Melinda French Gates Pledges $1 Billion to Women's Rights and Family Support

Melinda French Gates speaks at the forum Empowering Women as Entrepreneurs and Leaders during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, on April 13, 2023. French Gates says she will be donating $1 billion over the next two years to individuals and organizations working on behalf of women and families globally, including on reproductive rights in the United States.

NEW YORK, NY – Melinda French Gates has announced a $1 billion commitment over the next two years to support individuals and organizations working globally on behalf of women and families, including reproductive rights in the United States.

This pledge marks French Gates' second billion-dollar commitment in five years, following her 2019 ten-year pledge to expand women's power and influence. Earlier this month, she announced her departure from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to focus more on women and families, receiving $12 billion from Bill Gates for her future philanthropic efforts.

French Gates, a leading advocate for gender equity in the U.S., expressed her frustration in a New York Times essay over delays in addressing gender equality. She highlighted decades of research showing the broad benefits of investing in women and girls.

Over the past few weeks, French Gates has begun directing $200 million in new grants through her organization, Pivotal Ventures, to groups in the U.S. These grants provide general operating support to organizations like the National Women’s Law Center, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Teresa Younger, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, praised French Gates' approach to unrestricted, multi-year funding, noting its potential for significant impact. Younger disclosed that her organization recently received its first grant from Pivotal Ventures, which will help expand their work in the South and Midwest.

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising Education Fund, expressed gratitude for the support extending to 2026, emphasizing the critical timing for women's rights.

Additionally, French Gates pledged to give 12 individuals $20 million each to distribute to nonprofit organizations of their choice by the end of 2026. Managed by the National Philanthropic Trust, these funds aim to amplify grassroots impact.

Of the $1 billion pledge, $690 million in commitments were announced, including an “open call” for applications this fall through Lever for Change, with $250 million dedicated to improving women’s mental and physical health globally.

Pivotal Ventures, French Gates' limited liability company, has already committed $875 million of her 2019 pledge. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which will soon be renamed the Gates Foundation, has also committed significant funds to gender equity and women's health, including a $2.1 billion pledge in 2021.

In her essay, French Gates highlighted pressing issues such as high maternal mortality rates in the U.S., especially among Black and Native American mothers, the loss of abortion rights in 14 states, lack of national paid family leave, and rising suicidal thoughts among teenage girls.

As French Gates prepares to leave the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she co-founded nearly 25 years ago, she remains dedicated to addressing critical challenges facing women and families worldwide.