Bill Gates has given away almost US$400 MILLION to media organisations since 1999
Ever wonder why the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s opinions are becoming so ubiquitous all around the world?
Their grants data is available publicly on their website.
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants
You can download the data in a .csv format, which demonstrates commendable openness for such a large organisation; although on the other hand I wonder if to retain their charitable status they are required to do this under US law?
I did a search for “media” and this is what came up; it may not be a perfectly comprehensive list; one or two “intermediaries” or “immediates” may have gotten through the net, although I did my best to exclude any irrelevant grants. I’ve put in the descriptions for the first twenty or so, just so we can see what sorts of things the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are funding.
The mintpress news article covered this story in 2021; at that time it was $319 million.
According to my estimate it’s now getting closer to $400 million.
It is very surprising indeed to see how much has been given to the BBC.
TOTAL approx. $387,187,192.00
BBC Media Action $27,637,483.00
to shape demand and social norms and improve family health practices in Bihar, through an integrated and sustainable communication strategy, empowering those who currently lack the information to make informed decisions about their health
World Lung Foundation $25,844,974.00
to support World Lung Foundation’s tobacco prevention media campaigns
United Negro College Fund, Inc. $17,932,562.00
to build organizational capacity for intermediary organizations so they can better support institutions of higher education in the improvement of outcomes for Black, Latino, Indigenous students, and students from low-income backgrounds
Good Business $14,923,047.00
to fund a preventative tobacco control multimedia program aimed at young people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Cascade Public Media $9,985,021.00
to support a public television's conversion to digital broadcasting
Well Told Story Limited $7,870,569.00
to support a trans-media campaign in Kenya and Tanzania promoting public health and agribusiness
New Venture Fund $6,500,000.00
to foster change in communications and media through strategic philanthropy and innovative projects
BBC Media Action $6,392,782.00
to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission in high prevalence districts of four Indian states by using mass media to promote condom use
International Center for Journalists, Inc. $6,207,491.00
to boost African news media organizations to deliver high-quality health and development news that engages their audiences and leads to healthier behavior and better policies
Guardian News & Media Ltd $5,686,494.00
to support an online micro-site focused on providing compelling, evidence-based content, discussion and debate on the Millennium Development Goals and related health and development themes
MTV Staying Alive Foundation (MTV-SAF) $4,989,573.00
to expand the MTV Shuga media campaign in Nigeria over the next 3 years, and shift the focus from HIV to include increased messaging on family planning and contraceptive use
Shujaaz Inc $4,799,889.00
to build evidence around replicability and scalability of multimedia and digital social behavior change (SBC) programs for young people in new contexts
InterAction $4,532,599.00
to modernize U.S. foreign assistance by strengthening media and advocacy efforts of the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental agencies working on health and development
Reseau Africain de l’Education pour la santé $4,499,925.00
to leverage best practices from mass media, social networks, and digital social and behavior change to contribute to the body of evidence around promising demand-side interventions for family planning and reproductive health services
International Center for Journalists, Inc. $4,283,231.00
to support the establishment of an editorial fund in Africa to advance compelling and evidence-based coverage of health and development issues, and data journalism training for African media
BBC Media Action $4,179,158.00
to implement an effective, integrated, and sustainable multi-channel communication strategy to increase early care-seeking for childhood pneumonia and diarrhea in two Northern Nigerian states
Stichting GCAP Global Foundation $4,100,000.00
to strengthen the media, policy advocacy and public education efforts of African national Millennium Development Goal civil society campaigns and support an advocacy program around G8 summits and commitments
University of Southern California $3,749,989.00
to improve measurement and evaluation of the impacts of public interest media
Nation Media Group $3,668,302.00
To support data driven coverage of gender equality, climate change, and public health issues in Kenya
Catalyst Education, Inc. $3,642,976.00
Reseau Africain de l’Education pour la santé $3,561,683.00
NewSchools Venture Fund $3,500,000.00
Guardian News & Media Ltd $3,499,032.00
New Media Centers $3,199,035.00
BBC Media Action $3,198,524.00
New Venture Fund $3,002,573.00
Southern Africa Trust $3,000,000.00
World Health Organization $3,000,000.00
Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. $2,998,240.00
Centre for Advocacy and Research $2,959,163.00
New Venture Fund $2,900,000.00
Guardian News & Media Ltd $2,893,865.00
Nation Media Group $2,843,095.00
Bhekisisa Development Media NPC $2,694,740.00
Rockhopper Productions Limited $2,480,392.00
University of Oxford $2,321,231.00
Indian School of Business $2,250,740.00
Population Foundation of India $2,250,000.00
Centre for Advocacy and Research $2,200,630.00
Univision Communications Inc. $2,117,584.00
Lutheran World Relief $2,093,445.00
BBC Media Action $2,034,790.00
NBCUniversal Media, LLC $2,033,500.00
Sesame Workshop $2,030,307.00
Well Told Story Limited $1,999,764.00
Participant Media, LLC $1,997,998.00
Participant Media, LLC $1,916,209.00
Harmony Labs Inc $1,879,761.00
BBC Media Action $1,874,283.00
Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS $1,864,146.00
Oxfam France - Agir Ici $1,849,739.00
New Venture Fund $1,811,149.00
Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism $1,800,360.00
MDRC $1,770,419.00
Peking University $1,755,652.00
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health $1,745,675.00
National Newspaper Publishers Association, Inc. $1,699,176.00
The Conversation Media Group Limited $1,671,741.00
Population Action International $1,650,000.00
Public Radio International $1,615,000.00
Global Change Data Lab $1,574,001.00
KCETLink $1,547,311.00
International Women's Media Foundation $1,500,000.00
Touchline $1,500,000.00
Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism $1,500,000.00
Urban One, Inc. $1,499,998.00
YouthForce NOLA $1,499,873.00
The 74 Media, Inc. $1,499,349.00
Media Ecosystems Analysis Group, Inc. $1,490,000.00
Africa Check $1,478,700.00
Joan Ganz Cooney Center for Educational Media and Research Inc $1,466,983.00
BBC Media Action $1,449,689.00
BBC Media Action $1,396,647.00
Fundación Democracia y Desarrollo $1,396,095.00
Oxfam-America Inc $1,390,190.00
University of Pennsylvania $1,365,870.00
NBCUniversal Media, LLC $1,340,000.00
BBC Media Action $1,323,302.00
EngenderHealth, Inc. $1,315,259.00
Education Writers Association $1,300,962.00
InterMedia Survey Institute $1,297,545.00
Bhekisisa Development Media NPC $1,295,442.00
Population Foundation of India $1,240,540.00
Nation Media Group $1,230,099.00
Massachusetts Institute of Technology $1,099,999.00
University of Iowa $1,074,797.00
Scope Impact Ltd $1,073,634.00
Peking University $1,057,724.00
Education Writers Association $1,011,000.00
BBC Media Action $1,010,356.00
Cloud Tiger Media Inc. $1,000,025.00
AlJazeera Media Network $1,000,000.00
NBCUniversal Media, LLC $1,000,000.00
BRAC USA $1,000,000.00
Urban Alliance $999,990.00
MTV Staying Alive Foundation (MTV-SAF) $999,561.00
Entertainment Industry Foundation $988,208.00
The Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center $981,631.00
BBC Media Action $961,854.00
League For Innovation in the Community College $958,474.00
CityBridge Education $900,000.00
Lutheran World Relief $881,621.00
Centre for Advocacy and Research $873,000.00
BBC Media Action $868,395.00
International Center for Journalists, Inc. $863,274.00
The Thomson Media Foundation $860,628.00
Rhodes University $860,497.00
Communications Consortium Media Center $858,000.00
Broad Institute, Inc. $850,055.00
The 74 Media, Inc. $840,000.00
National Public Radio, Inc. $807,800.00
Crosscut Public Media $800,000.00
Solutions Journalism Network Inc $800,000.00
Project Concern International $800,000.00
Center for American Progress $800,000.00
Upswell $791,315.00
Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 $785,194.00
University of California, Berkeley $767,800.00
Catalyst Education, Inc. $762,080.00
Common Sense Media $750,635.00
MTV Staying Alive Foundation (MTV-SAF) $750,632.00
MomsRising Education Fund $750,000.00
University of Arizona $735,442.00
Education Writers Association $725,000.00
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development $700,983.00
The 74 Media, Inc. $699,995.00
Common Sense Media $690,023.00
Cloud Tiger Media Inc. $688,998.00
Internews Network $660,126.00
Cloud Tiger Media Inc. $650,000.00
Adey Tensae Media & Entertainment Plc. $650,000.00
Sunnah Global Media Ltd. $649,966.00
Global Health Media $641,626.00
Le Monde $633,929.00
Jobs for the Future Inc. $628,761.00
International Medical Corps $614,181.00
International Rescue Committee $614,180.00
Media Ecosystems Analysis Group, Inc. $600,000.00
Center for Education Reform $600,000.00
Education Writers Association $600,000.00
Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action $600,000.00
BBC Media Action $599,974.00
Center for Investigative Reporting, Inc. $592,727.00
Helianthus Media $575,064.00
Centre for Advocacy and Research $568,000.00
Sunnah Global Media Ltd. $565,366.00
Guardian News & Media LLC $550,000.00
Beijing Guokr Interactive Technology Media Co. Ltd $550,000.00
Education Writers Association $550,000.00
Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation $549,547.00
Oxfam France - Agir Ici $537,047.00
Promise54 $517,155.00
BBC Media Action $511,282.00
BBC Media Action $510,474.00
Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 $505,533.00
Brookings Institution $501,210.00
LightSail Inc. $500,125.00
Common Sense Media $500,087.00
Public Media Center $500,000.00
Common Sense Media $500,000.00
CARE $500,000.00
CARE $500,000.00
Mercy Corps $500,000.00
Mercy Corps $500,000.00
Mercy Corps $500,000.00
Oxfam-America Inc $500,000.00
American Red Cross $500,000.00
International Rescue Committee $500,000.00
University of Southern California $500,000.00
Women in Film $500,000.00
New England Foundation for the Arts $500,000.00
MomsRising Education Fund $500,000.00
The Global Fund for Women, Inc. $500,000.00
Endemol Shine Beyond Germany GmbH $484,181.00
Mediana LLC $480,000.00
Stanford University $473,352.00
Catholic Relief Services, Inc. $464,289.00
YR Media $450,000.00
Cascade Public Media $450,000.00
Tsinghua University $450,000.00
Africa Check C.I.C. $445,760.00
New Venture Fund $440,000.00
Equalize Health $425,257.00
YR Media $425,000.00
Ikana Media LLC $425,000.00
World Vision $424,910.00
BusinessDay Media Ltd $416,900.00
Girl Effect $404,919.00
CARE $400,000.00
Western States Center Inc. $399,314.00
University of Pennsylvania $399,277.00
BBC Media Action $394,601.00
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. $382,997.00
Western States Center Inc. $375,000.00
AARP Foundation $374,000.00
Johns Hopkins University $367,941.00
National Press Foundation $361,776.00
Wole Soyinka Centre For Investigative Journalism $360,211.00
Adey Tensae Media & Entertainment Plc. $354,600.00
BRAC USA $350,000.00
Institute for Nonprofit News $350,000.00
Nutopia Limited $350,000.00
University of Southern California $312,597.00
National Press Foundation $304,664.00
Center for Investigative Reporting, Inc. $300,612.00
CARE $300,000.00
EducationNC $300,000.00
World Vision $300,000.00
United Negro College Fund, Inc. $300,000.00
Center for Investigative Reporting, Inc. $300,000.00
The New Humanitarian $300,000.00
Media Impact Funders $293,250.00
RTI International $289,919.00
Education Writers Association $268,196.00
Common Sense Media $261,969.00
Center for Investigative Reporting, Inc. $253,300.00
Common Sense Media $250,187.00
YR Media $250,000.00
CARE $250,000.00
Lutheran World Relief $250,000.00
Independent Television Service, Inc. $250,000.00
Harvard University $250,000.00
Cascade Public Media $249,995.00
Center for Rural Strategies Inc. $249,944.00
Upswell $246,918.00
Pacific News Service $225,000.00
Washington News Council $225,000.00
Children Now $210,000.00
Phi Delta Kappa International, Inc. $200,000.00
Manta Ray Media Ltd. $197,720.00
Bay Area Video Coalition, Inc. $190,000.00
The Aspen Institute Inc $165,000.00
Montclair State University $160,538.00
St. Monica School $157,000.00
University of Witwatersrand $152,346.00
Caixin Media Company Limited $150,000.00
GSV Event Media, LLC $150,000.00
Cascade Public Media $150,000.00
Guardian News & Media Ltd $150,000.00
Beijing Guokr Interactive Technology Media Co. Ltd $150,000.00
Beijing Guokr Interactive Technology Media Co. Ltd $150,000.00
Media Ecosystems Analysis Group, Inc. $148,069.00
Pan-Atlantic University Foundation $130,718.00
United Negro College Fund, Inc. $125,000.00
Philanthropy Europe Association $124,823.00
Education Writers Association $110,000.00
Common Sense Media $100,098.00
Media Trust $100,000.00
Caixin Media Company Limited $100,000.00
Development Media International $100,000.00
Promise54 $100,000.00
WhereBy.Us Enterprises Inc. $100,000.00
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center $100,000.00
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine $100,000.00
International Potato Center $100,000.00
Bellwether Education Partners, Inc. $100,000.00
Rise Inc $100,000.00
University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. $100,000.00
Indonesian eHealth and Telemedicine Society $100,000.00
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine $100,000.00
Boston University $100,000.00
Youth Development Labs Inc. $100,000.00
GAIA Vaccine Foundation $100,000.00
Arrowhead Café and Marketplace $100,000.00
Innovators In Health (India) $100,000.00
Stichting European Journalism Centre $95,962.00
Media Impact Funders $93,150.00
Educate Texas $85,482.00
Johns Hopkins University $83,600.00
University of Central Lancashire $82,664.00
Allied Media Projects Inc. $80,000.00
Media Impact Funders $74,986.00
Indochinese Cultural and Service Center $69,349.00
The 74 Media, Inc. $50,000.00
Cascade Public Media $50,000.00
University of California, Irvine $50,000.00
St. Mary's Dominican High School $50,000.00
Bellwether Education Partners, Inc. $40,000.00
The 74 Media, Inc. $26,000.00
New Media Centers $25,000.00
Cascade Public Media $25,000.00
Allegheny Intermediate Unit $23,000.00
The Aftermath Project $15,435.00
Allied Media Projects Inc. $10,000.00
Cascade Public Media $10,000.00
Grantmakers for Education $10,000.00
Juanita Earp Media Center $7,590.00
Ouzinkie Media Center $4,785.00
Allied Media Projects Inc. $500.00
CHANGE LOG - found a few ‘intermediaries’ and ‘immediates’ and filtered them out 5 minutes after publishing. Changed total to $387,187,192.00
Also changed headline to 1999 from 2003 as 1999 was the earliest grant.