Information for Grant Seekers
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we partner with people and organizations worldwide to tackle critical problems in three program areas. We set clear grant-making priorities based on each program's areas of focus.
The Global Development Program explores the best opportunities to help the world's poorest people lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. Please note: The Global Development Program does not accept unsolicited proposals.
The Global Health Program aims to harness advances in science and technology to save lives in developing countries.
The United States Program focuses on providing greater opportunity by improving U.S. high school and postsecondary education, access to information, and stable housing. Please note: The United States Program only accepts unsolicited proposals for Pacific Northwest Community Grants. We do not accept unsolicited proposals for our work in education and libraries.
Values
Optimism
We are impatient optimists by nature: we see the glass as 'half full' and are motivated to confront problems that others consider impossible to solve. We believe that we have a unique role to play as catalysts for change and that the most intractable challenges are exactly those we are best equipped to tackle. Tenacious in the face of adversity and focusing on the future, we persevere with an understanding that our success will be measured over years and decades - not days and months.
Collaboration
We recognize that our resources and abilities are only a small part of what is needed to achieve our goals, so we hold strong the belief that our ability to achieve impact is greater when we work with others. We are self-aware, working to listen and learn with humility while mindful that we do not have all the answers. We treat others with respect and strive to conduct our work in the spirit of transparency and openness. Whether seeking to build or to challenge consensus, we value our partners, understanding that collaborative solutions best lead to sustainable change.
Rigor
We pursue our mission with focus, discipline and rigor in order to maximize our impact. The challenges we seek to overcome demand thoughtful analysis, intellectual dialogue and commitment to data integrity, although not to the point of paralysis. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and expect that others do the same, as the stakes are too high to pursue anything but excellence. Our conversations are open, honest and sometimes tough for all concerned. We take responsibility for our actions and seek to rectify our mistakes, acknowledging our accountability to the communities where we work.
Innovation
We believe that many of the most intractable problems can only be solved through creative and innovative solutions. In pursuit of these, we embrace risk and learn from failure, helping others to avoid the same pitfalls in future. We strive to remain focused, strategic and calculated in our risk-taking, as we challenge convention, question assumptions and confront stereotypes.
