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 140 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 58 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 48 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 18 reviews)); "Salaries are good for those coming from the non" ((in 12 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 29 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 21 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

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

Feb 11, 2017

Great if you are on the right team

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits are amazing. Campus is beautiful. You feel that you are a part of good work in the world.

Cons

It's an org full of Type-A workaholics. Your experience will vary wildly depending on whether your manager has the time and/or ability to manage their team.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for posting this helpful review. We certainly have an organization of deeply committed individuals and sometimes our time for management has been de-prioritized but hopefully, you will begin to see changes in this area as we focus on our management skills of our leaders.

5.0

Dec 31, 2016

Program Officer

Program officer, global development

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Stimulating environment and excellent place to work if you have a fantastic manager and autonomy. You'll find people who love the foundation and those who don't, and the differentiating factor is very often your manager and portfolio.

Cons

You'll hear mixed reviews of managers. There is too much inward focus on strategy. The organization could use more soul and a more earnest ear to hearing outside criticism.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thank you so very much for your thoughtful review of the foundation. We are continuing to work on our leadership and management expectations to ensure that all employees have a great manager to support the important work of the foundation. Happy New Year.

3.0

Apr 28, 2016

Gates

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission, high quality talent, amazing resources

Cons

High prioritization of strategy at the expense of a parallel emphasis on execution

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. I appreciate your insights and hope that you are seeing positive changes since your wrote this review.

Viewing 178 - 180 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

Senior Business Systems Analyst, HR & Payroll

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation

Senior Research Manager, Elimination & Eradication

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