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 136 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 15 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 13 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)); "Most of the senior leadership at this (global organization) is white and male" ((in 20 reviews)); "You will be the luckiest if you end up in a team that has a great manager." ((in 20 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

3.0

Aug 25, 2016

Manager

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This is a great mission and benefits.

Cons

The company culture is not an easy place to work.

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Thanks so much for your review. If you have more specifics around the culture, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

4.0

Aug 19, 2016

Deputy Director

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High energy, committed colleagues, mission that matter

Cons

Inefficient processes, too internal facing, and staffing inadequate for the breadth and level of ambition

Gates Foundation Response

9y

Apologies for my delay in responding. Thanks for your helpful feedback. As you know, we are working on simplifying our processes and improving our culture. Please continue to provide feedback to the leadership in the India Country Office.

2.0

Aug 12, 2016

Horrific culture, great benefits

Senior program officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits ( one year paid paternity/maternity leave; free health care) Access (influential individuals)

Cons

Leadership and employee base lacks cultural competence, particularly in light of the communities the organization works in. There is an overall lack of people of color. Employee surveys explicit reflect that there is a culture of fear, arrogance, and white is right. McKinsey and Deloitte clones run the organization. Look at the lack of racial diversity of the organization, especially within leadership. How does one justify this?

Gates Foundation Response

9y

“Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughtful feedback with us. We believe, our employee workforce should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we serve, including in race, gender, sexual orientation, age, cultures, and beliefs. We are in the process of developing and rolling out several new employment practices, such as the parental leave program you mention, that should help us better realize this goal. I’d love to hear directly from you on this issue, if you’re open to discussing further. You can reach me at pam.yanchik@gatesfoundation.org

Viewing 370 - 372 of 561 Reviews

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Jobs at Gates Foundation

Senior Communications Officer, Brand Experiential Design

Senior Business Systems Analyst, HR & Payroll

Principal Officer, Measurement, Learning & Evaluation

Deputy Director, Ending Infectious Diseases

Senior Research Manager, Elimination & Eradication