About HGBF

About the Howard G. Buffett Foundation

Statement of Purpose

Established in 1999, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation’s (HGBF) primary mission is to improve the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations. Our focus is on international programs that operate in challenging environments, including areas with reasonable risk, where there is great need for our support. Our highest priorities are agricultural resource development for smallholder and subsistence farmers and clean water delivery to vulnerable communities in Africa and Central America.

The Foundation’s second-tier funding includes nutrition-based programs, projects for refugees and internally displaced people, support for journalism-based projects primarily directed at student learning and improved governance, limited work in specific areas of conservation and programs in the local communities in which we have a presence.

The Foundation concentrates our resources on programs that traditionally have difficulty in attracting funding because of geographic location, perceived risks and other challenges. We work in difficult environments, particularly conflict and post-conflict regions and seek opportunities where our funding will drive success and can leverage additional support. Our future focus will be less on individual projects and more on identifying ideas that are transformative in nature.

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. We typically manage our funding to avoid distributions over multiple years. HGBF does not provide general operating support.

December 31, 2045, has been set as the final dissolution of the Foundation’s assets.