Private foundation · Seattle, WA (gives in Tennessee from out of state)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Takes applications. See how to apply below.
Key facts
- Grants in Tennessee
- 18 totaling $8.2 million · 2 in Shelby County
- Typical grant
- $125,000 to $606,651 (the middle half of its Tennessee grants)
- A realistic first ask
- About $417,750, its middle Tennessee grant. First-time winners usually get less than repeat ones.
- Where it gives
- Davidson County, Shelby County, Hamilton County, Knox County · plus 4956 grants outside Tennessee
- Buildings & equipment
- None of its Tennessee grants in this filing were for buildings or equipment
- Funds new groups?
- 50% of the Tennessee groups it funded in 2024 were new (not funded in 2023): 5 of 10.
- Total giving that year
- $6.3 billion
Giving by year
| Tax year | Total grants paid | To Tennessee | Tennessee grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6311.2M | $8.2M | 18 |
| 2023 | $6234M | $6.3M | 10 |
How to apply
- Contact
- Gates foundation · seattle · 2067093140
- What to send
- See www.gatesfoundation.org/about/how-we-work/grant-opportunities
- Limits
- The foundation does not make grants outside its funding priorities. See www.gatesfoundation.org/our-work.
As the foundation reported to the IRS for tax year 2024. Check its website or call before sending anything, because contacts and deadlines change.
Board and officers
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Checked in your browser only. The names are kept on this device for other foundation pages and are never sent to GrantMe.
- William H Gates IIITrustee
- Melinda French Gates End 1012024Trustee
- Mark SuzmanChief executive officer, board member
- Ashish DhawanBoard member
- Helene D GayleBoard member
- Strive MasiyiwaBoard member
- Minouche ShafikBoard member
- Tom TierneyBoard member
- Christopher EliasPresident, global development
- Gargee GhoshPresident, global policy & advocacy
- Allan C GolstonPresident, us program
- Trevor MundelPresident, global health
- Rodger VoorhiesPresident, global growth & opportunity
- Anita ZaidiPresident, gender equality
- Carolyn AinslieChief financial officer
- Lauren W BrightChief legal officer & secretary
- Susan ByrnesChief communications officer
- Leslie Mays End 5162024Chief diversity,equity,& incl. officer
- Shana TarbellChief operating officer
- Ankur VoraChief strategy officer
- Sonia VoraChief human resources officer
- June Yoshinari Start 5162024Chief people officer
- Joe CorneliusLlc officer
- Keith MatthewsLlc officer
- Nick AustinLlc director
As listed in its 2024 IRS filing. Many foundations decide through their board, so a personal connection often matters more than a perfect application.
What it funds most often
- K-12 education
- Public awareness and analysis
- Pneumonia & pandemic preparedness
- K-12 education; postsecondary education; public awareness and analysis
- Postsecondary education
- Maternal, newborn, child nutrition and health
Tennessee organizations it funded
Shelby County grants are listed first, then the largest. Past winners are good people to ask what the foundation looks for. Select a group to see who else funds it.
| Past winner | Where | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc. | Memphis, Shelby County | Pneumonia & pandemic preparedness | $336K |
| Memphis Education Fund Inc. | Memphis, Shelby County | Public awareness and analysis | $64K |
| Accelerate - the National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning | Nashiville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $1.2M |
| Instruction Partners | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $1M |
| Metropolitan Board of Education | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $992K |
| Tennessee State Collaborative On Reforming Education | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education; postsecondary education; public awareness and analysis | $825K |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $607K |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $600K |
| Instruction Partners | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $597K |
| Tennessee State Collaborative On Reforming Education | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $550K |
| Accelerate - the National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning | Nashiville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $500K |
| Instruction Partners | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $268K |
| National Rural Education Association | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | Public awareness and analysis | $200K |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Maternal, newborn, child nutrition and health | $200K |
| Sycamore Institute Inc. the | Nashville, Davidson County | Public awareness and analysis | $125K |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $50K |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Public awareness and analysis | $50K |
| Tennessee State Collaborative On Reforming Education | Nashville, Davidson County | Postsecondary education | $30K |
Grants approved for future years
In its tax-year 2024 IRS Form 990-PF the foundation listed grants it had approved but not yet paid: 22 to Tennessee groups totaling $20.6 million. These are multi-year commitments, so they show what it has promised to keep funding. Some may have been paid since.
| Recipient | Where | Purpose | Amount | Tax year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Medical College Vellore Association | Vellore, TN | Maternal, newborn, child nutrition and health | $4.5M | 2024 |
| Metropolitan Board of Education | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $3.5M | 2024 |
| Accelerate - the National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning | Nashiville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $2M | 2024 |
| Sekkei Bio Private Limited | Chennai, TN | Discovery and translational sciences; malaria | $1.5M | 2024 |
| Christian Medical College Vellore Association | Vellore, TN | Enterics, diagnostics, genomics & epidemiology | $1.1M | 2024 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chennai, TN | Global health and development public awareness and analysis; research and... | $1M | 2024 |
| Instruction Partners | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $1M | 2024 |
| Christian Medical College Vellore Association | Vellore, TN | Enterics, diagnostics, genomics & epidemiology | $954K | 2024 |
| Tennessee State Collaborative On Reforming Education | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education; postsecondary education; public awareness and analysis | $825K | 2024 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chennai, TN | Global health and development public awareness and analysis; research and... | $742K | 2024 |
| Ms Swaminathan Research Foundation | Chennai, TN | Global health and development public awareness and analysis | $669K | 2024 |
| Institute for Financial Management and Research | Chennai, TN | Empower women and girls | $599K | 2024 |
| Christian Medical College Vellore Association | Vellore, TN | Global health and development public awareness and analysis | $500K | 2024 |
| Tennessee State Collaborative On Reforming Education | Nashville, Davidson County | K-12 education | $450K | 2024 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc. | Memphis, Shelby County | Pneumonia & pandemic preparedness | $365K | 2024 |
| Madhi Foundation | Chennai, TN | Global education | $307K | 2024 |
| Tamil Nadu Agricultural University | Coimbatore, TN | Agricultural development | $277K | 2024 |
| Sycamore Institute Inc. the | Nashville, Davidson County | Public awareness and analysis | $125K | 2024 |
| Christian Medical College Vellore Association | Vellore, TN | Empower women and girls | $75K | 2024 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Maternal, newborn, child nutrition and health | $60K | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Public awareness and analysis | $50K | 2024 |
| Sekkei Bio Private Limited | Chennai, TN | Global health and development public awareness and analysis | $38K | 2024 |
Data: GivingTuesday Data Commons, ODbL
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