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 132 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 55 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 54 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 18 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 41 reviews)); "HR and management is poor" ((in 27 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 19 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

62% would recommend to a friend

(561 total reviews)

Mark Suzman

81% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.5

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.4

Culture & values

3.3

Work/Life balance

3.2

Career opportunities

2.9

Senior management

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

561 reviews

4.0

Jun 6, 2018

Great place to work, but not a place where everyone will thrive

Program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

1. Opportunity to play a part in addressing some of the biggest, most important challenges of our time 2. You'll get professional opportunities here you won't get anywhere else (e.g. who you get to work with, events you get to participate in, speakers that come to the foundation) 3. Unparalleled benefits 4. Beautiful workspace 5. Very flexible working schedule

Cons

You're experience will vary widely team-by-team, but basically: 1. The foundation has yet to create a culture and work environment where people of different backgrounds can thrive. Right now, it favors workaholic types with American communication styles (e.g. speaking in bullets, very direct) 2. Pretty much constant change--the decision-making process for which is not always transparent or fair. 3. While the CEO and executive leadership team are trying to address this, managers are generally pretty weak. Don't expect a lot of time or support in terms of mentorship or support to grow your career. 4. Because there are few open positions, it can be hard to "move up"--especially from PO to SPO and SPO to DD.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

In reading your thoughtful comments, my sense is that there's near universal agreement amongst all of us at BMGF on these "pros".... as well as wide agreement these "cons" can be improved upon, with continued genuine commitment, to make an even better foundation. -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

4.0

Jun 1, 2018

Overall Great Opportunity

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent Benefits Good but not great salary Good Work Life Balance (depending on team)

Cons

Constant organizational changes Little internal advancement

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Appreciate you taking time to share your thoughts -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

5.0

May 4, 2018

Associate Program Officer, Global Health

Associate program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission and incredible benefits

Cons

Work / life balance not always great.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Love hearing about your foundation experience. Interestingly, I learned at a recent gathering of HR heads of large foundations that the issue of work/life balance was a top concern across the entire sector. The weight we feel to make a positive difference often translates into long hours that can become contagious across teams. At BMGF, we will continue to think strategically about wellness and how culture can support each of us being at our best. -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

Viewing 307 - 309 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Senior Business Systems Analyst, HR & Payroll

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation

Senior Research Manager, Elimination & Eradication

Deputy Director, Ending Infectious Diseases

Senior Program Officer, Measurement, Learning, & Evaluation (9 month LTE)