Is Gates Foundation a good company to work for?

Gates Foundation has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 699 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months. 62% of employees would recommend working at Gates Foundation to a friend and 70% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Gates Foundation have been left by employees working as Program Assistant , Senior Program Assistant and Associate Program Officer .

Does Gates Foundation pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Gates Foundation employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Gates Foundation. This rating has improved by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Gates Foundation?

62% of Gates Foundation employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Gates Foundation 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.4 for culture and values and 3.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Gates Foundation?

Program Officer (56) , Program Assistant (40) , Senior Program Officer (36) , Deputy Director (20) , Senior Program Assistant (16) , Associate Program Officer (12) , Program Coordinator (11) , Project Manager (9) , Director (7) , Program Manager (7) , Senior Officer (6) , Associate Strategy Officer (5) , Consultant (5) , Intern (5) , Senior Program Coordinator (5)

What are the pros of working at Gates Foundation according to real employee reviews?

"Benefits are great and very comprehensive" ((in 139 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 52 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 48 reviews)); "Great benefits and pay." ((in 18 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 15 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Gates Foundation according to real employee reviews?

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 42 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 25 reviews)); "You will be the luckiest if you end up in a team that has a great manager." ((in 21 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 19 reviews)); "Terrible work/life balance." ((in 15 reviews))

What are employees saying about Gates Foundation layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Gates Foundation layoffs and their outlook for job security at Gates Foundation in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Gates Foundation locations?

Seattle , Washington , New York , Chicago , Ridgewood , North Chicago , Vienna , Phoenix , Omaha , Arlington , San Antonio , Virginia , Los Angeles , Mountain View , Palo Alto , United , Laurel , Jacksonville , Boston , Cambridge , Springfield , South Seattle

Gates Foundation reviews

3.7

62% would recommend to a friend

(561 total reviews)

Mark Suzman

81% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (561 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Gates Foundation has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 561 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Gates Foundation employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Nonprofit & NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

561 reviews

3.0

Jan 3, 2017

Great mission, management needs work

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There is something about walking through the doors at the Gates Foundation that is super empowering. The Foundation is taking on enormous challenges, and it feels good to contribute to that mission.

Cons

The ability to collaborate across programs needs some work. There are some managers who use fear as a strategy, which seems very counterintuitive to the overall mission.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Happy New Year and thanks so much for your review. I share your experience when walking through the doors. In order to create a more powerful collaboration across programs,our leaders will be prioritizing the collective success of our work over their own individual and team achievements. If you have additional feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

5.0

Dec 31, 2016

Program Officer

Program officer, global development

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Stimulating environment and excellent place to work if you have a fantastic manager and autonomy. You'll find people who love the foundation and those who don't, and the differentiating factor is very often your manager and portfolio.

Cons

You'll hear mixed reviews of managers. There is too much inward focus on strategy. The organization could use more soul and a more earnest ear to hearing outside criticism.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thank you so very much for your thoughtful review of the foundation. We are continuing to work on our leadership and management expectations to ensure that all employees have a great manager to support the important work of the foundation. Happy New Year.

5.0

Nov 30, 2016

Happy Happy

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Absolutely compelling mission and an opportunity to work with world-class people from all over the world in health, development and education. There is some turn over at the foundation and most professionals come in at a mid-point in their careers and stay for a few years before moving on to the next big thing.

Cons

Sometimes difficult to see the nexus between the work being done in Seattle and how it is actually affecting people in the "field." Management is improving - in particular with some recent hires of true managers in the fields the foundation works in.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. I'm happy to hear that you feel management is improving since it is such a focus of the ELT right now.

Viewing 358 - 360 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

Senior Business Systems Analyst, HR & Payroll

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation

Deputy Director, Ending Infectious Diseases

Senior Research Manager, Elimination & Eradication