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

2.0

Jun 24, 2016

Seems inspiring, but internal politics prevent impact

Program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-Admirable mission -Passionate colleagues -Work with experts in your field and people doing interesting things -Good benefits

Cons

-Very political and bureaucratic, like working in a dysfunctional government department -Stuck in an "ivory tower", force implementation of strategies because leadership "think" they will work, without really gathering data or information from practitioners in the field -Lots of turf wars and political backstabbing -Because there is virtually no internal promotion, all leaders are from outside the Foundation. Many are experts in their field, but many are not, so combine a lack of expertise with a lack of competence. -Often tone deaf around how initiatives are playing out in the field -Has a reputation in the field of being unpredictable and prone to goose chases

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your feedback about your experiences as a Program Officer here. While, it's always difficult to hear about your negative experience, I appreciate your point of view and would welcome a discussion directly with you if you so desire. Thanks pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

3.0

Mar 10, 2016

program assistant

Program assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are wonderful and campus is beautiful

Cons

No upward or promotions for PA positions

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thank you so much for your review. We do recognize that it is quite difficult for PA's to get promoted. I'd appreciate you reaching out to me so that we can discuss further. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

4.0

Jan 6, 2016

Program Assistant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This company is known for it's great benefits. I traveled frequently and got overtime. I loved the team I was a part of and the grantees I worked with.

Cons

A new CEO is reducing work force and responsibilities associated with this role. It went from overseeing logistics and relationships to a purely administrative one. There was only one time when anyone in this role got promoted, and it was through a highly competitive and unorganized round of promotions, which damaged morale and trust.

Viewing 136 - 138 of 561 Reviews

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