FIND, the Geneva-based foundation globally known for its work in improving access to health diagnostics, wants to move past a tumultuous period marked by grant suspensions and project terminations. But instead of a fresh start, it is facing new staff layoffs and continued donor grant suspensions that have left staff members worried about the future of the organization and its work.
“One of the key worries for many of us who’ve been at FIND for long is that this is a very critical organization for the world,” one of the terminated staff members who spoke on condition of anonymity told Devex. “I don’t think there's any organization right now globally that focuses on diagnostics the way that FIND does, particularly for the pathogens that we all work on.”
Like many health organizations, FIND’s work and staffing grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, with donations reaching over $208 million in 2021 — more than triple the $62.9 million it received in 2019. But the funding quickly fell as the pandemic waned. Donations in 2023 dropped to $59.86 million — similar to 2018 levels — triggering staffing cuts. Between 2022 and 2024, FIND’s expenses increasingly outpaced its income, culminating in a deficit of more than $7.5 million in 2024, although it still had net assets of over $8.6 million by the year’s end.