Melinda French Gates’s Life and Career as a Philanthropist

Melinda French Gates is a leading advocate for global health and gender equality, publishing works and starting foundations highlighting and successfully mitigating some of the world’s most pressing health and social issues. As cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, her work with ex-husband Bill addressed major health concerns. The foundation has donated billions toward the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; maternal and child health, family planning, and nutrition programs in countries with limited access to modern healthcare; and efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Through their world-renowned foundation, she and Bill continue a working relationship; the former couple have three children: Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe.

Melinda is a leading voice for global health and gender equality whose work has educated, empowered, and changed lives. Here are a few fast facts about her:

1. 1. A trip to Africa inspired years of philanthropy. In 1993, Bill and Melinda took a trip to Africa, which opened their eyes to poverty and some societies’ lack of resources. The year after, in 1994, the two got married and became cofounders of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through philanthropic efforts, the Gates Foundation, headquartered in the United States of America’s Pacific Northwest, focuses on global health issues and community needs.
2. 2. Her mother instilled an appreciation for education. Melinda Ann French was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1964. While her mother did not attend college, she instilled a love of learning in her daughter, who attended Ursuline Academy of Dallas. Melinda excelled in math and computers and graduated high school valedictorian in 1982. She then attended Duke University, majoring in computer science and economics and interning at IBM; she later earned her MBA.
3. 3. She works as a leading global advocate. Melinda established the Gates Library Foundation, which radically expanded internet access in US libraries from 1997–2018. Melinda and Bill donated $750 million to launch GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, in 1999. Since 2000, GAVI has significantly decreased the number of children dying from different illnesses. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated $50 million to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In 2015, Melinda French Gates founded Pivotal Ventures to help accelerate the pace of social progress in the US by removing barriers that hold people back.
4. 4. She published a book highlighting women’s unpaid labor. In 2019, Melinda published her debut book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World. The book uncovers women’s unpaid labor and how it widens the income gap between men and women.
5. 5. She worked for Microsoft when it was still a startup. After leaving Duke in North Carolina, Melinda moved to Seattle, Washington, in 1987, where she worked as a marketing manager for Microsoft, which was still a small company. Microsoft introduced Windows, the company’s graphical extension, and the company went public—catapulting three of its employees to billionaire status and thousands to millionaires. She meets and hits it off with Bill Gates at a computer trade show in New York City during this time.

Melinda’s class teaches you how to give back and how your values can define a career trajectory. Some life-learned lessons she shares include:

1. 1. Approach giving with a learning posture. Humility and genuine curiosity will help you build connections and relationships that can help you address an issue. “I would define a learning posture as being curious; coming into a meeting or a setting and not saying you have all the answers; you know, that you’re actually willing to listen to what people are telling you with an open and curious mind and even to say, ‘Oh,’ afterward, to reflect on it,” Melinda says.
2. 2. Pick issues that resonate. Select causes that matter to you and can affect change. “No one has endless resources,” Melinda says. “And so you have to pick a few areas in which you want to give because ultimately, those are the areas where you will probably affect the most change with your resources.” Melinda advises to go where your passion is: “If you’re just starting out in your giving, I think ask the questions of yourself like, ‘What do you care about the most? What touches your heart?’”
3. 3. Understand social responsibility. Melinda recognizes people have special talents and capabilities to share on a communal and global level. One of her core values is “to whom much is given, much is expected.” “I went to a high school whose motto was serviam (a Catholic girls high school); that is, to serve,’’ Melinda says. “I learned that if you had something to give back, even time or money, you should go back and give it in the community.”
4. 4. Uplifting women uplifts all. Melinda’s work addresses gender inequities globally, but she says, “What I have learned through giving is that when you lift up a woman, she lifts up everybody around her. She lifts up her children, her family, her community. It ultimately leads to her lifting up a country. And we know in philanthropy, again, from good studies, that if you put money in the hands of a woman, she spends it differently on her family than her husband does.”
5. 5. We all have a voice. You can activate giving through many different channels, and your voice and discernment of how you allocate resources will dictate where and when you act. Melinda says, “Look at the category of time and say, ‘How much can I allocate each week, or each month, or across the year?’ Look at your expertise. ‘What skills do I have? And where might I go to think about matching those with community need?’ And then, finally, look at your voice. Look at what you're passionate about, and say, ‘Where could I add my voice to a cause that already exists, or to lead a cause, or to find others?’”

To learn more about values and giving back, consider watching the following classes:

1. 1. Malala Yousafzai on creating change: Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Watch Malala’s class to learn how to speak up, determine your values, and be an activist in your own community.
2. 2. Richard Branson on disruptive leadership: Richard Branson is an entrepreneur, adventurer, and leader working to address global human rights issues. Watch Richard’s class to learn about bringing out the best in others, business innovation, and global citizenship.
3. 3. Sara Blakely on self-made entrepreneurship: Sara Blakely, the inventor of Spanx, works to empower girls and women globally through the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation Watch Sara’s class to learn more about her entrepreneurial journey.

If you want to give back to your community, identify your passions, values, and resources. Discover Melinda French Gates’s approach to philanthropic giving and forming partnerships, and learn how she overcomes failure when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.