Opinion: Gates Foundation’s Advocacy Efforts

Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, a columnist for The Washington Post, writes about a $3.8-million grant that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation made to a Washington advocacy group. The grant’s goal is to encourage the federal government to spend more to promote health in poor countries.

The money went to Families USA, a liberal advocacy organization, that will be “putting out research, developing messages, and doing a lot of media and communications outreach in Washington and other parts of the country,” Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, tells Mr. Birnbaum. “Our hope is to convince the public, opinion leaders, and policymakers that this is a good thing to do.”

Using the Gates endowment to influence government spending is a new tactic for the institution, says Joe Cerrell, the foundation’s director of global-health advocacy.

“But do not — I repeat, do not — call this lobbying. The foundation is barred from doing that,” writes Mr. Birnbaum. “And Families USA said it will not lobby with foundation funds. It will push hard, however, in ways that fall just short of buttonholing lawmakers. It certainly has the resources.”

(Free registration is required to view this article.)