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 and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Grantmaking Areas

We also have a small Charitable Sector Support initiative.

Locations

Headquarters – Seattle, Washington

Washington, D.C. 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

Foundation Facts (1)

Current number of foundation employees: 1,489

Total grant payments since inception (through Q4 2018): $50.1 billion (2)

Total 2018 Direct Grantee Support: $5.0 billion (3)

Total 2017 Direct Grantee Support: $4.7 billion (3)

Foundation Trust Endowment: $46.8 billion (4)

(1) As of December 31, 2018. Financial figures are rounded to the nearest hundred million.

(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 grant payments and direct charitable contracts, but not Program Related Investments.

(4) Annually, the foundation receives an installment of the gift pledged by Warren Buffett as outlined in his July 2006 letter to Bill and Melinda. The endowment balance includes these donations, which were received as follows:

August 24, 2006: $1.6 billion

July 11, 2007: $1.8 billion

July 1, 2008: $1.8 billion

July 1, 2009: $1.3 billion

July 1, 2010: $1.6 billion

July 7, 2011: $1.5 billion

July 6, 2012: $1.5 billion

July 8, 2013: $2.0 billion

July 14, 2014: $2.1 billion

July 6, 2015: $2.2 billion

July 13, 2016: $2.2 billion

July 17, 2017: $2.4 billion

July 16, 2018: $2.6 billion

Geographic Reach

The foundation supports grantees in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Internationally, we support work in 138 countries.