How did IDRC use the Gates Foundation's money? Why did African entities only receive 33% of the budget? What happened to the 67% that were not allocated to African partners?
IDRC's management has been criticized because of the presence of a representative of the tobacco industry as a Chair of their Board as Chair Barbara Mc Dougall was until March 2010 also on the board of BAT's Imperial Tobacco Canada.
Another question worth asking is: What did IDRC do with the Gates Foundation money under McDougall's stewardship? What did IDRC do with the $3.505.535 that were not allocated to African grantees?
On December 2007, the Gates Foundation awarded $5.274.477 to IDRC to promote tobacco control in Africa. At the very same time, Barbara McDougall who was a Director of Imperial Tobacco Canada was promoted to the position of Chair of the IDRC Board of Governors. Under her chairmanship the African grantees apparently received CAD 1.768.942 that represents between 30 and 33 % of the grant awarded by the Gates Foundation. What happened to the 67% that were not allocated to African grantees?
Look at the list of the IDRC grants in Africa funded by the Gates Foundation.
How to calculate the amounts allocated by IDRC?
1.768.942 CAD = 1.724.807 US$ representing 33% (32,7%) of 5.274.477$ from the Gates Foundation. If one adds the 500K CAD invested by IDRC (as part of the contract with Gates), the proportion drops to 30,6%... and the proportion is even lower as one should also add the interests produced by the Gates funds when they were not spent. One should also take into account the variation in the value of the Canadian dollar versus the US dollar.
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