Page 137 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

1. Philanthropy
Philanthropy plays a significant role in financing public benefit initiatives, with contributions

coming from individuals, family foundations, and collaborative donor groups. One of the most
prominent philanthropic movements is The Giving Pledge, launched in 2010 as a commitment by
some of the world’s wealthiest individuals to contribute a substantial portion of their wealth to
charitable causes. As discussed in Chapter 2, the initiative has become a landmark in global
fundraising for the public good. Within a decade, a growing number of billionaires had joined.
These included Elon Musk and Mackenzie Bezos, who collectively pledged an estimated $500
billion (Piper, 2019). Participants commit to donating at least half of their wealth during their
lifetime or through their estate. Warren Buffett, for example, has pledged to give away 99 percent
of his wealth for philanthropic purposes. Prominent examples of philanthropic organizations
include:

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is one of the largest private charitable
foundations in the world. Established in 2000 by Bill and Melinda Gates, the foundation is
committed to improving global healthcare, reducing poverty, expanding access to education,
and enhancing the availability of information technology. As of 2024, the Gates family has

donated over 100 billion USD, approximately 6 billion of which has been directed through the
Gates Foundation. The foundation is a major funding source for a wide range of philanthropic
initiatives and impact investment efforts. Its principal focus areas include health, agriculture,
education, gender equality, and support for disadvantaged populations.

Among its most prominent initiatives is the Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) program,
which was developed to spur innovation in addressing global health and development issues.
The program promotes bold, early-stage ideas by offering initial grants of 100,000 USD, with
follow-on funding of up to 1 million USD available for projects that demonstrate strong
potential for impact and scalability.

Notable examples of supported projects include the Next Generation Condom, which seeks to
improve the design and usability of condoms to increase effectiveness in preventing sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies, and Drought-Tolerant Crops, which
focuses on developing resilient crop varieties capable of withstanding prolonged drought
conditions in order to improve food security and agricultural productivity in water-scarce
regions (Gates Foundation).

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