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 130 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 56 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 49 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 21 reviews)); "Salaries are good for those coming from the non" ((in 14 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 26 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 17 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

1.0

Feb 9, 2016

The Hunger Games lived daily.

Business analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Mission & benefits but not worth abuse from colleagues and managers.

Cons

Management is incompetent; crippled by bureaucracy. They can't make a decision without hiring at least two consulting firms tell them what they should do. The consulting firms have this figured out and take advantage at every turn, but management can't see it. Fear of technology and change is a core competency at the foundation. Stay away from IT if you like working with the latest and greatest technology. Change management and holding the users hand are the most critical elements of a project. If you don't like writing job aids for bone headed talks, the foundation is not for you. The foundation has implemented the stack ranking review process Microsoft abandoned two years ago. It was very interesting to see how it plays out in a female dominated workplace. It is much more brutal than at Microsoft. Lies about my character, that my boss knew was false ended up in my review. I've seen four people in four years get fired by my boss or direct reports because they don't like them. The environment reminds me of the sorority I quit in college. There is no teamwork.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

I'm sorry your experience wasn't a positive one during your time at the foundation. If there's anything else you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. Pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

5.0

Feb 4, 2016

program support

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

amazing environment with challenging work and great people to work with.

Cons

i have no concerns for the organization. people i work with are dedicated to the work of the foundation

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. I'm so glad that you are finding the environment to be amazing.

5.0

Jan 24, 2016

Great opportunities for hard working individuals

Senior program assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The mission of the foundation is one that makes you proud to come to work every day. That coupled with an amazing facility to work in and smart, caring coworkers, make it a great place to work.

Cons

Opportunities for advancement are far and few between. It isn't impossible but it not only takes hard work but you need the good fortune of a manager who cares about your career. Not everyone finds themselves in this fortunate situation.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. I appreciate your advice to management. As a matter of fact, we now have dual career paths; one for technical experts without management requirements and the other for individuals that thrive on managing and building great teams. We need both at the foundation and I appreciate your comments.

Viewing 400 - 402 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation

Senior Research Scientist, Population Health Modeling (Nutrition and Disease) (*2-year LTE)

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

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

Portfolio and Platform Lead, MNCNH Artificial Intelligence (*3-Year LTE)