Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Grants for agricultural development and water and sanitatio
Principal Office: USA
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is among the world’s largest charitable organizations. It defines its mission as funding innovative ways to improve the USA’s education system, and to reduce poverty and poor health in the developing world.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
The two grant-making areas below are relevant among the subject areas of the Terra Viva Grants Directory.
1 — Agricultural Development. The Foundation engages in grant making across the agricultural value chain, emphasizing small farms. Themes include agricultural research and development; improved polices for agriculture; improved farmers’ access to resources and markets; and strategic partnerships for agricultural development.
About the program
2 — Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. The Foundation gives priority to what it defines as the neglected area of sanitation. Gates supports work on affordable sanitation technologies; the development of markets for services and products in sanitation; increasing the social demand for sanitation; improving policies and regulations for sanitation; and monitoring, evaluating, and sharing lessons about sanitation with partners.
About the program
The majority of grants are to international organizations, large development NGOs, research institutes and universities, and other tax-exempt organizations in the USA and internationally. Grants range from under US$100 thousand to multi-million dollars.
Note: Some grants related to agriculture (food security) and water may be in support of the Gates Foundation’s program in Global Health. Grant seekers should be aware of the cross-cutting aspects of the Foundation’s grant making.
APPLICATION (for 1-2 preceding): The Gates Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals except when it explicitly announces an open Letter of Inquiry (LOI) or Request for Proposals (RFP) in defined program areas.
Grant seekers should consult the Foundation’s website, by program area, on a regular basis.
Link to Grant Opportunities
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Worldwide
Note: In its grants for Agricultural Development and Water and Sanitation, Gates gives particular emphasis to Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The Foundation publishes a grants database, helpful for grant seekers who want to learn the types of projects that Gates supports.
It also publishes frequently asked questions (FAQ) for grant seekers.
The Gates Foundation posts contact information for its offices in Seattle and elsewhere.
June 2021