Q. Does the foundation accept donations?

A. From time to time, people generously offer to contribute money to the foundation. We prefer that people give directly to our grantee organizations rather than to the foundation if they want to help advance the causes we’re passionate about. We have the stable funds we need to help us fulfill our mission, but our grantees often do not. (If you want to learn more about our grantees, we encourage you to review our database of grantees, and read grantee profiles and case studies.)

To be responsive to those who still wish to give to the foundation, we have adopted these guidelines for accepting donations from individuals. To be clear, the foundation does not and will not solicit donations. Our goal is not fundraising. Our goal is simply to honor the intentions of generous people. 

Q. Is my organization eligible to receive funding through the foundation?

A. Please refer to our For Grant Seekers page for more information.

Q. I am an individual seeking financial assistance. Am I eligible for a grant?

A. In keeping with our charter, we do not provide funding to individuals. Learn about other organizations that might be able to provide assistance.

Q: Do Bill, Melinda, and Warren get tax breaks for their donations to the foundation?

A. Many individuals enjoy tax benefits as a result of making charitable contributions. The amount of tax savings received depends on both the size of the charitable contributions and the person's annual income.

Bill, Melinda, and Warren have been exceptionally generous in making contributions to the foundation, donating sums much larger than their annual incomes.  As a result, the tax savings they receive from these contributions represent a very small percentage of the contributions.

From 1994 to 2006, Bill and Melinda gave the foundation more than $26 billion. Those donations resulted in a tax savings of less than 8.3 percent of the contributions they made over that time.  

In 2006, Warren made the first payment on his historic gift to the foundation and claimed no tax benefit from this contribution.

Q. Do Bill and Melinda do all their giving through the foundation?

A. No. Bill and Melinda also do separate personal giving. They do this giving separately to help ensure the foundation maintains focus on reducing inequities around the world through grants administered by the Global Health, Global Development, and U.S. Program teams.

Q. I received an email notification that I won a prize or lottery from Bill Gates or the foundation. Is this true?

A. No. More information about scam emails is available here.

Q. How do I find more information about working for the foundation?

A. To learn more about employment opportunities with the foundation and how to apply, visit our Jobs page.

Q. What volunteer opportunities are associated with the foundation?

A. Many interested volunteers contact us with offers to help. However, the foundation is a funding organization; it is the organizations to whom we give grants (and many others like them) that have the greatest need for volunteers. To get started, visit our Volunteering page.

Q. Is Warren Buffett going to manage the foundation’s endowment?

A. No. For the past 10 years, the foundation’s endowment has been managed by investment manager Michael Larson. Moving forward, Michael and his team will continue to manage the endowment. For  frequently asked questions about Warren's gift, see this FAQ.

Q. How do investment decisions get made?

A. Bill and Melinda set high-level direction; Michael and his team choose specific investments. Bill and Melinda have directed Michael and his team to diversify the endowment across a broad range of investment vehicles, which means the endowment will, over time, include holdings in all major sectors of the global economy.

Q. Why did you make that investment in XX company?

A. Throughout the year, we often receive questions about why a specific investment was made. Because we want to maintain a focus on the programmatic work, we do not comment on individual investment holdings. We do publish a listing of our investments once a year with the filing of our tax return.

Q. You recently said you are assessing investments that might have business ties in Sudan. Can you provide an update?

A. Yes. As part of the regular review of the foundation trust investments, Bill and Melinda asked the investment team to assess the portfolio in the context of concerns raised about Sudan. After reviewing the situation, Bill and Melinda directed the investment team to be consistent with the approach taken on this issue by the endowment managers for Harvard, Yale, and Stanford universities. The foundation trust no longer has any holdings in the companies identified by these institutions in their investment policy statements on Sudan.

Q: What will Bill's role be at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as he transitions from Microsoft? How much time will he spend on foundation work?

A: As Bill begins to dedicate more of his time to the foundation, he will deepen his current responsibilities rather than add significant new ones. He and Melinda will continue to champion strategies that reduce inequities in the United States and around the world. Bill will also raise global awareness of the foundation's issues and build partnerships worldwide. Because we cannot accomplish our goals alone, these partnerships will help deepen and accelerate the work of the foundation.

Together with Melinda and Bill Gates Sr., Bill will work directly with the CEO and leadership team to ensure that the work of the foundation helps foster lasting change in the areas of global health, global development, and education in the United States.

Bill will also remain closely tied to Microsoft in a part-time role as its chairman and technical advisor.

Q: When will Jeff Raikes start at the foundation as the new CEO?

A: Jeff will begin his service at the foundation on Sept. 2, 2008.

Q: Who was involved in the CEO selection process, and what skills were they looking for during the search?

A: Bill and Melinda made the final decision after seeking input from the organization's leadership team. They worked with the executive search firm Russell Reynolds and relied on counsel from their management team, including current CEO Patty Stonesifer. 

Bill and Melinda were looking for someone who had managed a large organization, fostered a great culture, had passion for the issues, and shared their values. Bill and Melinda value Jeff's strong track record of innovation and leadership at Microsoft. They are confident Jeff is the right CEO for the foundation. 

Q: Patty Stonesifer has said she will remain at the foundation "full-time" to do more hands-on work. What is her role going to be?

A: For the next few months, Patty's focus will be on the foundation's current work and transitioning to Jeff as the next CEO.  On September 2, she plans to begin her new project, which she is still in the process of developing.