OSI Weighs Future of Baltimore Program February 4, 2004
Funding Tips & Trends
The Open Society Institute (OSI) has poured $50 million into programs in Baltimore over the past five years, attacking problems like lack of addiction treatment and creating jobs for low-income workers. But the program was only supposed to last five years, and foundation officials had expected to award just half that amount. And although OSI recently decided to keep the Baltimore program going for another year, the long-term outlook is unclear.
The Baltimore Sun reported Feb. 2 that the board of OSI-Baltimore will vote within the next six months on whether to keep operating, shut down, or take a different approach in the city.
OSI is credited with getting policymakers and other funders, such as the Abell Foundation, to focus on such issues as helping ex-prisoners and drug addicts in Baltimore.
OSI also is praised for taking risks that other funders won't, such as funding a program to distribute the heroin antidote Narcan to addicts. The number of Baltimore residents receiving addiction treatment has doubled since OSI-Baltimore opened its doors, thanks in part to the group's advocacy.
