GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
In sub-Saharan Africa, women do about 80 percent of the farm labor. That means that any effort to improve the region's agriculture generally or the lives of its small farmers in particular must take women's needs and roles into account.
Helping Women Grow
What we're learning: Strategies for agricultural development are more effective when they account for women's needs.
In sub-Saharan Africa, women do about 80 percent of the farm labor. That means that any effort to improve the region's agriculture generally or the lives of its small farmers in particular must take women's needs and roles into account.  Read More
Risk is a constant companion for many poor people in the developing world. A sudden sickness or death can plunge a family into debt at the same time their income decreases.
Understanding Insurance
What we're learning: To help people manage risk, you have to understand their diverse and specific needs.
Risk is a constant companion for many poor people in the developing world. A sudden sickness or death can plunge a family into debt at the same time their income decreases.  Read More
Half the people in the developing world -- 2.5 billion people -- don't have safe sanitation. The consequences of this state of affairs include the spread of deadly disease, weak economic growth, and the loss of personal dignity.
Demand for Sanitation
What we're learning: To end the age-old practice of public defecation, it's not enough to give away toilets.
Half the people in the developing world -- 2.5 billion people -- don't have safe sanitation. The consequences of this state of affairs include the spread of deadly disease, weak economic growth, and the loss of personal dignity.  Read More
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is the leading nonprofit economics research organization in the United States. Yet few researchers at NBER or anywhere else have a sophisticated understanding of African economic issues.
Paying Attention to African Progress
What we're learning: The world needs more researchers thinking about what's working in Africa, and what isn't.
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is the leading nonprofit economics research organization in the United States. Yet few researchers at NBER or anywhere else have a sophisticated understanding of African economic issues.  Read More
Since the beginning of the foundation, one of our priorities has been helping public libraries provide people with free, public access to computers and the Internet. We believe that these tools can help individuals improve their lives and whole societies grow.
One Size Doesn't Fit All
What we're learning: Public Access to the Internet Brings Different Benefits to Different Populations.
Since the beginning of the foundation, one of our priorities has been helping public libraries provide people with free, public access to computers and the Internet. We believe that these tools can help individuals improve their lives and whole societies grow.  Read More
GLOBAL HEALTH
We are committed to the idea that the best way to fight HIV/AIDS is not just to treat people who already have it, but to find ways to prevent people from getting it in the first place. Last year, however, was a year of frustration for the HIV prevention field.
The Long Road to Success
What we're learning: It's more difficult than we realized to design scientifically rigorous clinical trials for HIV prevention.
We are committed to the idea that the best way to fight HIV/AIDS is not just to treat people who already have it, but to find ways to prevent people from getting it in the first place. Last year, however, was a year of frustration for the HIV prevention field.  Read More
Only a small portion of medical research focuses on health problems that affect the world's poorest people. Historically, the scientific community has gambled on a few ideas generated from within small, specialized research communities.
Risk and Reward
What we're learning: We need better ways to explore unorthodox ideas that could generate dramatic results.
Only a small portion of medical research focuses on health problems that affect the world's poorest people. Historically, the scientific community has gambled on a few ideas generated from within small, specialized research communities.   Read More
Most children in Ghana don't get the vitamins and minerals they need to grow up healthy and strong. To take just one example, more than 80 percent of Ghanaian children under 5 suffer from anemia.
Flour Power
What we're learning: Lessons from one country can make a big difference for others.
Most children in Ghana don't get the vitamins and minerals they need to grow up healthy and strong. To take just one example, more than 80 percent of Ghanaian children under 5 suffer from anemia.  Read More
For decades, the world largely ignored the health problems of developing countries. In the last 10 years, funding to research those problems has gone way up, but the field of global health is growing much faster than its capacity to collect good data.
Crunching the Numbers
What we're learning: Global health experts need better data about what works.
For decades, the world largely ignored the health problems of developing countries. In the last 10 years, funding to research those problems has gone way up, but the field of global health is growing much faster than its capacity to collect good data.  Read More
In the developing world, most families must contend with a series of interlinked problems. Because they're poor, they are undernourished. Because they're undernourished and can't study or work, they're poor.
Food and Funds
What we're learning: Creative financing can attract the private sector to help lift people out of poverty and improve health.
In the developing world, most families must contend with a series of interlinked problems. Because they're poor, they are undernourished. Because they're undernourished and can't study or work, they're poor.  Read More
UNITED STATES
If you go to high school in Washington, D.C., your chances of eventually earning a college degree are exceedingly low. More than half the students in D.C. who enroll in the ninth grade never graduate high school.
Casting a Wider Net
What we're learning: To help promising students get to college, you have to do more than just pay the bills.
If you go to high school in Washington, D.C., your chances of eventually earning a college degree are exceedingly low. More than half the students in D.C. who enroll in the ninth grade never graduate high school.  Read More
The graduation rate for Native American students in Portland, Ore., is abysmal -- about 30 percent. Portland is home to the ninth largest Native community in the United States, so the community's education emergency affects thousands of people.
Culture of Success
What we're learning: With the right support, even the most at-risk students can succeed.
The graduation rate for Native American students in Portland, Ore., is abysmal -- about 30 percent. Portland is home to the ninth largest Native community in the United States, so the community's education emergency affects thousands of people.  Read More
Since we started making grants in education in 1999, we have worked with a number of charter management organizations, or CMOs, that open and operate new public high schools to provide to provide families with additional options.
Making Great Schools the Norm
What we're learning: If it's hard to create a great school once, it's even harder to do thousands of times.
Since we started making grants in education in 1999, we have worked with a number of charter management organizations, or CMOs, that open and operate new public high schools to provide to provide families with additional options.  Read More
More than a decade ago, when the Web was still relatively new, we set the goal that everybody who could get to a public library could get on a computer connected to the Internet. It was Bill and Melinda's first major philanthropic effort.
Making the Case
What we're learning: To keep computers available to the public, librarians need help advocating for funding.
More than a decade ago, when the Web was still relatively new, we set the goal that everybody who could get to a public library could get on a computer connected to the Internet. It was Bill and Melinda's first major philanthropic effort.  Read More
Our goal is to ensure that every student graduates from high school with the skills to succeed in college and life. In practice, that often means focusing on those most often deprived of that opportunity: low-income, minority students.
Joining the Chorus
What we're learning: Advocacy groups are more effective when they speak with one voice.
Our goal is to ensure that every student graduates from high school with the skills to succeed in college and life. In practice, that often means focusing on those most often deprived of that opportunity: low-income, minority students.  Read More