Philanthrocapitalism: Direction of the Global Funding Streams

The second and more significant financial input into both US and global campaigning against THR has come from Bloomberg Philanthropies (BP), with some assistance from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

This is a ‘simplified’ picture of the direction of the global funding streams, much of which appears devoted to action against tobacco harm reduction. There will be many in-country local grantees and other organisations who also campaign against THR and who cite CFTK, Bloomberg and Gates as ‘partners’, without any clarity as to what this means.

Foundation funding is differentiated from other forms of charitable financing as there are no public donations, government or other charitable third-party funding. Money derives from the profits of the founder’s business and investment interests. Foundations are nothing new; the Rockefeller Foundation was established in 1913; the Ford Foundation in 1936. A new ethos driving modern day philanthropy applies management methods and metrics to the running of philanthropic projects on the basis that doing good is good for business.

See also p.100 of the report: Burning Issues: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2020