The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), a Geneva-based non-profit, has entered a deep crisis despite repeated warnings from staff and donors. Established 20 years ago, the organisation became a leading player in global health by developing diagnostic tools for diseases such as HIV, malaria, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases. Its innovations have reached millions, particularly in low-income countries, and it played a crucial role alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) during the Covid-19 pandemic.
FIND’s rise was supported by steady financial backing from major donors. In 2023, it received almost $59.8 million in contributions from institutions including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Unitaid, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK’s health and development agencies, and the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC). This funding placed FIND among the most influential Swiss foundations. However, by 2024, many donors suspended or froze their support, citing governance concerns, while others began winding down their projects. The organisation has since lost around a third of its workforce due to layoffs, non-renewals, and resignations, forcing several programmes to come to a halt.
Internal documents and staff accounts suggest that the crisis stems from management failures with severe financial consequences. Concerns were formally raised to the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (FSAF) from June 2024 onward, first by employees and donors, followed by board members in August and September. Despite these repeated alarms, the regulator has not intervened decisively for over a year, raising questions about oversight in Geneva, which hosts more than 1,350 foundations—many of them recipients of public funding.
In November 2024, the SDC, once a contributor to FIND, commissioned PwC to conduct an independent audit of the foundation’s governance. This move was supported by donors who had frozen grants, pending the audit’s conclusions. Although the report has been completed, it remains unpublished more than four months past the expected release date. The delay has triggered concerns about possible conflicts of interest within the SDC and fuelled doubts about the transparency of the review process and the handling of the crisis.
