This piece originally ran on Alliance Magazine.
By Shafi Musaddique
Melinda French Gates is set to end 24 years as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the announcement her resignation rippling across the philanthropic world.
French-Gates influence has shaped modern-day philanthropy, particularly in pushing philanthropists to engage more with gender equality, women’s education and global health.
‘Melinda has been so influential to philanthropy, not just because of the checks she’s written, but because of her mastery of the issues she cares about. Her combination of curiosity, intelligence, and commitment to getting proximate to those on the frontlines, are hallmarks of her philanthropy that have influenced countless others to go deeper in their giving,’ said Rena Greifinger, managing director of the Maverick Collective, founded by French Gates.
Greifinger added that French Gates has ‘demonstrated that choosing between local and global is a false binary that no longer fits in our hyper-connected world. We hope she will continue to use her power and influence to help global efforts to restore rights and protect women’s access to healthcare.’
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