IsraelGrants, Resource Development for Israeli Nonprofits

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Has recently been subject to a series of hoaxes which request information from grant applicants concerning their organization. If you have recently applied to the Gates Foundation, we recommend that you be in contact with them directly at info@gatesfoundation.org to make sure that you have made an application through their system and that you are being considered. The Gates Foundation has added the following:

"….Several of these scams are fairly sophisticated. Recently, several legitimate websites posted a request for the submission of grant applications to a Ms. Agnes Hienz at secretariat@bill-melindagatesfoundation.org. This is not an authorized foundation email address. Applicants are asked to provide a detailed grant application and comprehensive financial information about their organization. Prior to receiving their grant award, applicants are also asked to make a $2,500 payment to cover the administrative and handling fees for the grant award. These emails, websites, and accompanying materials and claims are in no way associated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, or any foundation employees. "

Additional scams include:

• Directing users to an infected website or claim the recipient has won a lottery or other prize and request detailed personal information or a payment of some kind in order to receive the winnings.
• Claiming that the recipient has been invited to a conference or summit purportedly hosted by the foundation and request the submission of a registration fee or other expenses to attend.
• Web sites that promise large returns on investments and claim a portion of returns will be donated to the foundation

If you have any questions concerning the above, or if you would like help applying to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, please contact our office at 02-5636629