Impact report 2021

Cartoon visual of women in saris and children on a bridge

Progress, resilience, and hope

2021 brought incredible scientific breakthroughs and relief at the prospect of a return to pre-pandemic life. It also brought into sharper focus the systemic inequalities that existed long before COVID-19, as we began to understand the effects of disruptions to livelihoods and access to education and healthcare.

Through it all, your generosity and the urgency of your response made sure that leaders could develop better tools, deliver solutions, and offer hope for the future. You made the stories of progress in this report possible.

Spotlight on 2021 Grantees

We go behind the scenes with partners and Gates Foundation experts, so you get the latest insights on the issues and projects you support.

African woman getting vaccinated

VillageReach: Enabling equitable vaccine delivery

VillageReach received $1.69 million to develop, test, and deploy strategies to strengthen supply chains and rapidly scale up COVID-19 vaccination delivery in underreached communities across Africa.

Centivax: Designing a universal flu vaccine

As one of several Grand Challenges awardees, Centivax received $375,000 to develop a broad-spectrum, or “universal,” influenza vaccine that can stand up to rapidly mutating viruses.

Prosperity Now: Supporting black entrepreneurship

Prosperity Now received $500,000 to build the capacity of Community Development Finance Institutions that provide Black businesses with technical assistance and access to capital.

A newborn inside the maternity ward of the district hospital in Ichhawar, Sehore District, Madhya Pradesh, India

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.: Reducing child mortality in India

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. received $750,000 to complete the national scale-up of the pneumococcal vaccine in India.