The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a $21 billion endowment, distributing grants in excess of $2 billion a year. And every year, the amount the foundation gives to London-based International Planned Parenthood Federation grows. Gates gave $1.7 million in 1998, $3 million in 1999 and now, in 2000, $8.8 million. This year's grant will be spread over five years.

Wendy Wright, with Concerned Women for America, criticized the contribution.

"International Planned Parenthood Federation is an especially controversial organization because they are deeply involved in China's one-child (per family) policy," Wright said. "They not only help direct it, they help fund it and their hands are everywhere in it."

She added: "I think it would behoove people to let Bill Gates and the foundation know what they think about this."

Edward Szymkowiak, of the American Life League, said the contribution is further complicated by the fact that Gates made his money through selling a popular product.

"A lot of us use Bill Gates' products, so I suppose you could make the argument that we're giving Bill Gates money to use his products, and Bill Gates is using that money to fund Planned Parenthood," Szymkowiak said.

Christian computing experts say to Gates' credit, Microsoft makes software available to churches and other nonprofit groups at a steep discount. However, pro-lifers wish his foundation money would stop funding the death of the unborn.

Szymkowiak said he searched through the foundation's most recent annual report and discovered that more than $87 million goes to population-control groups around the world.

"That's a sad fact of life in a culture of death," Szymkowiak said.

TAKE ACTION: Contact the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and express your opposition to the foundation giving money to groups, such as the International Planned Parenthood Foundation, that support and/or perform abortions. For contact information, see the foundation's Web site.