Melinda French Gates has pledged $250 million towards women’s health open to nonprofits around the world. 

The new fund will tackle ‘maternity care deserts’ appearing due to the philanthropist describes as neglect of women’s health by funders. 

Grants are part of a $1 billion pledge made in May. Her focus on women’s health and reproductive rights bears the hallmark of French Gates’ personal passions and signals a major pivot away from her time at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she departed from earlier this year.   

‘To fully exercise power over their lives, women need to be mentally and physically healthy. And yet, women’s health is being neglected everywhere,’ French Gates said. 

‘More than 1 billion women and girls suffer from malnutrition. Reproductive healthcare is being denied in the US and other countries. And globally, a woman dies in childbirth every two minutes,’ she added. 

The open competition, called Action for Women’s Health, will be run by Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  

The nonprofit also worked with fellow billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, awarding $40 million in 2019 towards women focused grantees. Scott gave away $640 million to community-based nonprofits in March. 

French Gates’ open call will give at least 100 nonprofit organisations around the world between $1 million and $5 million in unrestricted funding. There is no restriction on the size of the organisations who are eligible to apply.  

Applicants have until December 3 to apply. A final decision will be made by the end of 2025, due to a process which includes peer reviews by other applicants and reviews made by a panel of experts. 

‘Most of philanthropy remains invitation-only decision making behind closed doors,’ said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. ‘And what we have developed is a way to do an open call, a way to broaden access to philanthropic opportunities, that is also a process that is humane and equitable.’ 

Shafi Musaddique is the news editor at Alliance Magazine.