During his annual philanthropy conference this year, Bill Clinton has tried to have more so-called mega-commitments — pledges by a large group of people focusing on often-overlooked global problems.

The big promises provide an insight into what the former president, and the scholars and philanthropy experts he hires to organize the conference, consider to be important issues.

So far, the mega-commitments have included money for clean water and sanitation, assistance to entrepreneurs in poor countries, mobile phones to link needy people to financial services, and programs to feed impoverished students.