Guttmacher Institute Reviews

There are people at Guttmacher who have worked here for 15+ years. In some cases, it has been their only job since graduating. I think they feel that in order to have a senior title, you need to dedicate multiple years to the organization to "earn" it. Unfortunately, this means there is not a lot of room for growth for junior staff. Management will keep you in the same position for as long as possible. They'll make you feel like you should take on more work -- almost always work your supervisor should be doing. When you realize they aren't going to promote you, you'll be trapped and expected to keep those extra responsibilities. If you try to say no to work you shouldn't be doing, they will label you as difficult and might even threaten to let you go if you continue to speak up or ask questions (it has happened to at least 2 people during my time here). If you try to negotiate for higher pay, they'll say "I'm glad you're advocating for yourself!!! :) :) :) but no." Then, they'll post new job openings for director-level positions with 3x as much salary as you make now. Although Guttmacher does great work, it does NOT treat its staff fairly across the board. There is no reason assistants should make only 40k in NYC. If you are a junior manager, good luck negotiating because they will not give you a raise for multiple years unless you dance and beg for it yourself. If you plan on interviewing here, please know that your experience will largely depend on who your supervisor is. Be careful if you plan to join the policy or communications team. I'd encourage you to ask questions about the previous person who held the role before it opened AND what their trajectory has been like at the org. I doubt they will be truthful in the ways you need to hear, but I hope this review helps you make better decisions about the next steps in your career.

- Senior leadership unwilling to address internal white supremacy culture and its impact on BIPOC, LGBTQ, people who are pregnant or parenting, and disabled staff and its constraints on external "collaboration" and work products - Senior management who discriminate against staff are protected while their staff, predominately women of color, are forced out - Gives lip service to RJ to look good (especally to funders) while digging in heels on language changes or intentional efforts to reform the culture or work products (e.g. forms a lot of committees and hosts RJ partner convenings every few years) - Values output/deliverables over the health and well-being of employees - Primarily concerned with "looking good" instead of "being good," falls back on what is legally permissible vs. what is ethical or in line with its mission and values