Articles about Philanthropy

Bill Gates goes to Capitol Hill in Epstein case as his ventures feel the effects

Bill Gates appeared voluntarily behind closed doors before House Oversight Committee investigators on Wednesday to answer questions about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, part of a larger turn in his image that has been rippling through the Seattle-area institutions he built and funds. Read More

PageMaker pioneer Paul Brainerd, 1947-2026: Aldus founder devoted his second chapter to the planet

Paul Brainerd, who coined the term “desktop publishing” and built Aldus Corporation’s PageMaker into one of the defining programs of the personal computer era, died Sunday at his home on Bainbridge Island. He was 78. Read More

Bill Gates says there’s ‘no upper limit’ on AI, citing opportunity and risk

Bill Gates says there’s “no upper limit” on how intelligent AI systems will become, and warns the world needs to prepare now for the disruptions ahead. Read More

‘We are not going anywhere’: Key Amazon exec reaffirms tech giant’s commitment to Seattle region

The comments by David Zapolsky, Amazon chief global affairs and legal officer, follow years of political disputes in Seattle over taxes and other policies that contributed to Amazon shifting more of its workforce to Bellevue, Wash., and Northern Virginia. Read More

Podcast

The Idea Man’s Last Big Idea: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in his own words

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: In light of his estate’s launch of the new $3.1 billion Fund for Science… Read More

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s final act: New $3.1B foundation bets big on science and tech

Even in the final years of his life, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was as excited as ever about what the… Read More

‘Invest now’: Climate tech advocates push for creative funding as markets decline

With climate tech investments declining and reduced federal funding from the Trump administration, champions of the sector are calling for… Read More

Microsoft philanthropy leader will salsa her way to helping combat homelessness in ‘Seattle Dances’

The amateur highlight of Jane Broom‘s dancing past came while growing up in Spokane, Wash., as a member of the… Read More

Melinda French Gates launches $250M open-call funding opportunity for women’s health

Melinda French Gates on Wednesday launched Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million open call that aims to reach organizations… Read More

Microsoft will make 50 grants of $50k each in Washington state for its 50th anniversary

Microsoft is rolling out a “50 for 50” program to mark its own 50th anniversary. The company says it will… Read More

‘She’s going to be a bigger deal’: What’s next for Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates is walking away from a 2,000-employee philanthropy with assets totaling more than $75 billion. But some say… Read More

Google giving $500K to expand robotics and AI education programs in Washington state

Google’s philanthropic arm is giving a $500,000 grant to expand access to robotics and artificial intelligence education programs across Washington… Read More

MacKenzie Scott issues $640M in grants to 361 nonprofits through open call process

MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropy Yield Giving announced on Tuesday the 361 organizations that will receive grants of $1 million to $2… Read More

With $1.2B in assets, the Paul Allen Family Foundation evolves — and stays true to PNW roots

Paul Allen is synonymous with philanthropic giving in the Pacific Northwest. Thirty-six years ago, the late Microsoft co-founder and his… Read More

Amazon giving $9M to Seattle-area organizations addressing needs around homelessness

Amazon is donating $9 million to six organizations in the Seattle area that are working to address the needs of… Read More

Jeff Bezos sells $2 billion worth of Amazon shares in his first stock sale since 2021

Jeff Bezos sold nearly 12 million Amazon shares, his first sale of the company’s stock since 2021, for a total… Read More

AI could make us conversant with critters, unlocking conservation tools – and serious risks

My whippet Roxy is smart. She understands dozens of words and phrases well beyond sit and stay. She’ll “go find… Read More

Bezos Day 1 Families Fund awards $117M to help families experiencing homelessness

The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund announced $117 million in grants on Tuesday to organizations that aid families experiencing homelessness.… Read More

Jeff Bezos may leave Seattle ‘a piece of my heart’ but some hope for a slice of his future philanthropy

“Seattle, you will always have a piece of my heart,” Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wrote in a recent Instagram post… Read More

Alexander Calder exhibit swings into motion in Seattle thanks to ex-Microsoft president’s major gift

A major new exhibition and multi-year initiative celebrating the life and work of artist Alexander Calder has opened at Seattle… Read More

Amazon keeps fueling philanthropic efforts under leadership of former nonprofit executive

Amazon on Monday announced a $1.7 million donation to Seattle Public Schools and Bellevue School District to assist families in… Read More

‘The billionaires are in charge’ – here’s who is spending the most on climate change efforts

Climate change is starting to receive the funding and attention that some activists, scientists and policy makers have sought for… Read More

MacKenzie Scott says she’s given away nearly $2B to 343 organizations over past 7 months

Seattle philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott on Monday announced that she and her team have given nearly $2 billion over… Read More

Washington arts organizations get a $10M ‘historic investment’ from Paul Allen Foundation

Washington state arts organizations that were hammered by the pandemic welcomed the news on Tuesday of $10 million in grants… Read More

Bill Gates sees Gates Foundation winding down in 25 years — with Melinda French Gates and himself still at the helm

In a recent interview at the 2022 Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit, Bill Gates shared that the plan is to wind… Read More

Gates Foundation annual report shows stalled progress due to pandemic, wars — but also reasons for hope

You know times are tough when a typically upbeat missive from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation starts sounding grim.… Read More

Boeing pledges $10M for new UW engineering building that will house AI Education Institute

The University of Washington is breaking ground next month on its Interdisciplinary Engineering Building. The new facility should help the… Read More

Microsoft president commits $5M to campaign to restore UW’s historic ‘Boys in the Boat’ Shell House

A campaign to restore the 104-year-old ASUW Shell House at the University of Washington in Seattle is getting a boost… Read More

How an early snafu nearly sank a nonprofit startup that went on to enable $51M in charitable gifts

“If this was an ordinary tech startup being done just for the money,” Erik Marks said, “this would have been… Read More

MacKenzie Scott says ‘no dollar signs this time’ as she finds new value in philanthropy’s meaning

MacKenzie Scott is taking a break from the headline-grabbing posts about multi-billion-dollar gifts she’s given to charity the past couple… Read More