Michael H. Schill, 17th president of Northwestern University (Left) & Bill Gates (Right) | Northwestern University
Michael H. Schill, 17th president of Northwestern University (Left) & Bill Gates (Right) | Northwestern University
That's according to an analysis by Restoration News examining the recent funding activities of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The analysis revealed that Northwestern University was granted 1 award in 2025.
According to the report examining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s recent funding of American universities, since the start of 2025, the Gates Foundation has awarded 59 grants to 44 universities worldwide, with many of the largest amounts going to elite institutions in the United States. These donations help entrench ideologies in academia, including Critical Race Theory, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, and gender-related curricula.
Harvard and Columbia Universities are cited both as major recipients of Gates Foundation money. Harvard reportedly received over $1.3 million this year. The report references the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay, citing both plagiarism and her handling of campus protests. Columbia, which received over $425,000 from the Gates Foundation, was the main campus for Pro-Palestine protests. The report mentions a library takeover by protestors and the arrest of students involved in anti-Israel demonstrations.
Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania are also influenced by both Gates Foundation funding and left-leaning political activism, according to the Restoration News report. Cornell, having received $450,000, faced backlash for a scheduled performance by a musician with anti-Israel rhetoric and now offers classes centered on race, gender, and global politics. The University of Pennsylvania, which received $100,000, is noted for its past ties to the Biden classified documents investigation and more recent protests on its campus. These examples point to a systemic shift in American higher education—one, it claims, that is being driven in part by philanthropic efforts from figures like Bill Gates.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, founded in 2000, is one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations with an endowment exceeding $70 billion, according to their website.
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