About

Our mission is to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.

The Gates Foundation is a philanthropic organization that works to dramatically reduce disease and poverty and build a more equal world.

We invest 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.

Explore our story
Learn about our origins and how our approach has evolved since we started in 2000.
Understand our role
We fund and bring together people and organizations in the global health and development sectors so we can collectively accelerate progress on urgent issues.
Dr. Chellapilla Bharadwaj, Principal Chickpea Breeder at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), poses for a photograph inside a chickpea testing laboratory at the IARI in New Delhi, India, on April 7, 2025.
How our funding works
We make grants to organizations as well as investments in projects carried out by private companies.
How we work
We pursue our goals by providing funding to those who have the experience and expertise to make an impact.

Foundation facts

For the year ended December 31, 2024.
faq

FAQ

No. We encourage people who support our goals to give directly to our grantees, who are listed in our searchable database of committed grants. Those who prefer to have their gifts distributed to projects vetted by Gates Foundation experts can donate to Gates Philanthropy Partners, a 501(c)(3) public charity that aligns its grantmaking with the foundation’s strategic goals.

In most cases, we directly contact organizations identified by our staff and invite them to submit funding proposals for work that addresses a specific foundation priority, such as nutrition, tuberculosis prevention, or safer childbirth. We also award some grants through posted requests for proposals, including through our Grand Challenges initiatives. We do not contribute to fundraising campaigns for organizations.

No, this is a scam. These types of messages circulate by email, social media, postal mail, fax, and phone in multiple languages and often include our foundation logo, photos, links, or other content from our website. We encourage you to report such fraudulent communications.

Yes. To view job openings at the foundation and learn how to apply, visit the Careers section of our website.

Leadership

Our leaders are guided by the foundation’s mission to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.
Explore our leadership
Foundation employees share personal stories at the Ignite storytelling session during the Annual Employee Meeting at the Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington, on May 9, 2023.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Gates Foundation was founded on a simple premise: that people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. 
Learn more

Contact

Connect with specific foundation departments.

More about the foundation

Committed grants

We’ve funded thousands of projects, large and small. Our database includes payments made and committed from 1994 onward.

How we work

Learn how we identify grantees and form partnerships with private companies to address inequities.

Financials
We are committed to providing clear, timely information on our finances and grantmaking efforts. See information about our annual reports, audited financial statements, charitable work with the private sector, and the Foundation Trust.
Policies and resources

For transparency, we share the policies and principles that help guide our work.