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 139 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 52 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 48 reviews)); "Great benefits and pay." ((in 18 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 42 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 25 reviews)); "You will be the luckiest if you end up in a team that has a great manager." ((in 21 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 19 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

5.0

Aug 10, 2017

Excellent Company

Program assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The mission, the BENEFITS, the travel, and the people - it is an amazing place to work.

Cons

Most people in administrative roles are over qualified for their job. There isn't a clear career path at the organization.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Thanks so much for your feedback.

3.0

Jun 28, 2017

Associate Program Officer

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission, but difficult working environment.

Cons

Very competitive staff, Managers who a subject matter experts, but weak managers

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks for your review. As Sue Hellmann has said, "everyone deserves a great manager." The Executive Leadership team, the HR organization and many other leaders are working to make this a consistent experience for our employees. While we have made improvements over the last year, we know that this work is critical and we will continue to make this a priority. If you'd like to share more details, please reach out to me pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org or your HR business partner.

4.0

Mar 10, 2017

Fantastic Organization with a Great Mission (and some disfunction)

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The Mission - You feel great, that you have helped the world become a better place The Benefits - You will NEVER have benefits this great... The WorkPlace - Every office is new with a good focus on making the workplace world renowned for its staff

Cons

Shifting Priorities - The Foundation's mission is consistent, but constant revisions to projects and priorities creates a never-ending feeling of start/stop, re-org, starting new work, end work, sometimes restarting etc. Experts as managers - Bringing 'field' experts (educational or medical) in to act as managers...when that is not really their skill sets creates unrealistic expectations and sometimes poor management situations. Technology - with as much endowment as the foundation has one is always surprised at how poor/outdated their overall technology is (financial, Data, Grant Management etc.)

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your post. I'm pleased to see that your advice to management are all areas of focus for the ELT and other senior leaders as we work on improving the culture of the organization.

Viewing 196 - 198 of 561 Reviews

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