By Coral Garnick
While the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is known worldwide and makes contributions around the globe, the Seattle-based nonprofit has made hefty contributions in its hometown.
An economic impact study commissioned by the foundation shows it funneled $545 million into King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in 2015 that translated into $1.5 billion in economic activity.
That includes $327 million in grants that went directly to regional organizations such as PATH and the University of Washington.
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The $210 million donation will go toward a new Population Health Initiative building, which will serve as a hub for collaboration on population health across a range of disciplines at UW. When completed, it will house the Department of Global Health, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and portions of the School of Public Health.