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. 63% 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?

63% 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 129 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 59 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 54 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 37 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 22 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 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

63% 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

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

9y

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

3.0

Mar 14, 2015

Great in a lot of way, not so great in some important ways

Program manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-Opportunity to work for an organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of others -Environment where everyone feels passion for the mission -Continual learning opportunities -Amazingly talented and motivated colleagues -Participating in conversations with great thinkers and subject-matter experts -Very good compensation and benefits

Cons

-Culture of perfectionism -Inconsistent experience across the foundation in terms of job satisfaction (brilliant minds do not always translate into great managers) -Lots of fire-drills and seemingly unnecessary churn -Tools and systems are not as sophisticated as needed to support programs/operations -Continual change and tendency towards complexity -Extremely challenging to find work/life balance -Llimited opportunities for career progression

2.0

Jan 9, 2016

Senior Program Officer

Senior program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Sharp colleagues. Most ventures are honorable, close-to-the-heart kinds of endeavors. Red carpet everywhere you go to represent the foundation. Great perks.

Cons

Little to negative concern for staff, which hampers zest, confidence and innovative thinking.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks for your review. I'm sorry that you didn't have a positive experience as a Senior Program Officer. I know that the majority of managers care deeply about their employees and if there's anything additional you'd like to share with me directly about your experience, please don't hesitate to reach out. Pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

Viewing 49 - 51 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Associate Communications Officer, Social Media

Senior Communications Officer, Creative Partnerships (Limited Term Role*)

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

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

Senior Business Systems Analyst, HR & Payroll