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
• Strive Masiyiwa, Board Member
• Minouche Shafik, Board Member
• Tom Tierney, Board Member

Executive Leadership

• Mark Suzman, Chief Executive Officer
• Carolyn Ainslie, Chief Financial Officer
• Susan Byrnes, Chief Communications Officer
• Connie Collingsworth, Chief Operating 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
• Rodger Voorhies, President, Global Growth & Opportunity
• Ankur Vora, Chief Strategy Officer
• Sonia Vora, Interim 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: 1,763
Total grant payments since inception (through Q4 2020): $60.1 billion ⁽²⁾
Total 2020 Direct Grantee Support: $5.8 billion ⁽³⁾
Total 2019 Direct Grantee Support: $5.1 billion ⁽³⁾
Foundation Trust Endowment: $49.9 billion ⁽⁴⁾

⁽¹⁾ As of December 31, 2020. 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. 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
• July 1, 2019: $2.7 billion
• July 8, 2020: $2.2 billion

Geographic reach

In 2020 the foundation funded grantees in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Internationally, we funded work in 134 countries.