Grantmaking Process

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation uses a set process of developing goals and strategies before allocating resources or making grant investments. From there, our grantmaking approach varies by team and is based on the strategies we develop to advance our programmatic goals. Read more about how we make grants at the Gates Foundation.

In our home state of Washington, our grants primarily focus on improving education from pre-K through college, addressing family homelessness, and building strong communities.

Over the past several years, we have sought input from leaders from communities of color, as well as teachers, parents, and researchers, to ensure our grantmaking strategy is tailored to serve Black, Latinx, immigrant and refugee students, and students from families experiencing poverty. Our goal is to keep the student at the center of our strategy, and understand the most promising interventions that put students on the path to reaching their full potential.

That process led to the development of our current Washington State strategy. We are now collaborating with grantee and partner organizations on proposals that align with our priorities, and we are make adjustments to account for the impact of COVID-19 on our schools and communities. Throughout this work, we are committed to sharing updates on our progress, reflecting on lessons learned, and making course corrections as needed. We know that ongoing dialogue with our grantees and partners is essential to our collective success.