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\Warren buffet donating to gates foundation.

markmc20001

Guest
Messages
877
Warren Buffett's Stock Donations to Gates Foundation Top $10 Billion

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43676962

After six years, Buffett has donated a total of 132.4 million Berkshire Class B shares, worth $10.3 billion at today's closing price of $77.77 .. or $9.5 billion if you use the stock price on the date of each donation.

I can think of better ways to spend that 10 billion. ;)
 

maddietod

Senior Member
Messages
2,859
I don't care why he's doing it! I want a "like" button for "Should we...beg?" and Caledonia's ideas. I wonder if a direct letter-writing campaign to the Gates Foundation, by us and others, would put us on their radar (if they don't take grant applications).

Madie
 

eric_s

Senior Member
Messages
1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
I also think we should try to get that kind of foundations to be aware of us and our situation. There's a huge potential there. And sorry if this sounds hard, but i don't think it's right they ignore one million of people in their own country. I realize there's a huge problem with HIV/AIDS in Africa, but nevertheless they should not just forget about us neither. And getting HIV can be avoided, everybody knows how (or they could know with a little bit of effort by their governments). We had no idea we could get this and what to do to prevent it... I'm all for helping poorer countries, animals, etc., but sometimes i think it's really totally wrong to not help your own people first.
 

markmc20001

Guest
Messages
877
I think Buffett is giving his money to The Gates foundation because he believes that Gates has an effective organization in place to impact the health of the world globally.

I've seen Buffett interviewed a number of times and he seems very trusting and probably figures Bill has determined the most effective methods of impacting world health through the Gates foundation.

I come from the position that Vaccines don't have enough good research and science behind them too prove they don't set off Autism and other disease. Even if some vaccines are good, I believe there are many better ways to genuinely improve the health of people around the world.

Everybody is going to have a different opinion on how to approach that potential bag of cash, but what I had in mind was letting Buffett know about the possible dangers of vaccines along with research that desperately need funds.

For instance. Maybe let Buffett know about the Dr Burzynski Movie. Dr Burzynski needs $300 million to apply for FDA approval on his cancer treatments. And of course the WPI with all of its potential.

Kind of a long shot, but maybe we could convince him to allocate a few bucks to some other worthy causes outside of the Gates foundation. Or at least, ask a few more questions of Bill Gates before shelling out another $10billion for vaccines and other Gates initiatives.
 
Messages
5,238
Location
Sofa, UK
I'm sure that Gates and Buffet already have postbags full of anti-vaccine letters, which they're well accustomed to ignoring, so I doubt that line of attack will do anything other than to get you filed in the bin.

I agree that if there is money going, then whoever it comes from, we should make a realistic attempt to get it used positively.

I'm very concerned about the politics of this mass vaccination drive as well, and about the politics of huge-scale philanthropy from multi-billionaires. It's certainly highly desirable that the ill-gotten gains of the super-rich should be used for good purposes...but of course the problem is that the charitable objectives end up in the hands of the very people who have siphoned off everybody's money in the first place...they aren't necessarily the best people to decide what the priorities should be.

Regarding the Gates foundation focus on overseas projects...last time I looked, they had a very big (even disproportionate) focus on educational, IT and scientific programmes within the US. Although I don't have any numbers, I don't think they are excessively focusing on overseas aid, and I wouldn't argue myself for 'charity begins at home' here...the concern I have is over whether the Gates Foundation are the best people to decide what's in the best interests of the poorest people in the world...maybe if they wrote off all the debt that's crippling african economies that would be more helpful? And finally, it's worth bearing in mind that Micro$oft is a global corporation, and they made their money out of everyone, so it's quite appropriate that some of that is recycled elsewhere in the world, otherwise the whole exercise would be more about supporting neo-colonialism than about charity (though I suspect that's what it's all about anyway in the final analysis...where does all the money that pays for all those vaccines finish up in the end, I wonder?...)
 

markmc20001

Guest
Messages
877
Agree we are not going to get anywhere will Bill Gates, I'm sure his mind is set.

I just don't think Warren Buffett has his heart in the same place as Bill on world health issues, but he may not want to rock the boat on that. Although, it is billions....

Warren Buffett might be approachable. I know some athletes can get thru to him. He basically sits around Omaha waiting for deals to come his way and drinking Cherry? Coke.

Just thought I would throw it out there.
 

Tuha

Senior Member
Messages
638
I think we dont need personally Gates or Buffett - what we need are some philanthropists who would support us.

I have some experiences from this area. Some years ago, I helped some charities to get some money - the principes were really simple. We prepared a good project and then we were searching for some donnors - we had a list of maybe 50 biggest philanthropists in my country and we simply contacted them and asked about giving us the time to present our projects. I was really surprised that it worked really well - except one charity we found a donnor for next 7 charities which we tried to support.
With ME/cfs I even see a lot of advantages that it could work. Its important to explain our bad situation because the philanthropists dont know about. ME/CFS sickness affect a lot of americans/europeans, there is almost no governemental research support, the sickness can make a big disability, XMRV finding,.....all these things can catch the attention of the philantrophists.
I think there are 2 important things how to be succesfull - the quality of the project, and to do personal presentation of the project (not with email or phone). Also what can be interesting that our sickness has not yet any support from any big famous philanthropist like cancer, heart diseases,...(or i dont know about)
someone would maybe like to become our "face".
I think what could also have some advantages - if we would present a common project with several ME/CFS researchers (big names can be important) - to show that we would like to do some cooperation. Also what is good - to show that you want to invest also your own money, so that you also have your own capital.
Here, are some links where you can find a lot of philanthropists/foundations - I was surprised how many are there - maybe this is also a way to go:
american philanthropists/foundations:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1124_biggest_givers/index.htm
http://www.gih.org/link_no_cat2664/link_no_cat.htm?requesttimeout=500
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Biomedical_research_foundations

european philanthropists/foundations:
http://www.philanthropyineurope.com/articles/crisis_what_crisis.html

here is one important question. who would contact those philanthropists? - I doubt that the researchers have time for it. So it has to be a ME/CFS organisation or a group of patients who would do it. But they need a good project which would catch the philanthropists attention. Do we have these structures to do this job?
 

markmc20001

Guest
Messages
877
I just throw ideas up, and do my best to send emails when I have energy. I know others here do what they can too.

I consider myself an observant and creative guy so it is kind of brainstorming/creative outlet for me. I enjoy putting ideas up and hope it sparks an idea for somebody to build on and run with.

Taking it to the next level where people present in person, like you suggest, is probably a more effective way to do raise serious cash donations. Makes total sense.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
What I was thinking was, it would probably not be us on this forum who hit up the the philanthropists, but we could put the idea in the minds of various orgs that we support such as WPI, IACFS/ME, National ME/FM Action Network (the Canadian one in the Vivint contest), etc.

I just have never heard of anything like this being tried, and there's all this potential money out there which we desperately need, so why not.

We could include Tuha's instructions on how to do it in our contact with the ME/CFS organizations. Make sure the idea/info gets to the right person in each organization.
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
In my other life. Before I was sick. I was involved in a charity and what we did is an annual tea where there was a interesting guest speaker. W set up tables with desserts, coffee, tea etc.. We also had raffles that eople donated like cruises, trips, jewelry which we had different vendors donate and we made a nice amount just with the raffles.
We sent out invitations to a targeted population and included raffle tickets they can buy if they can't physically come. We also got donations from many people even if they couldn't attend. The guest speaker was for entertainment but we also showed a video of what the charity does and how their money will be spent to help others. It raised awareness and every year, we had more and more people attending.

I'm just throwing the idea out there like Mark. Obviously I am not capable to do this any longer but, the organizations might be able to do it. Especially if they can get someone famous to be the guest of honor like a famous comedian.
 

Tuha

Senior Member
Messages
638
I think this would be a serious job for a ME/CFS organisation which knows good the situation, our needs and should have some contacts to researchers. Its important to have already a "respectable name" when you want to look seriously. I am not really a big professional in this area - we were just a group of people who wanted to help some organisations and we were surprised that our system worked really well - but maybe there can be also other ways.
If we look at our situation - we need support in all areas and each area need different amount of money - thats why it would be good to prepare more projects and then to start to present it to the philanthropists. Then it will depend on the money which you will get from him
I can imagine for example that there could be a project for:
- awareness activities (if we would get 10 000 -100 000 USD)
- research support (100 000 - 1 000 000)
- try to build another centre like WPI which would focus on ME/CFS (some millions)

I think to prepare a good project you need to be in contact with researchers and other ME/CFS organisations. I tried to contact WPI with this idea but I got no answer. So this job for a good U.S. ME/cfs organisation - do you know which could it be? - if you are in touch with some good organisations - dont hesitate to inform them about this possibility. With almost no money from governemental agencies this can be an important way how to get some money for our stuff
 

boomer

Senior Member
Messages
143
Raising Funds

We don't have much to bargain with to raise funds. We are looking for a new name for the disease though. For $5 million I would be glad to name the disease after someone's last name (particularly if the name sounds right) - like Parkinson's disease for example. That could end all the fuss over which medical name to call cfs and it would express our appreciation for finding the funds that make the big break.

Also in my city I have attended special evenings at restaurants where the tickets purchased go 100% to cancer research.

Maybe there could be an internet shopping mall set up where everyone agrees that orders or purchases that come in which identify themselves with cfs - revenues could be split 50-50.

Maybe there are scientific researchers that could volunteer towards cfs research and reduce the costs to complete the studies.
Anyways, just brainstorming.

The easiest way is if a wealthy individual leaves funds in their will. Wow! The waves of appreciation would never be forgotten.
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
Interesting article.
Look at who is giving a grant for this.
Yes, it's our "Bill & Melinda Gates"
So. Malaria is maybe a little more recognized of a disease than CFS but, for the right grant to let's say WPI - maybe they can change the name to "Gates and Whittmore Institute"?



Smelly Socks Help Fight Malaria
www.medicalnewstoday.com

he developers of an innovative outdoor decoy device that uses the odour of smelly socks or a similar synthetic smell to lure and kill malaria-carrying mosquitoes, have just won a grant to test their design and then take it from the lab through production to market.

Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have jointly awarded Tanzanian entomologist Dr. Fredros Okumu and his team at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, East Africa, the grant in order eventually for their mosquito traps to be available at low cost to the communities that most need them.

Every year, malaria infects 250 million and kills nearly 800,000 people around the world, most of them young children.

Dr. Peter A. Singer, Chief Executive Officer of Grand Challenges Canada, told the press that the innovative device could "contribute significantly to accelerating the elimination of malaria and save lives".

The decoy device, which resembles a portable weather station in the shape of a large box with louvred sides, is placed outside the home and complements indoor mosquito-foiling strategies such as bed nets and sprays.

In their research, Okumu and his team at the Ifakara Health Institute found that the most effective way to lure mosquitoes to the decoy device was to bait them with the odour of smelly socks, or using synthetic chemicals with a similar smell. They found that four times as many mosquitoes are lured by both the real odour and the synthetic version as they are by humans.

Once they are inside the decoy, the mosquitoes remain trapped or they are poisoned and die.

One may ask, why so much emphasis on smelly socks, why not just go for the synthetic bait?

According to the Washington Post, Okumu said smelly socks were readily available, you don't need to mix any chemicals and you can set up production in cottage factories. They are currently testing lots of ways to get hold of the smelly socks smell, including asking schoolchildren to put pads inside their shoes, wear them all day, then hand them in to the researchers.

Okumu said while there has been considerable progress in the global fight against malaria, there was still a lot of work to be done.

"Malaria has claimed so many lives, including those of people close to me, and my hope is that this innovative device will be part of the solution," he said.

But new ideas don't always make it from the inventor's bench to the marketplace, there are many hurdles to be overcome.

Something Joseph L. Rotman, a philanthropist and businessman who chairs the board of directors of Grand Challenges Canada, spoke about:

"Through a lifetime of hard lessons, I know that discovery is not enough."

"Discoveries also need to be implemented in the real world through business and social innovation," he added.

This is one reason that Grand Challenges Canada has stepped in with the grant, under its Integrated Innovation approach. They expect, that with this financial support, Okumu and his team will be able to test and improve the device and be able to scale up production and get it developed by the community in two years.

Sources: Grand Challenges Canada, Washington Post.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
 

justinreilly

Senior Member
Messages
2,498
Location
NYC (& RI)
As I understand it, the Gates foundation only focuses (and is only willing to fund) two areas: computer science education and mostly public health in developing countries. The rational for the last is that this is where the dollars will have the most bang for the buck and I totally agree with this. I also think vaccination is a good goal so I support that. That said, it is ridiculous that more research isn't done into vaccine injury (from extra 'adventitious' viruses getting in the vaccines etc) and how to prevent it. So I think it isn't the best bang for our buck to ask the Gates foundation.

Most charitable trusts and foundations have specific interests that they will exclusively fund. We would need to get lists of them and write proposals to them. Don't know how successful WPI and others have been at doing this. Do know that CAA has been very successful. A lot of their donations come from pretty random seeming foundations that partly focus on health care. This info comes from their annual report circa 2002 and an online database that lists contributions by foundations to other orgs (someone else looked up this latter info so i don't know exactly where to find it). Hitting up some of those same orgs and showing how WPI or other ME orgs/projects are much better and more efficient than CAA would be what I would do.

I agree with Tuha that it would be best for an established org like WPI, OFFER, MCWPA etc to do this. Perhaps some interested people could contact whoever is in charge of fundraising at WPI, etc and see if they would accept volunteers to help them with this effort. Maybe this is a copout, but I currently am not healthy enough to work on this.