Bright Lights on Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

This week, I wanted to spotlight for you all a powerful, effective and renown model of corporate philanthropy. Some might call this the "piece de resistance"of the charitable arms of major companies, the pinnacle of that which modern corporations search for in cementing their commitment to community outreach. In my opinion, it is the cream of the crop in terms of corporate charity work, and has certainly made a name for itself since its inception in 2000. This model of philanthropy is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a global institution that has dedicated over 40 billion dollars in just under 15 years to "help all people lead healthy, productive lives." In the developing countries of the world, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation "focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty." Locally in the United States, the foundation "seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life." The Foundation has three specific grant making areas, The Global Development Program, The Global Health Program and the United States Program, along with a small Charitable Sector Support Initiative. In their early years of philanthropy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was best known for its work to prevent the spread of Malaria in third world countries. Today, the foundation supports countless other charitable endeavors including vaccine initiatives, micro-financing efforts, and scholarship funds. As I said before, with offices all over the world, incredibly numerous grant partnerships and billions and billions of dollars donated so far, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is helping to transform the world in immeasurably powerful ways. In even the foundation's influence in the realm of corporate philanthropy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is helping to instigate a wave of charitable inspiration for some of the world's most established businesses. This influence in and of itself is important, and in my opinion, has already ushered in a new era of excitement about corporate philanthropy! 

Check out more information about the incredible Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at their website: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ !