Say what you want about Bill Gates in his Microsoft avatar, but he is the most impressive philanthropist. By far.

The Gates Foundation is not futzing around handing nickles and dimes to every worthy cause out there. They are focused on the big picture – solving real issues (health) that affect millions if not billions of people.

In our lifetime, they will be responsible for eradication a major disease. That is just… mindblowing. It is humbling and empowering and gives me so much hope that money, used effectively, can have an incredible impact in the philanthropic realm.

Thank you Bill Gates.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Microsoft founder Bill Gates gave $168.7 million to develop vaccines for malaria, part of $3 billion in funding announced on Thursday to tackle Africa’s biggest killer disease.

Gates said the funding for the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, in conjunction with GlaxoSmithKline Plc, will support “next-generation” vaccines research to find longer-lasting protection against the mosquito-borne disease.
Gates gives $168 mln for malaria vaccines research – Yahoo! News