There’s been one story and one story alone in philanthropy town this week. That’s the departure of Melinda French Gates from the foundation she co-founded with her former husband more than two decades ago.
As part of the deal, French Gates will get an extra $12.5 billion to put toward her own philanthropic endeavors. She’s expected to announce more about her plans for that soon, but given her track record it’s likely to go toward women’s empowerment causes.
Simultaneously, since women’s rights have always been French Gates’ passion project, her departure raises a question about what will happen to the Gates Foundation’s gender work — although, according to a Devex analysis, it has spent just a fraction of the settlement figure on projects to empower women and girls. So either way, it’s likely to work out as a boost for women’s causes.