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Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationHistoryLink.org Essay 2907 : Printer-Friendly Format
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was formally established in the
summer of 1999. The new organization consolidated previous activities
dating back to 1994, including family giving, the William H. Gates
Foundation, the Microsoft Corporation's "Libraries Online" initiative, the
Gates Library Foundation and later Gates Learning Foundation. With an
endowment estimated at more than $22 billion in early 2000, it ranked as
the largest philanthropic trust in the United States. Its contribution strategy
focuses on global health and population control programs, libraries and
access to information technology, education reform and minority
scholarships, and a wide range of Pacific Northwest institutions and
programs.
A Family Tradition
Although unprecedented in its scale, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
represents a continuation of a family tradition of community involvement
and giving established by Bill Gates' mother Mary Gates (1930-1994), a
former school teacher. Bill Gates' first significant contribution was a $12
million gift made in 1991 to help endow a molecular biology research lab at
the University of Washington.
In 1994, the family established the William H. Gates Foundation, guided
chiefly by the senior Gates, with a single staff person, Suzanne Cluett. His
daughter, Kristi Blake, served as accountant. After Mary Gates' death in
1994, Bill and Melinda Gates endowed a $10 million University of
Washington scholarship program in her name. She is also memorialized by
a new science building on the UW campus.
Medication, Information, Education
The elder Gates became a major supporter of the Seattle-based Program
for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), founded by Dr. Gordon
Perkin to promote health care strategies targeted to serve women and
children in poor nations. The report of the 1994 International Conference
on Population and Development, held in Cairo, Egypt, became an unofficial
blueprint for much of the Gates Foundation's subsequent activities in
supporting coordinated Third World efforts for population control,
immunization, and health care delivery.
The following year, the Microsoft Corporation launched its "Libraries
Online" initiative in partnership with the American Library Program. Over
the following 18 months, Microsoft donated software and $17 million to
some 200 U.S. libraries. The program was coordinated by Patty Stonesifer
(b. 1957).
In 1996, Bill and Melinda Gates also pledged $12 million toward
construction of a new law school building at the University of Washington.
Thus, by 1997, the Gates philanthropic philosophy had evolved three
primary themes -- Third World health care, library and information
technologies, and education -- which would be woven into coherent
organizational strategies over the next several years.
Moving Toward a Single Structure
On July 23, 1997, Bill and Melinda Gates announced creation of a new
Gates Library Foundation, endowed with a personal gift of $200 million.
Stonesifer left Microsoft to manage this expanded program.
The W.H. Gates Foundation was also active with major grants to the
United Nations, PATH, schools, and local recipients. Its 1998 Annual
Report listed gifts of $133 million for medical and population programs,
$122 million for education, $42 million to facilities and programs in the
Pacific Northwest, and $60 million to various "special projects" and annual
appeals such as the United Way. In December 1998, Bill and Melinda
Gates also made a special contribution of $20 million to support the Seattle
"Libraries for All" construction program approved the previous month.
In January 1999, the W.H. Gates Foundation's endowment more than
doubled to $4.2 billion thanks to another large gift from Bill and Melinda
Gates. At the same time, the Gates Library Foundation was reorganized as
the Gates Learning Foundation to reflect a broader interest in information
and education systems.
Giving It All Away?
A series of large and high profile gifts sparked speculation about the future
of the Gates' philanthropy, whose endowment then ranked sixth
worldwide. An article in The Times of London misquoted the elder Gates
as stating that Bill and Melinda planned to give away their entire fortune
(the newspaper filed a retraction), but the scale of their beneficence was
already historic.
After weeks of rumors, creation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
was formally confirmed on August 22, 1999. The total endowment of $17
billion was donated in the form of Microsoft stock, later converted into
other assets by Foundation staff to insulate the organization both from the
corporation and from the vagaries of the stock market.
The new foundation consolidated the existing W.H. Gates and Gates
Learning Foundations under the direction of the senior Gates and
Stonesifer. Major programmatic divisions were formed for global health,
education, and library and information systems, directed respectively by
Dr. Perkin and Dr. William Foege, Tom Vander Ark, and Richard
Akeroyd.
Over the course of 1999, the new Foundation announced new multimillion-
dollar gifts to support minority scholarships, education reform, and
women's and children's vaccination and other health programs in the Third
World. On January 24, 2000, Bill and Melinda Gates sweetened the pot
with another $5 billion, making their foundation the "nation's largest
philanthropic trust" (B&MGF press release, January 24, 2000).
Sources:
William H. Gates Foundation 1998 Annual Report; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
press releases, 1999-2000; The Seattle Times, May 1, 1996; Ibid., June 23, 1997;
Ibid., December 2, 1998; Ibid., July 20, 1998; Ibid., August 1, 1998; Ibid., August 23,
1998; Ibid., September 9, 1999; Ibid., September 26, 1999; Ibid., October 29, 1999;
Ibid., November 22, 1999; Ibid., November 24, 1999; Ibid., December 20, 1999;
Chronicle of Philanthropy, February 25, 1999; The New York Times Magazine, April
16, 2000; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Website, (www.gatesfoundation.org).
By Walt Crowley, December 26, 2000
More information: < Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay > | Search |
Related Topics: Society | Education | Health | Organizations |
Major Support for HistoryLink.org Provided By: The State of Washington | Patsy
Bullitt Collins | Paul G. Allen Family Foundation | Museum Of History & Industry | 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax Revenue) | City of Seattle | City of Bellevue | City of Tacoma |
King County | The Peach Foundation | Microsoft Corporation, Other Public and Private
Sponsors and Visitors Like You
Search Encyclopedia
Go
Advanced Search
5391 HistoryLink.org essays now available
Home About Us Fun & Travel Study Aids Contact Us Sponsors Advanced Search
Shortcuts
Database Libraries
Research Shortcuts
Map Searches Alphabetical Search Timeline Date Search Topic Search Links
Features
History Bytes Book of the Fortnight History Bookshelf Past/Forward Calendar Klondike Gold Rush Database Duvall Newspaper Index Wellington Scrapbook
More History
Washington FAQs Washington Milestones Honor Rolls Columbia Basin Everett Olympia Seattle Spokane Tacoma Walla Walla Roads & Rails
Cyberpedias & Features
Cities & Towns
County Thumbnails
Biographies
Interactive Cybertours
Slide Shows
Timeline Essays
People's Histories
Cyberpedia Library
< Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay >
Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationHistoryLink.org Essay 2907 : Printer-Friendly Format
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was formally established in the
summer of 1999. The new organization consolidated previous activities
dating back to 1994, including family giving, the William H. Gates
Foundation, the Microsoft Corporation's "Libraries Online" initiative, the
Gates Library Foundation and later Gates Learning Foundation. With an
endowment estimated at more than $22 billion in early 2000, it ranked as
the largest philanthropic trust in the United States. Its contribution strategy
focuses on global health and population control programs, libraries and
access to information technology, education reform and minority
scholarships, and a wide range of Pacific Northwest institutions and
programs.
A Family Tradition
Although unprecedented in its scale, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
represents a continuation of a family tradition of community involvement
and giving established by Bill Gates' mother Mary Gates (1930-1994), a
former school teacher. Bill Gates' first significant contribution was a $12
million gift made in 1991 to help endow a molecular biology research lab at
the University of Washington.
In 1994, the family established the William H. Gates Foundation, guided
chiefly by the senior Gates, with a single staff person, Suzanne Cluett. His
daughter, Kristi Blake, served as accountant. After Mary Gates' death in
1994, Bill and Melinda Gates endowed a $10 million University of
Washington scholarship program in her name. She is also memorialized by
a new science building on the UW campus.
Medication, Information, Education
The elder Gates became a major supporter of the Seattle-based Program
for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), founded by Dr. Gordon
Perkin to promote health care strategies targeted to serve women and
children in poor nations. The report of the 1994 International Conference
on Population and Development, held in Cairo, Egypt, became an unofficial
blueprint for much of the Gates Foundation's subsequent activities in
supporting coordinated Third World efforts for population control,
immunization, and health care delivery.
The following year, the Microsoft Corporation launched its "Libraries
Online" initiative in partnership with the American Library Program. Over
the following 18 months, Microsoft donated software and $17 million to
some 200 U.S. libraries. The program was coordinated by Patty Stonesifer
(b. 1957).
In 1996, Bill and Melinda Gates also pledged $12 million toward
construction of a new law school building at the University of Washington.
Thus, by 1997, the Gates philanthropic philosophy had evolved three
primary themes -- Third World health care, library and information
technologies, and education -- which would be woven into coherent
organizational strategies over the next several years.
Moving Toward a Single Structure
On July 23, 1997, Bill and Melinda Gates announced creation of a new
Gates Library Foundation, endowed with a personal gift of $200 million.
Stonesifer left Microsoft to manage this expanded program.
The W.H. Gates Foundation was also active with major grants to the
United Nations, PATH, schools, and local recipients. Its 1998 Annual
Report listed gifts of $133 million for medical and population programs,
$122 million for education, $42 million to facilities and programs in the
Pacific Northwest, and $60 million to various "special projects" and annual
appeals such as the United Way. In December 1998, Bill and Melinda
Gates also made a special contribution of $20 million to support the Seattle
"Libraries for All" construction program approved the previous month.
In January 1999, the W.H. Gates Foundation's endowment more than
doubled to $4.2 billion thanks to another large gift from Bill and Melinda
Gates. At the same time, the Gates Library Foundation was reorganized as
the Gates Learning Foundation to reflect a broader interest in information
and education systems.
Giving It All Away?
A series of large and high profile gifts sparked speculation about the future
of the Gates' philanthropy, whose endowment then ranked sixth
worldwide. An article in The Times of London misquoted the elder Gates
as stating that Bill and Melinda planned to give away their entire fortune
(the newspaper filed a retraction), but the scale of their beneficence was
already historic.
After weeks of rumors, creation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
was formally confirmed on August 22, 1999. The total endowment of $17
billion was donated in the form of Microsoft stock, later converted into
other assets by Foundation staff to insulate the organization both from the
corporation and from the vagaries of the stock market.
The new foundation consolidated the existing W.H. Gates and Gates
Learning Foundations under the direction of the senior Gates and
Stonesifer. Major programmatic divisions were formed for global health,
education, and library and information systems, directed respectively by
Dr. Perkin and Dr. William Foege, Tom Vander Ark, and Richard
Akeroyd.
Over the course of 1999, the new Foundation announced new multimillion-
dollar gifts to support minority scholarships, education reform, and
women's and children's vaccination and other health programs in the Third
World. On January 24, 2000, Bill and Melinda Gates sweetened the pot
with another $5 billion, making their foundation the "nation's largest
philanthropic trust" (B&MGF press release, January 24, 2000).
Sources:
William H. Gates Foundation 1998 Annual Report; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
press releases, 1999-2000; The Seattle Times, May 1, 1996; Ibid., June 23, 1997;
Ibid., December 2, 1998; Ibid., July 20, 1998; Ibid., August 1, 1998; Ibid., August 23,
1998; Ibid., September 9, 1999; Ibid., September 26, 1999; Ibid., October 29, 1999;
Ibid., November 22, 1999; Ibid., November 24, 1999; Ibid., December 20, 1999;
Chronicle of Philanthropy, February 25, 1999; The New York Times Magazine, April
16, 2000; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Website, (www.gatesfoundation.org).
By Walt Crowley, December 26, 2000
More information: < Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay > | Search |
Related Topics: Society | Education | Health | Organizations |
Major Support for HistoryLink.org Provided By: The State of Washington | Patsy
Bullitt Collins | Paul G. Allen Family Foundation | Museum Of History & Industry | 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax Revenue) | City of Seattle | City of Bellevue | City of Tacoma |
King County | The Peach Foundation | Microsoft Corporation, Other Public and Private
Sponsors and Visitors Like You
