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 57 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 49 reviews)); "it was alright and good pay" ((in 18 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 14 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 40 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 19 reviews)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 18 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 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

5.0

Apr 19, 2018

Grants and Contracts Administrator

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Powerful mission; great benefits; well-meaning leadership.

Cons

Constant change / re-organizations; too much "plate spinning"; prone to work/life imbalance.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

I appreciate the call-out about "well-meaning leadership." This should be a basic standard for anyone to be in a leadership position, but all too often, can't be taken for granted these days. Also thanks for the guidance concerning support/program staff balance. -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

3.0

Mar 27, 2018

Too many layers and constant process change

Program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent pay and benefits. Flexibility in developing and managing grants.

Cons

Too many layers of "managers" and "consultants" with minimal development experience between program officers and the co chairs. More talk about "rigor" and "intellectual dialogue" than actually existed.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

We continue to reflect and rethink on the many types of diverse skills, experiences backgrounds and life stories we need to realize our audacious goals. Your advice on hiring backgrounds is appreciated. -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

4.0

Mar 20, 2018

Senior Program Officer

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Incredible opportunity to see how global systems work and where one can add value. Interactions with normative agencies, global private sector organizations and top notch academic institutions make this an amazing place to work. Add to that the potential impact that one can make with a significant amount of resources at you disposal is truly awesome.

Cons

The foundation has struggled to achieve a collaborative culture for many years now. While progress has been made in career and leadership development, the lack of a collaborative culture inhibits the potential progress that can be made. Another challenge is the amount of change in strategies. The work should be evaluated in periods of 5 - 10 years yet the strategies change almost yearly.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Thank you for your thoughtful review. Your concern around collaborative culture is well taken. In fact, as has been transparently shared across the foundation, our internal data shows we've taken a dip in this regard over the past year. When organizations shine a bright light on something, you often see a performance dip before a gain. The focus on the collective success of the foundation will only intensify given our dynamic, interconnected world. We are looking for collaborative, co-creators to join us and boldly carry the torch! -chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

Viewing 313 - 315 of 561 Reviews

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