The Open Society Foundations’ dramatic transformation is now complete, and it has fully “stepped into a new operating model,” its President Binaifer Nowrojee told Devex.
The shift follows a significant, multiphase restructuring first announced in 2021 that included what Nowrojee called a “difficult decision” to reduce staff and offices. While OSF had already been moving toward a leaner structure, the foundation has now finalized that transition — cutting staff from around 2,000 to 500 and reducing its global footprint from about 40 offices to 13, according to Nowrojee.
The restructuring was driven by Alexander Soros, founder George Soros’s son, who took over as OSF’s board chair in December 2022. But it meant cuts to a variety of programs that relied on its funding — for example, LGBTQ organizations working outside of the United States as well as public health programs. At the same time, OSF faced accusations that it was retreating from Europe, claims which it denied.