Based in Seattle, Washington, the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. The foundation makes grants in three program areas: Global Development, Global Health, and the United States. Its Financial Services for the Poor Program is focused on supporting new products, technologies, and business models to make safe, affordable financial services, particularly savings accounts, much more widely available in developing countries.

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people, especially those with the fewest resources, have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.