Gates Foundation
The Gates Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. It supports organizations, research institutions, and global alliances working to reduce disease and poverty, prevent infectious diseases, expand economic opportunity, and improve the health of mothers and babies. Its work spans more than 50 program strategies and more than 140 countries, with thousands of partners.
Gates Foundation at a glance
In short: Gates Foundation gave $6.3B across 4,974 grants in 2024 (avg $1.3M), top state Massachusetts. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,311,161,824
- +1.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 4,974
- +9.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,268,830
- -7.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $500,000
- Total assets
- $78,673,465,696
- +2.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (566 of 2,251, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (9% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Gates Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation generally does not accept unsolicited requests; it typically contacts organizations identified by its staff and invites proposals, while some opportunities are offered through published RFPs. Applicants should consult the foundation’s grant-opportunity information. Requests must align with its funding priorities.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Gates Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 23350, Seattle, WA 98102
Phone: (206) 709-3140
Website: https://gatesfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Gates Foundation
Accelerating Innovation in Vaginal Formulations in Support of Women's Health Grant
Gates Foundation
Amount
Up to US $250,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grand Challenges: Accelerating Innovations to Address Heavy Menstrual Bleeding in Women in Low-Resource Settings
Gates Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grand Challenges: Enhancing HIV and TB Diagnosis: Adjunct Technologies for Sample Collection and Processing
Gates Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Gates Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Gavi Alliance ($353.0M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.0B.
Grant Size Distribution
21,620 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 5,682 grants of 21,620 (26%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes work in the United States and low-income countries, and its filing says it operates in more than 140 countries. Its U.S. program focuses mainly on education and economic mobility, with particular attention to Washington State. In the 2024 filing, the largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Massachusetts (9%), New York (9%), Washington (6%), and the District of Columbia (8%); 48% was listed with an unspecified recipient-state marker.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 4,974 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gates Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 566 of 2,251 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1.3M; repeat grants $3.3M. How we count
Medians: $500K first-time, $871K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5.4B (2020) to $6.3B (2024). In 2024 it made 4,974 grants totaling $6.3B.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gavi Alliance | Vaccine Delivery | $350,500,000 |
| The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria | Global Health and Development Public Awareness and Analysis | $283,358,799 |
| Gates Medical Research Institute Cambridge, MA | Enterics, diagnostics, genomics & epidemiology; malaria; maternal, newborn, child nutrition and health; pneumonia & pandemic preparedness; research and learning opportunities; tuberculosis; vaccine development | $276,581,817 |
| The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Evanston, IL | POLIO | $120,500,000 |
| World Health Organization | POLIO | $64,987,518 |
| World Health Organization | POLIO | $52,000,000 |
| Path Seattle, WA | Discovery and translational sciences; enterics, diagnostics, genomics & epidemiology; malaria; pneumonia & pandemic preparedness; polio; research and learning opportunities; vaccine delivery; vaccine development | $41,020,752 |
| International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Washington, DC | Enterics, diagnostics, genomics & epidemiology; family planning; global health and development public awareness and analysis; maternal, neonatal and child health; maternal, newborn, child nutrition and health; nutrition; pneumonia & pandemic preparedness; research and learning opportunities | $37,900,000 |
| United States Fund for UNICEF New York, NY | POLIO | $35,000,000 |
| University of Washington Foundation Seattle, WA | Delivery of solutions to improve global health; enterics, diagnostics, genomics & epidemiology; global health and development public awareness and analysis; neglected tropical diseases; public awareness and knowledge sharing; research and learning opportunities; vaccine delivery | $34,964,595 |
Ready to take the next step with Gates Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $78,673,465,696 | $8,084,056,958 | $7,696,309,308 | $6,311,161,824 | 4,974 | $8,277,152,302 | $8,391,588 | $146,964,033 |
| 2023 | $76,951,451,400 | $7,810,137,842 | $8,837,147,189 | $6,234,014,535 | 4,539 | $7,939,383,477 | $3,210,658 | $159,411,117 |
| 2022 | $68,907,954,709 | $6,988,022,771 | $7,268,313,012 | $5,749,658,666 | 3,994 | $7,230,173,952 | $134,697,874 | $232,202,204 |
| 2021 | $54,953,064,583 | $6,739,008,078 | $5,404,355,222 | $5,512,746,580 | 4,113 | $6,861,455,258 | $497,384,755 | $142,435,367 |
| 2020 | $51,780,459,259 | $6,827,303,678 | $5,016,321,070 | $5,368,705,958 | 4,000 | — | $62,721,436 | $103,475,968 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gates Foundation reported a distributable amount of $147.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. Its website identifies grantmaking areas that include Gender Equality, Global Development, Global Growth & Opportunity, Global Health, Global Policy & Advocacy, and the United States Program. It focuses on health, extreme poverty, and gender equality in lower-income countries, and mainly supports education in the United States.
The foundation makes grants to organizations and research institutions, and also makes strategic investments involving private companies. Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of partners: Gates Medical Research Institute says its medical research addresses major causes of illness and death in low- and lower-middle-income countries; PATH says it works to make good health more accessible in more than 70 countries; and the University of Washington Foundation says it facilitates private contributions for the University of Washington.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 4,974 grants totaling $6.31 billion. Grant amounts ranged from $1 to $350.5 million, with a median of $500,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $350.5 million to Gavi Alliance for vaccine delivery; $283.4 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for global health and development public awareness and analysis; and $276.6 million to Gates Medical Research Institute for work spanning disease research, vaccines, maternal and child health, and other areas. Other large awards included $120.5 million to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for polio and $41.0 million to PATH for work across areas including malaria, polio, vaccine delivery, and research.
The foundation says most of its grantmaking is proactive: it identifies organizations and directly invites them to submit proposals. It also sometimes awards grants through published requests for proposals, including Grand Challenges initiatives. Its website says it generally does not accept unsolicited proposals. It does not fund requests outside its funding priorities, and generally does not make grants directly to individuals, with limited exceptions for certain application-based programs. The typical application materials include an investment document with a proposal narrative, a budget, and sometimes a results framework and tracker. The filing lists no deadlines.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William H. Gates III as trustee and Mark Suzman as chief executive officer and board member. Board members listed include Ashish Dhawan, Helene D. Gayle, Strive Masiyiwa, Minouche Shafik, and Tom Tierney. Christopher Elias is listed as president of Global Development, and Gargee Ghosh as president of Global Policy & Advocacy.
Gates Foundation is led by Mark Suzman, Chief Executive Officer & Board Member since 2022 (on filings since 2021); 16 of 23 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mark Suzman
Chief Executive Officer & Board Member
Chief Executive Officer → Chief Executive Officer & Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$1.4M (2021) → $1.8M (2024)
Allan C. Golston
President & Us Program
President & U.s. Program → President & Us Program, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$801K (2020) → $967K (2024)
Christopher Elias
President & Global Development
President & Global Developement → President & Global Development, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$928K (2020) → $1.1M (2024)
Rodger Voorhies
President, Global Growth & Opportunity
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$877K (2020) → $1M (2024)
Trevor Mundel
President & Global Health
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$1.1M (2020) → $1.3M (2024)
Anita Zaidi
President & Gender Equality
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$622K (2021) → $921K (2024)
Gargee Ghosh
President, Global Policy & Advocacy
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$647K (2021) → $934K (2024)
Nick Austin
Llc Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$426K (2020) → $0 (2024)
William H. Gates III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Ainslie
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$724K (2020) → $947K (2024)
Joe Cornelius
Llc Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$387K (2020) → $559K (2024)
Keith Matthews
Llc Officer
Llc Director → Llc Officer, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$432K (2020) → $499K (2024)
Ankur Vora
Chief Strategy Officer
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$523K (2021) → $727K (2024)
Susan Byrnes
Chief Communications Officer
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$480K (2021) → $612K (2024)
Sonia Vora
Chief Human Resources Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$585K (2023) → $612K (2024)
June Yoshinari Start
Chief People Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$468K (2024)
Lauren W. Bright
Chief Legal Officer & Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$670K (2024)
Shana Tarbell
Chief Operating Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$622K (2024)
Ashish Dhawan
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Helene D. Gayle
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Minouche Shafik
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Strive Masiyiwa
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Tierney
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Melinda French Gates (2020–2024) — Trustee · Filing note: Ended 1012024
- Former: Leslie Mays (2022–2024) — Chief Diversity, Equity & Incl. Officer · Filing note: Ended 5162024
- Former: Connie Collingsworth (2020–2023) — Chief Operating Officer & Secretary · Filing note: Ended 392023
- Former: Lauren W. Bright Start (2023) — Chief Legal Officer & Secretary
- Former: Shana Tarbell Start (2023) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Lisa Alvarez-Calderon (2021–2022) — Chief Human Resources Officer · Filing note: Ended 312022
- Former: Ashish Dhawan Start (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Helene D. Gayle Start (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Minouche Shafik Start (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Sonia Vora Start (2022) — Interim Chief Human Resources Officer
- Former: Strive Masiyiwa Start (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Tom Tierney Start (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Warren E. Buffett (2020–2021) — Trustee · Filing note: Ended 6/23/2021
- Former: Leslie Mays Start (2021) — Chief Diversity, Equity & Incl. Officer
- Former: Anita Zaidi Start (2020) — President & Gender Equality
- Former: Ankur Vora Start (2020) — Chief Strategy Officer
- Former: Gargee Ghosh Start (2020) — President, Global Policy & Advocacy
- Former: Lisa Alvarez-Calderon Start (2020) — Chief Human Resource Officer
- Former: Mark Suzman Start (2020) — Chief Executive Officer
- Former: Susan Byrnes Start (2020) — Chief Communication Officer
- Former: Susan Desmond-Hellmann (2020) — Chief Executive Officer · Filing note: Ended 13120
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $1.8M, to Mark Suzman (Chief Executive Officer, Board Member). 17 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Gates Foundation
How much does Gates Foundation give each year?
Gates Foundation gave $6.3B across 4,974 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.2B across 4,539 grants.
What is Gates Foundation's typical grant size?
Gates Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $500,000, and its average grant was $1,268,830, across 4,974 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gates Foundation that year got $1.3M on average.
Where does Gates Foundation give grants?
Gates Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 9% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (9%) and District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (453 grants), New York, NY (339 grants), Seattle, WA (277 grants) and Boston, MA (190 grants).
Does Gates Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 0% of Gates Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 4,974) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Global Health and Development Public Awareness and Analysis" (398 grants), "Agricultural Development" (333 grants) and "K-12 Education" (311 grants).
Who are Gates Foundation's largest grantees?
Gates Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Gavi Alliance ($353,041,419 across 2 grants), World Health Organization ($320,254,439 across 100 grants) and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria ($307,602,700 across 17 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Gates Foundation?
Gates Foundation reported $78.7B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.3B in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $147.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gates Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gates Foundation?
The foundation generally does not accept unsolicited requests; it typically contacts organizations identified by its staff and invites proposals, while some opportunities are offered through published RFPs. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gates Foundation's EIN?
Gates Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2618866. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Gates Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Gates Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gates Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gates-foundation-morg_cb0af79c63be4e8b8770b2095647e696
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_562618866_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gates Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gates-foundation-morg_cb0af79c63be4e8b8770b2095647e696},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Gates Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Gates Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?