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 140 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 58 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 48 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 18 reviews)); "Salaries are good for those coming from the non" ((in 12 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 42 reviews)); "HR and management is poor" ((in 29 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 21 reviews)); "You will be the luckiest if you end up in a team that has a great manager." ((in 21 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

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

4.0

May 21, 2016

Not perfect, but overall a good place to work

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Incredible, inspiring mission. Opportunity to work with lots of smart, committed and talented people both within and outside the organization For a non-profit, the compensation is above average Great benefits

Cons

High workload Work environment can be dysfunctional, depending on which team you work with Too much politics and drama

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. I appreciate your advice to management and if you'd like to share more details, please feel free to reach out to me directly. As you are aware, the focus on culture is on top of Sue's and the ELT's agenda. Please let me know if you have specific feedback. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

1.0

May 15, 2016

Rode hard and...yeah...

Project coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The mIddle- and low-level employees that actually get the day-to-day work done are amazing individuals. Some of the smartest, most compassionate people I've ever met. Great benefits package (5 stars). Salaries are good for those coming from the non-profit world, but no where near where they need to be for the level of work that's being done (1 star).

Cons

Leadership is not interested in employee development whatsoever. They say that each person has a budget allowance for it each year, but in 8 years, none of my requests were ever approved. Management is more interested in paying BIG BIG bucks to McKinsey and the like instead of developing their own talent. Good employees are used and abused and then unceremoniously let go when their positions have been "phased out" due to yet another reorganization.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thank you for taking the time to share this honest feedback with us. As you know, our work is founded on the belief that all lives have equal value, and we aim—sometimes falling short—to create a workplace that lives up to that ideal. We also strongly believe in professional development and it's unfortunate that you didn't experience that during your tenure. If you'd like to share more details, I'm open to a discussion with you directly. Please don't hesitate to reach out. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

4.0

May 10, 2016

Mobile Application Engineer

Mobile developer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are learning enviornment and they work for Healthcare industries.

Cons

having team development issue and some project related issues.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. I am certainly hope that you can discuss the development and project issues with your manager. If you don't feel comfortable doing so, please reach out to me so that I can provide coaching to you on how best to approach this conversation. Thanks again. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

Viewing 385 - 387 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

Senior Research Manager, Elimination & Eradication

Coordinator, Business Project Management (Convenings) (LTE until 31 December 2027)