Melinda French Gates is taking a major step to support women's health around the world by pledging $250 million in funding. This announcement, made on Wednesday, is part of her larger commitment to dedicate $1 billion over the next two years to assist women and families globally.
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Melinda French Gates Commits $250 Million to Transform Women's Health Initiatives
French Gates, who recently left the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, invites nonprofits to apply for these funds, aiming to make a significant impact on women's health issues.
Haven Ley, the chief strategy officer at Pivotal Ventures, the organization founded by French Gates, called the grant competition a "curtain raiser" for renewed focus on global funding for women's health.
Until now, Pivotal Ventures primarily supported groups in the United States that aimed to empower women. French Gates has over twenty years of experience in global health initiatives through her previous work at the Gates Foundation, according to AP News.
The grant competition, called Action for Women's Health, is run by Lever for Change, an organization linked to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This initiative aims to provide unrestricted funding ranging from $1 million to $5 million to more than 100 nonprofits around the world. There are no restrictions on the size of the organizations that can apply, and the cutoff date for submissions is December 3. The entire application and review process will extend until the end of 2025.
Sarah Baird, a professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, studies how different interventions can benefit adolescents, particularly girls. She looks for ways to improve their health and wellbeing, which can positively affect their lives and the lives of their future children.
French Gates' efforts mark a new chapter in her philanthropy. After her divorce from Bill Gates, she stepped down from their joint foundation, taking $12.5 billion with her. This year has been pivotal for her, as she now has the freedom to pursue her own philanthropic goals, focusing on issues she cares about deeply, such as the challenges faced by women and girls.
