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

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

1.0

Aug 11, 2010

Complete disconnect between what you think you'll be doing there and what you'll actually be doing there.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Publicly stated mission is admirable. Good benefits. Although it seems to be changing, some in the outside world think it is a sexy place to work.

Cons

Limited professional growth opportunities. Very limited opportunities to connect to the stated mission of the organization. Weak leadership. Unreasonable and constantly changing goals and objectives. Disconnect between the nonprofit pay scale and the for profit work load. Pattern of hiring "shiny new stars" with impressive credentials and then effectively eliminating all decision making empowerment once the new hire is on board. All lives do not have equal value inside the organization. Demoralizing work environnment with continual churn.

4.0

May 4, 2017

Director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It is the best of all worlds; mission driven, in a time in history that is unique, where our mission is understood and has such an opportunity for impact at scale; enough resources and investments to gain personal experience and personal growth; In the middle of defining and building a great internal culture; Amazing benefits, fulfilling work, good people, emerging values.

Cons

Get stuck in old stories, emphasize the complexity and difficulty in the work rather than the opportunity, put self care behind the mission and in turn lessen our impact.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thank you so much for your review. I really appreciate your helpful insight and most particularly the need for employees' self care. If you have any thoughts on how best to help our employees do this, I would love to chat with you as it is a focus of my team right now. Pam.Yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

4.0

Jul 1, 2016

Real commitment to culture change.

Operations manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

An amazing mission, many wonderful caring people, challenging global problems, and incredible resources make for a stimulating and dynamic environment.

Cons

There's a serious effort underway to improve the culture, and unlock the true potential of this place. It will take some time, but I'm impressed with our CEO's commitment. Culture is a top priority for her and I'm seeing hopeful signs that we're on the right path.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

It's great that you see Sue Desmond-Hellmann and the Executive Leadership Team's commitment to improving the culture within the foundation. Thanks for taking the time to post about your experience. Best regards, Pam Yanchik Connealy, Head of Talent

Viewing 133 - 135 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

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

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