Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the world's largest charitable foundation, endowed by Bill Gates, chairman and founder of Microsoft, and his wife, Melinda Gates. It was created in January 2000 through the merger of the Gates Learning Foundation and the William H. Gates Foundation. The foundation is based in Seattle, Washington and is led by William H. Gates, Sr. (Bill Gates' father) and Patty Stonesifer.

Related Topics:
Charitable foundation - Bill Gates - Microsoft - Melinda Gates - 2000 - Gates Learning Foundation - William H. Gates Foundation - Seattle, Washington - William H. Gates, Sr. - Patty Stonesifer

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The foundation's grants have provided funds for underrepresented minority college scholarships, AIDS prevention, diseases that strike mainly in the Third World, and other causes. The Foundation currently provides 90% of the world budget for the attempted eradication of poliomyelitis (polio), the World Health Organization having "moved on" to other diseases. In June 1999, Gates and his wife donated US$5 billion to their foundation. They have donated more than US$100 million to help children suffering from AIDS. On January 26, 2005, it was announced that the Foundation had made a further contribution of US$750 million to the international Vaccine Fund to help fight diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, poliomyelitis and yellow fever. As of 2005, the foundation has an endowment of approximately US$28 billion. To maintain its status as a charitable foundation, it must donate at least 5 percent of its assets each year. This amounts to over $1 billion.

Related Topics:
Scholarship - AIDS - Disease - Third World - Poliomyelitis - World Health Organization - 1999 - US$ - Billion - January 26 - 2005 - Vaccine Fund - Diphtheria - Whooping cough - Measles - Yellow fever - Endowment

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