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 demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Parent or family caregiver

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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

Feb 18, 2018

Most incredible workplace in this world!

Finance leader

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

When I joined the foundation ~ 2 years ago, I hardly understood the impact it would have on my life, both personally and professionally. I have never met a more passionate, kind and humble group of people. I feel privileged and honored to have stood by your side and call you my colleague. Even though my time there was short - I wouldn't trade it for the world! This is one of the best jobs in this world and we are so blessed to be able to be part of this mission. Pros include: 1. Surrounded by some of the most talented and caring people on this planet. 2. Great work life balance with competitive salary and benefits. The benefits are almost too good. 3. Opportunity to work on the the toughest problems in this world. 4. Incredibly humbling to work for Bill and Melinda Gates. They are a huge inspiration to this world. 5. Making this world a better place for many generations to come. 6. CEO, Sue is very inspiring and doing a great job at running the org.

Cons

Overall, the foundation is a phenomenal place. Here are some areas for development. 1. I really wish there were company wide OKRs to be shared x-foundation. The teams / departments felt siloed. 2. Program ELT are very "formal" and it was difficult to connect with them as people. I felt like I needed a PHD in every subject on this planet from an Ivy League institution to even understand them during Org wide All Hands. 3. Instill pay for performance to motivate teams to work better together. 4. Over collaboration: When working on programs / projects, the foundation tends to over collaborate and ensures that feedback from every person and use case is taken into consideration. This makes it difficult to launch systems, processes, etc.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Tackling tough, meaningful problems...with caring, talented people....and progressive salary, benefits and work-life support. This is the goal for everyone at the Gates foundation. Thank you for sharing your experience! - chris@gatesfoundation.org

2.0

Feb 12, 2018

To get real look inside, look at most recent reviews, not most popular reviews

Program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Mission of the foundation is amazing and infectious - a rare opportunity to pursue your passion; Great benefits (golden handcuffs); Flexible work schedule; Beautiful building

Cons

Speaking solely on Global Health division (other divisions don't seem to have this level of dysfunction) - extremely hierarchical that comes from the very top with expectations for the bottom to execute without question. Otherwise, be prepared to be thrown under the bus. The leadership are all from the same network of followers - disease teams used to be led by experts in the field and not from the same pharmaceutical empires. Doing "what is right" isn't about the community - but avoiding getting fired / laid-off. Support staff (assistants, coordinators) constantly shifting between teams or leave the foundation because they are overworked and unappreciated. Very few opportunities for career advancement, especially for program staff. Performance reviews don't appear to make a difference for managers or employees. Endless strategy reviews throughout the year reflect a lack of trust and leave little time to get actual work done. It's not a coincidence that the average lifespan of a foundation employee is 2-3 years, with few exceptions - two years ago over 40% of employees admitted to be actively looking for a new job on a culture survey.

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Everyone's perspective matters and so I'm sorry to see your experience within one of our division's was less than you hoped. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to share more - chris.ernst@gatesfoundation.org

1.0

Feb 7, 2018

Deputy Director

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Exposure to the best thinkers, including Bill and Melinda Gates.

Cons

Crazy -oppressive work environment. The propaganda one must speak is intense. The bureaucracy is ridiculous. People are mean, petty, and spiteful.

Viewing 319 - 321 of 561 Reviews

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