Gates Foundation takes on poverty in the U.S. with $100 million commitment

By THALIA BEATY
Associated Press

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska (AP) — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Thursday that it will donate $100 million to expand its work on economic mobility in the U.S. The country’s largest foundation says the commitment represents a change in how it operates by putting more power in the hands of grantees. The funds will go to organizations working to connect people without college degrees to jobs, to help people claim government benefits and influencing small- and medium-businesses to adjust working conditions to help people balance personal and work commitments. The funds will also go to helping local governments learn about policies to lift people in their community out of poverty.