View Article  Gates Keepers - civil society voices on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
If you would like to receive email notices of new posts on this blog or to contact the Gates Keepers, send an email to Gates.Keepers.blog [at] gmail [dot] com.   more »
View Article  Are Advance Market Commitments, as advocated by the Gates Foundation, a panacea?
Nobel Prizewinning MSF has its concerns about Gates Foundation-supported Advance Market Commitments.   more »
View Article  More on donations to the Gates Foundation
Sean and Holden, two of mainstream philanthropy's most prolix bloggers, think that people giving to the Gates Foundation is "direct evidence of individual donors' increasing interest in impact." How would they know without asking or polling those donors? Are they perhaps projecting their views?   more »
View Article  Former Gates Foundation staff does good
At the Gates Foundation this woman learned "the due diligence of grants and grant writing. The government side of philanthropy. The political side. The grassroots side. She learn about tax and legal implications and the policy intricacies of policy ... ". Thrilling.   more »
View Article  Biography of a board member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Here is a book review of a biography of one of the four board members of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation has a seat at the table at Seattle health summits
The Seattle Times is becoming the mainstream media leader for stories about the Gates Foundation. Here Sandi Doughton takes a look at the health summits taking place in the Foundation's backyard.   more »
View Article  Are the authors of Philanthrocapitalism too soft on Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation?
Gates Keepers wonder whether Bishop Green's lack of surprise is a form of admission that are too soft on Bill. Perhaps they will be more critical in future now that he is clearly at the helm of the Foundation and ready to rule.   more »
View Article  Even the Gates Foundation doesn't use Microsoft software
This is amusing.   more »
View Article  A positive review of the Lancet papers on the Gates Foundation
Some agree with the Lancet papers.   more »
View Article  Conspiracies abound
Conspiracies abound among some critics of the Gates Foundation.   more »
View Article  Why the Gates Foundation (and its grantees) need blogs and bloggers
Cascadia bloggers are among the most trenchant in their analysis of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Here is Philippe.   more »
View Article  Comments on the Business of Giving about the Lancet papers
When Heim and Doughton posted this piece on the Lancet papers there were forty-five comments. They make for interesting reading ...   more »
View Article  Listen to Development Drums on mega philanthropy
Listen to Bishop and Green or read the interview below.   more »
View Article  An education blogger turns up the heat on the Gates Foundation
"The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plays by their own rules. Philanthropists, in general, pretend they can do no harm, cannot be wrong, simply cannot - dare we say - fail. Do not question the oligarchs: they sit on their gold-plated thrones high above the realm of criticism, critique, or accountability. In a very real sense, they're above democracy. "   more »
View Article  Billanthropy: good or bad? More from Bishop / Green
This finely edited article in a DfID publication is more analytically critical of the Gates Foundation (and Bill) than much of what has been written by Bishop / Green.   more »
View Article  Here is a view from India
Here is a view from India on the activities of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.   more »
View Article  Tachi talks about the Gates Foundation grand challenges
Looking for the Black Swan is one Gates Foundation idea that Gates Keepers supports.   more »
View Article  Consulting spending at the Gates Foundation
Gates Keepers think there is more to this article but it is behind a paywall.   more »
View Article  Analytic article on Avahan and the Gates Foundation in Business India
The article is called How Bill Gates Blew $258 million in India's HIV Corridor. --- Now that Avahan is almost over it is time to take a long objective look at its successes and failures. Will this be done or will the evaluation of Avahan become a public relations exercise by Alexander et al?   more »
View Article  More secret meetings attended by the Gates Foundation in Seattle
More secret meetings. So the public is not invited to see Paul Farmer? Imagine restricting access to a talk by Mother Theresa. Isn't Paul Farmer a global public good?   more »
View Article  Global Health Fair to be hosted by the Gates Foundation?
What a great idea. Maybe the Gates Foundation could import some temple dancers from India to entertain and some Africans to prepare the food.   more »
View Article  A blogger disagrees with the Gates Foundation about small schools
The Gates Foundation says it was wrong to choose small schools as a quick and easy technological solution for America's educational woes. This blogger says they work. Huh?   more »
View Article  Fine finds time to look at the Gates Foundation
Alison Fine is a well respected voice in the field of philanthropy.   more »
View Article  Philanthrocapitalism - the book
A couple of Gates Keepers have read Philanthrocapitalism. It is extremely well written. One can read it is easily as a magazine. And it is a helpful introduction to those who need a rapid introduction to big philanthropy. Congratulations to the authors for trying to kick start discussion on the new big money philanthropy.   more »
View Article  Let them eat cash - an analysis of the Gates Foundation programme Purchase for Progress
Harper's has an analysis piece this month on P4P. It is not optimistic about the Gates Foundation's initiative. Attached.   more »
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View Article  McCoy and Bishop talk about the Gates Foundation
Here is a recording of David McCoy and Matthew Bishop with a few comments from Richard Horton. They discuss but do not quite debate the contribution of the Gates Foundation to health. They agree on the need for greater transparency and a form of accountability for the Foundation. Who will 'write' the new social contract between the Gates Foundation and the rest of us? Do we trust the Gates Foundation to do it or do we have to become more vocal about what our terms of the contract are?   more »
View Article  Letter from the CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Jeff Raikes' letter is the only information, apart from the well-known $3 bn grant figure in the financials, that is of interest to those of us who are interested in how the Foundation conducts their affairs. Someone has written it very well for him. --- We are not surprised that almost all of the Foundation staff are proud of what the foundation stands for. What is fascinating is that some are not. And that staff say it is difficult to get things done there. Any staff who contact Gates Keepers about what they are not proud of at the Foundation and the difficulties of their work there can be assured that their information will be used anonymously.--- Why listen to grantees or beneficiaries when you already have the 'best and the brightest' on advisory panels and staff? Will the Grantee Perception Reports be posted on the web? Are there any other initiatives to address the Foundation's problems with 'partners'? --- How is the relationship between the CEO and the Board?   more »
View Article  A Gates Foundation staffer has a few words for his employer
In this video Geoffrey Lamb appears to accuse his own employer, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, of relying on magic bullets to fix the 'problem of development'. Hmm.   more »
View Article  Did the small schools experiment of the Gates Foundation do harm?
Did the small schools experiment of the Gates Foundation do harm? You decide ...   more »
View Article  Barbarians at the Gates
It will be fascinating to compare several of the blog reports on this debate on the Gates Foundation and then listen to the podcast to hear for ourselves what really happened.   more »
View Article  Harm done by the Gates Foundation experiments in education
Instead of a fluff piece it would be good to publish Raikes' thoughts on any harm done by the Gates Foundation experiments in education.   more »
View Article  A college student and Haven Ley of the Gates Foundation
A college student can develop her own critical analysis of the activities of the Gates Foundation after hearing staff member Haven Ley speak.   more »
View Article  Mainly on the plain - confusion at the Gates Foundation
Bill and Melinda believe that their star power will lead to leveraging of resources and more action on the problems they choose. What happens when they screw up?   more »
View Article  The only reason it wasn't more public was that it was private
Gates Keepers have been fascinated by the speculation about what went on at the private meeting on May 5. Leave it to Patty Stonesifer to be direct. The only reason it wasn't more public was that it was private. Got it.   more »
View Article  Gates Keepers agree with the authors of Philanthrocapitalism!
Gates Keepers echo the call by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green for the World Philanthropy Cabinet to hold a press conference after their next meeting. What have they got to hide?   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation and a rock singer disagree with AIDS activists
Praising the new administration's global health budget may be premature.   more »
View Article  LSHTM gets a prize
If prizes are important, this one is well deserved.   more »
View Article  Education blog comment about the secret meeting moderated by the former Gates Foundation staffer
More comment on the secret meeting --- ""We can have a democratic society or we may have the concentration of great wealth in the hands of the few. We cannot have both.""   more »
View Article  Amy Goodman on Bills Gate
Gates Keepers need to refresh their memories sometimes. Amy Goodman on Bills Gate ---   more »
View Article  Endowment at the Gates Foundation
Reginald Dwight says “We are not endowed like the Ford Foundation or the Gates Foundation,”. Gates Keepers assume he is talking about a financial endowment.   more »
View Article  Secret meeting attended by a board member of the Gates Foundation and convened by its past CEO
Is this the kind of transparency we are looking for? Nope.   more »
View Article  A comment about those African think tanks funded by the Gates Foundation
About those African think tank grants announced by the Gates Foundation over a week ago? Here is an anonymous comment on them received by the Gates Keepers ---   more »
View Article  Gates Foundation funds orphan drug research
Now THIS is the kind of research that may (or may not) save lives - searching through lists of orphaned drugs to look for effects on the bowel. Why only Roche?   more »
View Article  Showing up for life at the Gates Foundation
In developing a critical analysis of the activities of the Gates Foundation it is helpful to get to know the board members 'in their own words'.   more »
View Article  Jobs in governance with the new Administration or with the Foundation
Interesting choice. Work with either would be concerned with governance.   more »
View Article  Regina Rules at the Gates Foundation
A profile of a Foundation staffer ---   more »
View Article  The beginning of the backlash against criticism of the Gates Foundation
A former Gates Foundation consultant on accountability gets a bit defensive on her blog. She does not appear to have read all three of the Lancet pieces as she addresses the issues raised in only one of them. And Ms Schneider has signed a confidentiality agreement with the Gates Foundation so she can contribute little of substance to the debate. But her framing of the process questions is interesting.   more »
View Article  Gatelets - companies afloat because of the Gates Foundation
Here is one way for a business to survive the financial crisis - become a Gatelet.   more »
View Article  Tre at Trevi - Two Gates Foundation Board Members go to Rome
One wonders whether an audience with the Holy Father was on Melinda's itinerary. Or Bill's.   more »
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View Article  A third article in the Lancet on the Gates Foundation
This is the third and final piece on the Gates Foundation from last week's Lancet. The authors make four implementable recommendations. --- For all the Gatesblather about rotavirus, little has been done.   more »
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View Article  Five recommendations for the Gates Foundation from the editorial staff of the Lancet
The anonymous opinion editorial writer for the Lancet and the Gates Keepers have several thoughts in common. The five recommendations to the Foundation that the editorial staff of the world's leading medical journal make are ---   more »
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View Article  New Grand Challenges grants also have equal value
All grants have equal value. The Gates Foundation decision to make all grants $100,000 defies logic. Some grants could have been more, some less. Important discoveries may be missed because a grant is not $150,000.   more »
View Article  Brave souls criticise the Gates Foundation in the Lancet
The brave souls who criticise the Gates Foundation in today's Lancet state: "The findings of this report raise several questions about the foundation's global health grant-making programme, which needs further research and assessment." --- Read every word.   more »
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View Article  Consulting for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Consulting for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Hartford Public School District and the University of Florida earned Cecilia Rouse more than $80,000. Nice work if you can get it.   more »
View Article  An analysis of technology and the Gates Foundation
To a hammer, everything is a nail. To the Gates Foundation, everything needs technology. An interesting analysis of what is needed around the edges ---   more »
View Article  Bill Senior of the Gates Foundation and India
The Times of India does a book review before they read the book.   more »
View Article  Board member of the Gates Foundation still doesn't get it
Congratulations to Kristi Heim of the Seattle Times Business of Giving blog for asking Bill Senior two tough questions. He dismisses one and tries to answer the other. ---   more »
View Article  The psychological roots of the Gates Foundation
Psychologists and psychiatrists rejoice. There is a lot of material here.   more »
View Article  Generosity doesn't travel with the former CEO of the Gates Foundation
Couldn't Amazon open a philanthropy service above a pizza parlour?   more »
View Article  Bill and Melinda personally make all the major decisions at the Gates Foundation
A short but informative interview with the Boss at the Gates Foundation was published in the Rotary magazine The Rotarian. A quote: "The Rotarian: Do you and Melinda personally make all the major decisions at the Gates Foundation? Gates: Yes." That much is clear.   more »
View Article  Bill Gates Senior declines to talk about Gates Foundation transparency but we can't read about it anyway
In an interview in the Chronicle of Philanthropy Bill Gates Senior "declined to comment about this and other criticisms - such as complaints about a lack on openness in the Foundation's grant-making". But we will not know all that is in the interview as it is behind a paywall on the Chronicle website. Here is what we can read ---   more »
View Article  Gates Foundation support for nonexistent libraries in Vietnam
Gates Keepers' Vietnamese friends find this grant amusing. There are almost no public libraries in Vietnam and there are no plans to build any. Internet cafes are everywhere. Those that need to use the internet already do so, even in rural Nghe An.   more »
View Article  PBS, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, appropriates the name of a civil society group
PBS is sponsored by the Gates Foundation to publish the Global Health Watch website. Interesting that the name of this site has been appropriated from Global Health Watch, a civil society initiative. Hmmm.   more »
View Article  A Nigerian view of the Gates Foundation
Here is a Nigerian view of the Gates Foundation support for polio immunisation.   more »
View Article  Not everyone is happy with the Gates Foundation grants to the government in China
Gates Keepers enjoy the comments on the Seattle Times website ---   more »
View Article  Gates Foundation grantee the Center for Global Development loves the new China TB grant!
One rarely sees so many exclamation marks in a Global Health Policy blog posting! Rachel must, like, be really impressed with the Gates Foundation! Could that be because her organisation is funded by the Gates Foundation? There is no disclosure statement!   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation funds Public Radio International to produce publicity materials for their grants
Wouldn't it avoid a conflict of interest for the Gates Foundation to produce this material and post it on their website directly rather than paying Public Radio to do it? How could Public Radio possibly produce an objective analysis of the response to malarial resistance in Cambodia if they cannot even indirectly criticise the Foundation's grant? If the Foundation grant made malaria worse, could PRI report it?   more »
View Article  Stingy Amazon compared to the Gates Foundation
Patty Stonesifer, formerly of the Gates Foundation, is on the board of stingy Amazon.   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation hopes it can keep jobs in America
With this grant the Gates Foundation hopes it can keep jobs in America ... huh?   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation and the environment
Here someone knows someone who knows someone at the Foundation ...   more »
View Article  A million dollar grant by the Gates Foundation for embedding positive social messages on TV rather than negative ones
Gates Keepers thinks embedded positive social messages in television are better than the usual negative ones. But is this news? Why does one need to meet a TV CEO or make a grant to do this? Autism Speaks or the Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative could demand to meet a TV executive and get the same outcome. --- One wonders what the embedded HIV message was in "America's Top Model"   more »
View Article  These are also civil society voices about the activities of the Gates Foundation
Every once in a while this issue raises its ugly head. These are also civil society voices about the activities of the Gates Foundation. The Gates Keepers disagree with them but they need to be heard.   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation considers Afpak
Whoa, if the Gates Foundation is looking for an difficult health care system implementation challenge then it couldn't do any better than choosing Pakistan.   more »
View Article  Keeping Gates Foundation visitor center contracts in Cascadia
The Philanthropy Theme Park opening is just a year away. And the Gates Foundation is keeping the construction contracts in Cascadia ---   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation makes BIG grants in tobacco control
It is best to let this blogger use their own words to describe the BIG grants that the Gates Foundation is making in Africa for tobacco control. We need blogs like this one in more fields. --- http://blogsofbainbridge.typepad.com/africa/   more »
View Article  Melinda's photo in Vogue is gone!
Melinda's sexy photo in Vogue is gone ... for some of us.   more »
View Article  Paul Collier and the Gates Foundation
It sounds like Bill has been reading Paul Collier. At 38 minutes in this talk he talks about the "top two billion".   more »
View Article  Much ado about Moyo and her idea for the Gates Foundation
Although she is Zambian and has an economics background, most players in the field of development do not find many good things to say about Moyo. Here she appears to suggest that the Gates Foundation fund a slum cleanup in Nairobi. Huh?   more »
View Article  Interesting pilot project for rabies control funded by the Gates Foundation
Here is an interesting pilot project.   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation, Education and the Obama administration
Several new Obama administration education appointees have Gates connections. And we are not talking Robert Gates.   more »
View Article  More doubts about replicating the Green Revolution in Africa and the Gates Foundation
Now Holden is not always known to be a trustworthy fellow but he does on occasion write something of value. Here he notes that not enough thinking has been done about how to increase agricultural activity in Africa. To a hammer, everything is a nail. To a rich technophile looking to give away money and technology, everything needs money and technology.   more »
View Article  "Local group challenges Gates Foundation on agriculture"
This article goes even further than usual in analysing the local hero Foundation.   more »
View Article  Vietnamese Gates Foundation protege is the victim of a harmful error made by an American drug company
Vietnam has an immunisation system that is consistently praised by Bill and Melinda. Hmmm.   more »
View Article  Chicago Citywide Education Summit and the Gates Foundation
Citizens and professionals with an interest in education are leading the rest of the world in developing a critical analysis of the activities of the Gates Foundation. Take a look at this original article for the fascinating links.   more »
View Article  Peter Piot of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation tries to dispel a few myths
Peter Piot is winding up a stint at the Gates Foundation before he takes up his new job at Imperial College London. His new employer just received a large Gates Foundation grant for rapid test development.   more »
View Article  How the Gates Foundation used to turn down grant applications
Here Patty Stonesifer and her daughter tell one how to politely turn down a grant application. It is a lot easier to tell what makes Patty tick now that she has left the secretive atmosphere of the Gates Foundation.   more »
View Article  Is the Gates Foundation a problem?
Was the Salon headline a typo or is the Gates Foundation one of humanity's greatest problems?   more »
View Article  Pablo Eisenberg is polite in his critique of accountability at the Gates Foundation
Pablo Eisenberg is being exquisitely polite in his critique of accountability at the Gates Foundation. One hopes the Foundation leaders listen to him. But Gates Keepers doubt they will. ... One has to wonder how long the now unique Seattle newspaper will be able to publish editorials like this and the Business of Giving blog. The paper must be under pressure from the Foundation to curb the criticism.   more »
View Article  Duo introduces Tre as Mr Big
Ever been to a church service where people applaud? That is what this reminds me of. Bill Senior introduces Bill Junior as the world's biggest philanthropist.   more »
View Article  Topnaman writes about the Gates Foundation and malaria
This malaria blog turned one year old recently. It is a good one.   more »
View Article  Independent voices of public school parents address the myths on education perpetuated by the Gates Foundation
Gates Keepers thinks that civil society voices are more often raised about the Gates Foundation forays into education than into global health. They are the loud voices of lucky Americans who don't like rich, poorly-educated amateurs messing around with their schools or their kids' schools. Developing country beneficiaries are not so lucky.   more »
View Article  Is the Gates Foundation ignoring global warming?
Bill Gates was said to have said about global warming: "We don't think about it." Now some are waking up to the fact that the Foundation is asleep on this issue.   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation and understanding education
Here is a posting from an edublog inviting the head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to visit ---   more »
View Article  Who does this scientist work for? The Gates Foundation or something else?
This scientist's intro says that he conducts research on HIV vaccine discovery for the Gates Foundation. Gates Keepers think he probably does it for himself and his institution or even for humanity rather than for the Gates Foundation. Or does he?   more »
View Article  Gates Foundation makes a big grant to its employee's new employer
Is this the same Imperial College where Peter Piot, now at the Gates Foundation, is going to this spring?   more »
View Article  Kaiser Family Foundation malaria media project makes no mention of the poor data controversy
Three weeks ago Bill Easterly caused a blogstorm by accusing the Gates Foundation of using poor data to trumpet success. A major malaria media project run by the Kaiser Family Foundation gave NO mention of the controversy.   more »
View Article  PATH is one of the Gates Foundation's prime Seattle beneficiaries
One of the Gates Foundation's prime Seattle beneficiaries is PATH. Read all about it here. A sixfold growth in budget in nine years must be hard to adapt to. As they don't have to fundraise, has PATH become 'soft'?   more »
View Article  The Gates Foundation is second largest
The green roof over the SUVs of Gates Foundation employees is Seattle's second largest ...   more »
View Article  Oakland Insitute and Food First are monitoring the Gates Foundation efforts in AGRA
In the post yesterday the Gates Keepers did not give credit to the Oakland Institute and Food First for their efforts in monitoring the Gates Foundation efforts in AGRA. Apologies and kudos to them both.   more »
View Article  AGRA Watch and the Gates Foundation
Gates Keepers often wonders aloud why there are so few watchdogs concerned with the Gates Foundation. One issue-specific watchdog has recently come to their attention: AGRA Watch is a watchdog for the Gates-sponsored Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).   more »