Philanthropy Central

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the world’s largest private grant-making foundation and a leading actor among the world’s private philanthropic organisations. Over nearly two decades, it has become a major contributor to global health and a central actor in shaping international health policy. The Foundation has two principal activities: the awarding of grants and advocacy.
For the former, it has three main programmes: the Global Development Program, focused on hunger and poverty alleviation; the Global Health Program; and the United States Programme, focused on secondary and post-secondary education. A major part of the Foundation’s work is committed to the eradication of malaria and the development of vaccines. This case study focuses on the Gates Foundation’s grant-making activities for global health.