Bill Gates' deeper focus on his foundation is likely to accelerate its impact in two areas reflecting his entrepreneurial background, battling diseases such as malaria, and on how philanthropy itself operates.
Gates is on a path that could mean his biggest impact will be on philanthropy, rather than technology.
The foundation invests in partnerships with pharmaceutical companies that otherwise might not pursue cures with little profit potential. Last year, for example, it earmarked $258 million for advanced development of a malaria vaccine to fight a disease that kills 2,000 African children every day.
That's a strategic shift from the older model of philanthropy: Foundations would wait for drugs to be available, then pay for distribution, says Gene Tempel of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. "He's just very interested in seeing problems solved where no one else has stepped before," Tempel said.
[Excerpt of an article by Jim Hopkins, USA Today]
No comments:
Post a Comment