counting money/PHOTO; Courtesy
The Gates Foundation has announced it will spend $9 billion every year, marking a major shift in how the world’s largest private foundation plans to use its resources before closing in 2045.
The decision completes a four-year plan to steadily raise annual spending and follows an earlier announcement by Bill Gates that the foundation will invest an additional $200 billion over the next two decades.
That amount is roughly double what the foundation spent during its first 25 years.
Foundation leaders say the move reflects a sense of urgency.
With global health systems under strain, funding gaps widening, and progress in many countries slowing, the foundation believes acting faster will save more lives and create longer-lasting benefits.
The foundation’s work will remain focused on three main areas: preventing deaths among mothers and children, stopping deadly infectious diseases, and helping people lift themselves out of poverty.
Around 70 percent of the annual budget will go to global health programmes, including maternal health, vaccines, and disease control.
The remaining funds will support education in the United States and agriculture in low- and middle-income countries.
“The foundation’s 2045 closure deadline gives us a rare opportunity to make real progress while we still can,” said Mark Suzman, the foundation’s chief executive.
“That means staying focused on the people we serve and the outcomes we want to achieve.”
Alongside higher spending, the foundation is also tightening control over its own operating costs.
Its board has approved a cap on internal expenses, including staff, travel, offices, and systems, limiting them to $1.25 billion a year, or about 14 percent of the total budget.
According to the foundation, this step is meant to ensure that the bulk of its resources reach programmes and partners rather than being absorbed by administration.
Without the cap, internal costs were projected to rise significantly over the coming years as spending increased.
As part of this effort, the foundation plans to reduce its staff numbers gradually.
It expects to cut up to 500 positions by 2030, down from a current headcount target of 2,375.
The foundation says the changes will be managed over time and that it will continue hiring in areas considered critical to delivering its work.
Leaders insist the staff reductions are not a retreat from ambition. Instead, they describe them as part of a broader effort to keep the organisation efficient as it spends more money each year.
“Making sure that as much of every dollar as possible goes toward impact is essential if we are to save and improve millions of lives,” Suzman said.
The announcement comes at a time when many governments and donors are cutting or freezing development funding.
Aid agencies and charities have warned that reduced budgets are already affecting health services, education programmes, and food systems in vulnerable communities.
Against this backdrop, the Gates Foundation’s decision to spend more and to do so on a clear timeline stands out.
Rather than seeking to preserve its endowment indefinitely, the foundation is choosing to use its wealth within a defined period to leave behind lasting systems and solutions.
For the philanthropy sector, the move raises broader questions about how large foundations measure success.
The Gates Foundation is betting that focused, time-bound spending paired with tighter internal discipline can deliver deeper impact than long-term institutional growth.
As the countdown to 2045 continues, the foundation says its priority is not longevity, but results: fewer preventable deaths, stronger health systems, and more people with a chance at a stable and productive life.
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