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 136 reviews)); "Great people to work for" ((in 56 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 51 reviews)); "Great benefits and pay." ((in 21 reviews)); "Great opportunities to learn about making an impact at scale" ((in 14 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 40 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 23 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 20 reviews)); "You will be the luckiest if you end up in a team that has a great manager." ((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

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

Sep 2, 2015

It's all about the manager

Program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Ridiculously good benefits, beautiful campus, frequent high-profile visitors

Cons

When there is a management issue, it is virtually impossible to get it addressed regardless of the route you take to deal with it. If you make too much noise about it, you become the problem.

3.0

Jul 19, 2015

Eh...

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, beautiful campus, great cafe. New technologies give you a chance to get experience with new tools. Parking available!

Cons

Poor management and while leadership has talked for years of focusing on improving skills, it doesn't happen. No longer the 'family foundation' it once was.

1.0

Mar 25, 2015

Besides Rigor, Collaboration, and Optimism, and Innovation - you could add Humility. It is lacking a great deal...

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Want to get things done? Its who you know and how you stroke their ego. Benefits are great.

Cons

Still an "Old Boys Club", as in "It's who you know". Positions in leadership rarely get opened up to staff and others outside of the org. It is given to people who are the most vocal, stroke peoples egos, and play the political games.

Viewing 76 - 78 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Associate Communications Officer, Social Media

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

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

Senior Business Systems Analyst, HR & Payroll

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