Gates Foundation reboots
The country鈥檚 biggest foundation underwent a makeover this year鈥攁nd its benefactors, Bill and Melinda Gates, took a little persuading that all the changes were for the better, says the fund鈥檚 chief executive.
In an interview, Jeff Raikes said the reorganization of the staff involved in grant making overseas, which employees dubbed a 鈥済lobal redesign,鈥� will ensure greater collaboration among its employees and projects.
Staff members who make grants to groups that focus on advocacy and shaping public policies will now report to a single leader, as will employees in Africa, China, and India. The foundation鈥檚 global-health and global-development grant programs will work more closely together, he said.
Mr. Raikes, who has led the foundation since 2008, said the importance of this kind of 鈥渋ntegration鈥� registered during a trip two years ago to Ethiopia.
Standing in a clinic in the country鈥檚 highlands, he realized that health workers were focused not only on delivering babies and vaccinating children but on helping people gain access to clean water, improve sanitation, and grow nutritious food.
As part of the reorganization, some health grants鈥攆amily health, vaccine delivery, and polio鈥攚ill fall under the purview of Christopher Elias, who leads Gates鈥檚 global-development program, rather than with the global-health division.
It took the grant maker鈥檚 founders a little time to warm up to that idea, said Mr. Raikes.
鈥淏ill and Melinda really viewed these as elements of global health,鈥� he said. But Mr. Raikes said he explained that the changes could be a 鈥渃atalyst鈥� for making the foundation鈥檚 work more effective.
The Gates chief also said he鈥檚 listening to the foundation鈥檚 critics, particularly those who dislike its strategies designed to improve U.S. schools.
He said it鈥檚 鈥渁 little premature鈥� to say how the critics鈥� perspectives might change his thinking. But, he added, the foundation must do a better job of clearing up misperceptions about its work.
鈥淪ome of the anti-reform movement has the perception that what we believe in is a complete focus on standardized-test-based accountability, and that couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need to dial up our message on that.鈥�
In its efforts to improve U.S. schools, the foundation is focused on strengthening the skills and performance of teachers, he said.
鈥淏ut that will be done by teachers, not to teachers,鈥� he said. 鈥淭oo often the education-reform movement positions things in a way that makes it seem like this is about doing things to 迟别补肠丑别谤蝉.鈥�
While Mr. Raikes stressed the importance of encouraging honest feedback, he said he doesn鈥檛 think many people are afraid to criticize the foundation.
鈥淲e have a lot of critics,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know too many voices that are squelched.鈥�
Some critics of Gates鈥檚 work overseas have argued that the foundation focuses too much on scientific and technological fixes鈥攏ew contraceptives, toilets, vaccines鈥攁t the expense of other solutions.
Mr. Raikes disagreed, saying the foundation is also trying to spur innovations in the delivery of health care.
But he said the foundation鈥檚 鈥渃ore competencies鈥� lie in science and technology and that 鈥渨e understand that a lot of our contributions will be through technological and scientific advances.鈥�
While the Gates foundation鈥檚 assets fell last year鈥攆rom $37.4-billion to $34.6-billion鈥擬r. Raikes said he expects the fund will give away $3.4-billion, compared with $3.2-billion in 2011. (The assets fell because of investment declines.)
During the conversation and in Gates鈥檚 new , Mr. Raikes described the foundation鈥檚 priorities for the coming year.
Eradicating polio and expanding access to family planning top the list globally, he said. In November he plans to visit Nigeria, one of three nations where polio remains prevalent, to encourage local leaders to vaccinate children for the disease.
Another area of focus: supporting the spread of information. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave nearly $18.4 million in 2011 for news-media and communications work, according to its annual report. Mr. Raikes, who this month began a for the foundation, said he was pleased with the results of those grants but did not anticipate the foundation spending a larger share of its money on journalism.
The Gates fund chief, who spent 27 years at Microsoft before he took the philanthropy job, also discussed how his family foundation influences his leadership at Gates.
The Raikes Foundation, which gave away about $5.5 million in 2010, aims to build confidence and develop positive attitudes among young people ages 10 to 14.
Because of that work, Mr. Raikes says he is more attuned to ensuring that the Gates foundation鈥檚 efforts to assess teachers consider not only their effectiveness in boosting student academic achievement but also in developing students' ability to succeed beyond the classroom as well.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a nice synergy there,鈥� he said.
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