At a Glance: William H. Gates Foundation

History: Established in 1994 by Microsoft Corporation’s chairman, Bill Gates, and his wife, Melinda French Gates, to coordinate the family’s charitable giving.

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Purpose and areas of support: To support projects dealing with education and with global health and population issues, and to finance charities that operate primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

Assets: Approximately $2-billion.

Grants and operating programs: From April 1, 1997 to March 31, 1998, the foundation awarded $10-million in global health and population grants; $4-million in education grants; and $5-million in grants to charities that work in the Pacific Northwest. The foundation also made annual contributions or gifts for special projects to 18 non-profit groups; those donations were not counted in the preceding totals.

Key officials: William H. Gates, Sr., director; Suzanne Cluett, associate director; William H. Gates III, sole trustee.

Application procedures: Unsolicited proposals are strongly discouraged, but the foundation sometimes follows up on short inquiries it receives through the mail, as long as the projects fit within the foundation’s grant-making guidelines. For more information on those guidelines, request a copy of the foundation’s annual report or read it on the foundation’s Web site.

Address: 4756 University Village Place, N.E., Suite 379, Seattle 98105.

World-Wide Web site: http://www.gatesfoundations.org