Human rights groups raise concern as George Soros' OSF plans to lay off 40% of its staff globally
The human rights groups are concerned about Open Society Foundations (OSF) plans to lay off 40% of their global staff — the nonprofit's second major cut in three years — as billionaire investor George Soros, 92, hands over reins of his multi-billion dollar OSF to his son Alexander Soros, reported AP. “We are most concerned for social justice movements, which now have to wait for the impact on their sustainability," reported AP quoting Kellea Miller, executive director of the Human Rights Funders Network.
“In the field of philanthropy, decisions at the top can have an outsized ripple effect on those enacting change," Miller added. Open Society Foundations, the umbrella organization for Soros' charitable work, said its board of directors has “approved significant changes to the Foundations’ operating model." The global layoffs will comply with local regulations, the foundations said.
The foundation has not said where or when layoff will take place. Mark Arena, a spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations said the move “Will involve some difficult decisions." Arena further added, "We anticipate that implementing the proposed new model would involve the redesign and retooling of our existing operations, and a substantial reduction in headcount of no less than 40% globally." In 2021, the Open Society Foundations offered buyouts to dozens of employees and sought to streamline their internal structures.
The foundations currently employ around 800 staff members and maintain offices in over 20 countries. Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch, which was a major recipient of OSF funding, said he has no reason to think the foundation layoffs will mean a decline in support for human rights work.
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