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 131 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 54 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 51 reviews)); "Great benefits and pay." ((in 23 reviews)); "Salaries are good for those coming from the non" ((in 11 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 39 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 20 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 18 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

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Gates Foundation

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 category

4.5

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.4

Culture & values

3.3

Work/Life balance

3.2

Career opportunities

2.9

Senior management

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

561 reviews

3.0

Mar 9, 2016

Overhiring is a Major Issue....

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This is a wonderful organization that does incredible work, and feeling like you're contributing to the mission is incredibly motivating and inspiring. The CEO is a brilliant woman and seems to generally care about the happiness and well-being of the staff. The work done by the program teams, in spite of themselves, is valuable and important work. We are making a difference.

Cons

OMG -- seriously, stop with the over-hiring! Just because you CAN hire a double- or triple PhD from Harvard doesn't mean you SHOULD. Overall the organization is STILL too large, too reliant on contractors and consultants (don't get me started on IT) and the scope of your work will be incredibly small, so you will fee like you just magically stepped ten years back in your career. Nowhere to develop, grow, or advance. Stagnation.

Gates Foundation Response

Thank you so much for your thoughts on areas of improvement. I would love to sit down with you to understand a bit better what you are seeing from your vantage point. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

4.0

Mar 4, 2016

Not for everyone

Senior program assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You have the opportunity to be a part of doing something positive in the world and to meet some terrific people.

Cons

It can feel like working for a behemoth and decision-making is confusing and often senseless, even on small teams.

Gates Foundation Response

Thanks so much for your review. I apologize for the tardiness of my response. As you know, we are working hard on making improvements around process and decision making.

3.0

Feb 20, 2016

B&MGF

Grants and contracts coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Very well run organization. A lot of unnecessary thought process and re-working of the machine out of the sake of boredom.

Cons

Lots of politics and networking necessary for advancement. Make sure you align yourself with someone who can politic on your behalf.

Gates Foundation Response

Thanks so much for your review.

Viewing 397 - 399 of 561 Reviews

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Overhiring is a Major Issue....

Not for everyone

B&MGF

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