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 137 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 58 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 52 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 20 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 15 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 41 reviews)); "HR and management is poor" ((in 25 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 16 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

4.0

Nov 11, 2025

Rewarding experience; not a huge pathway for growth

Senior communications officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Impactful work, generous salary and benefits, thoughtful and kind colleagues

Cons

Organization is very top heavy and therefore not much room for upward professional growth

5.0

Nov 10, 2025

Mission-Driven Org w/ Great Perks

Strategy officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Strong focus on mission which feeds into the culture and people - Rigorous and intellectually stimulating - Highly competitive pay and benefits (healthcare, parental benefits, travel policy etc)

Cons

- Increasingly bureaucratic - Can be political at high levels - A bit fragmented and siloed as an organization (knowledge sharing and access to information varies by team)

2.0

Oct 14, 2025

Peak performative self-righteousness

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

pay & benefits (what most people are really there for)

Cons

toxic dysfunctional culture, ineffective leadership

Viewing 13 - 15 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

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

Associate Communications Officer, Social Media

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation

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

Global Accounting Services Chief Financial Officer