Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is building upon the unprecedented opportunities of the 21st century to improve equity in global health and learning. The foundation was created in January 2000, through the merger of the Gates Learning Foundation, which worked to expand access to technology through public libraries, and the William H. Gates Foundation, which focused on improving global health. Led by Bill Gates father, William H. Gates Sr., and Patty Stonesifer, the Seattle-based foundation has an endowment of approximately $28.8 billion.