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 143 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 57 reviews)); "Fantastic and smart colleagues" ((in 50 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 15 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 11 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 36 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 25 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 22 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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (561 reviews)

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

Aug 11, 2014

Complex organization with admirable mission, well-meaning employees, and significant cultural issues.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful co-workers. Unlimited access to incredible information, guest speakers, knowledge, resources from the philanthropic/global development sector. Worthy mission. Fantastic perks and benefits.

Cons

No clear decision making rubric across teams/org.; little room for advancement or growth, complex, competitive culture.

4.0

Feb 17, 2014

It is a very different place from the organization that I started working at

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

No matter where in the organization, you feel like you are part of something that is intent on making changes from next door to all over the world. Location is near South Lake Union, right next to Seattle Center so you are near lots of activities. Good food onsite. Open working environment with the technology to back it up. I have a lot of great memories there.

Cons

Silo'd Teams, a great deal of opportunity for improvement in communication departments. As the size has grown larger, the culture has changed, politicking is what gets you ahead instead of whether you are moving the team ahead. Risk is equated with bad, things are said to encourage it but... Hiring from outside is the norm, once you are in.

2.0

Oct 29, 2013

In a word, disappointing.

Grants management

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission, benefits, and name to add to your resume.

Cons

Contrary to the mission the Foundation doesn’t value people, employee retention, or people management skills in their work force. The craze of competition and murky political waters penetrates even the simplest of tasks and is exhausting even for the most game. The entire foundation lacks heart, caring, and compassion. Intelligence without passion and common sense makes for a giant think tank that isn’t connected to the the people the Foundation aims to serve.

Viewing 127 - 129 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

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)

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

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation