Gender Equality
Division Leadership
- Gender Equality Division Leadership
- Global Development Division Leadership
- Global Growth & Opportunity Division Leadership
- Global Health Division Leadership
- Global Policy & Advocacy Division Leadership
- United States Program Leadership
- Communications Division Leadership
- Foundation Strategy Office Division Leadership
- Operations 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.
