ABCNEWS:The Gates That Keeps on Giving
An older article with mostly outdated inforamtion, I still recommend this story for Gates researchers because it demonstrates that petty jealous people questioned Gates' generosity first and thanked him second, even before the anti-trust trial. The author, Michael J. Martinez, actually presents an objective view of the Foundation and it's work and even focuses on the 'backlash' that Bill received for the timing of his donations. This time around, Atlas was murdered before he could even shrug.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Right from the front page of the Foundation's website you get an idea of the variety and extent of ways that the Gates family touched peoples lives. Literally billions of dollars poured out of the Gates' bank accounts and into charities. Helping with global health issues, learning issues (including a hard fought war to close the digital divide) and with regional issues, the Foundation continues to make a very real positive impact on society. As his fortune grew, Bill Gates gave more and more of his earnings to charity and thus spread good will across the globe. There has never been, and may never be again, a philanthropist on par with Bill Gates.

Giving billions isn't easy
Time was nearly objective in this article, but just couldn't resist criticizing up the timing of Gates' charity work. It just galls me to hear that his motivations are wrong, especially from people who will never give the way Bill gave. In any event, this article is well researched and provides some pretty specifc examples of how the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation helps those in need. Most welcome (and surprising considering the source) is their acknowledgement of the orgaizations focus on third world diseases, a practice that was unlikely to generate any residual income or any real press due to it's 'below the radar' and 'unsexy' subjects. The article also credits the Foundation with saving millions of lives and improving billions of lives - an accomplishment that can not be ignored by naysayers.

Institute for Population and Reproductive Health
While the Gates family certainly did quite a bit to further peoples lives through technology and education, their most immediate and visible work was with health issues. In addition to their generosity in this field through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, they also established a separate organization to specifically to address population and reproduction issues. This is a touchy issue for some (reproductive issues that is) and I will stay out of the argument, but the organization demonstrates that Bill was truly a global thinker who cared about all the people of the world, including those that have yet to be born.