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 133 reviews)); "Great people all working towards the same mission" ((in 56 reviews)); "There are so many great colleagues and experiences to learn from." ((in 53 reviews)); "Great benefits and pay." ((in 24 reviews)); "Salaries are good for those coming from the non" ((in 13 reviews))

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

"Culture is toxic and impractical" ((in 41 reviews)); "Instead, she seems more concerned with promoting her own profile than reforming bad management." ((in 23 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 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

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 21, 2017

Amazing benefits

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits, especially the health and dental plans, are incredibly generous

Cons

Can be difficult for upward mobility

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Thanks so much for your feedback.

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.

4.0

Jul 19, 2017

Potential to be a truly premier employer

Director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High caliber staff; mission-driven organization that is having global impact; challenging work that provides career development opportunities; exceptional benefits; very competitive base pay for most roles; workplace amenities.

Cons

High workload and ineffective prioritization by leadership and managers creates employee burnout/frustration and failure to focus on highest priorities (org wide challenge); ongoing turnover of execs on operations side; inability to figure out business and resourcing model for global strategies; ongoing strategy changes/new directions require employees to be highly change agile and comfortable dealing with ambiguity, reorgs, new managers, etc.; terrible commute for Seattle employees due to Mercer/S. Lake Union congestion

Gates Foundation Response

8y

Thanks so much for your review. It's always very helpful to hear from former leaders about their experience at the foundation. I hope you are engaged with the Alumni Network. Depending on when you left the foundation, you are likely aware of the work being done in each of the ares you mention above. If you have anything else you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. Pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

Viewing 337 - 339 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

Senior Research Scientist, Population Health Modeling (Nutrition and Disease) (*2-year LTE)

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation

Deputy Director, Artificial Intelligence & Digital Health Evidence and Learning

Senior Communications Officer, AI Communications (2-year LTE*)