Open Society Foundations WHO WE ARE HOW WE WORK WHAT WE DO UNITED STATES In the United States, the Open Society Foundations work with organizations and individuals who seek to address profound racial, economic, and political inequalities, while funding efforts to prepare for the policy challenges of the future. Overview Our History Our Work Offices and Foundations JavaScript chart by amCharts 3.21.15 1 2 3 Baltimore, United States New York, United States Washington, United States Hub offices Geographic program offices By the Numbers $410.8M 2020 EXPENDITURES FOR THE UNITED STATES 30.3% PERCENTAGE OF GLOBAL EXPENDITURES 30.5% AVERAGE ANNUAL CHANGE IN EXPENDITURES SINCE 2016 Expenditures by Year 452 339 226 113 0 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Explore our full expenditures by theme and region OUR HISTORY People hold hands as a sign of unity during a rally in front of Baltimore City Hall in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 3, 2015. © Andrew Burton/Getty George Soros’s giving in the United States began in the 1980s with a focus on just two issues—improving the quality of palliative care, and reforming punitive drug policies that largely targeted Black Americans. During the 1990s, our racial justice work broadened to fight bias in schools, in policing, in voting, and in the justice system, while we expanded support for those advocating for greater levels of government accountability and the protection of civil and political rights for all. Highlights of Our Work in the United States Focusing on Threats to the Open Society in the United States 1996 Celebrating Marriage Equality in the United States 2015 Helping Puerto Rico Rebuild after Hurricane Maria 2017 Building Black Power 2020 Explore our history and timeline OUR WORK Coordinated by Open Society-U.S., we support a wide array of groups that are demanding an end to broad-based structural racism through the Black Lives Matter movement, while continuing to work on issues including immigration reform, democratic participation, media and technology policy, and the climate emergency. Responding to COVID-19 Pedestrians are seen wearing face masks in a predominantly immigrant neighborhood, in the Queens borough of New York City, on March 27, 2020. © Ryan Christopher Jones/Nytimes/Redux Communities across the United States, and in New York City in particular, have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. We responded with an initial emergency funding package—aimed at providing over $80 million in support for essential workers as well as for undocumented workers and others who were being overlooked by federal and most state relief efforts. We also stepped up support for groups working to protect the right to vote, through the introduction of vote by mail in places where the risk of infection is likely to discourage people from going to the polls. We are also supporting efforts to ensure that essential workers are protected and fairly paid, and we are backing the search for new public policy initiatives that will address the deep economic and racial inequalities laid bare by the pandemic. Immigration A father carries his young daughter from a bus station to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, on July 3, 2018. © Ilana Panich-Linsman/The New York Times/Redux We support a range of groups that work on immigration issues, from local and state organizations that provide frontline legal advice to individuals seeking asylum or facing deportation, to national groups such as the National Immigration Law Center, United We Dream, and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration that advocate for fundamental reform. Criminal Justice Reform A sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas, dedicated to the victims of white supremacy, stands on the grounds of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, in Montgomery, Alabama, on April 20, 2018. © Audra Melton/NYTimes/Redux The Open Society Foundations act as a global advocate for justice systems and policing that treat everyone equally, and which reduce unnecessary and punitive use of incarceration. In the United States, this mission is particularly vital. We support groups such as the ACLU and the Equal Justice Initiative that challenge a system that is overly reliant on prisons and which disproportionately prosecutes and punishes people of color—often because of the unequal application of anti-drug laws. We also advocate for an approach to policing that emphasizes community engagement and accountability, particularly for the use of force. Democratic Participation Despite the country’s democratic tradition, politics in the United States have been marked by partisan assaults on voting rights, particularly of African Americans, and a focus on campaign spending that seeks to reduce the role of money in determining political outcomes. The Open Society Foundations support groups such as the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Faith in Action, which contest efforts to constrain voter participation and to bolster civic engagement. We have also funded groups that use new technology to explore ways to engage people on issues that concern them. A young boy uses a megaphone to address hundreds of demonstrators during a protest against police brutality outside a police station in Baltimore, Maryland on April 22, 2015. © Chip Somodevilla/Getty Information and Media Student journalists involved with ProPublica’s Electionland project work during the U.S. midterm elections in New York, New York, on November 6, 2018. © Erin Lefevre for ProPublica From efforts to preserve net neutrality to exploring the impact of internet algorithms on social and political life, the Open Society Foundations support efforts to understand the implications of information technology on the way we live. The Foundations also continue to support efforts to protect journalistic freedoms, through groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, and to ensure that market forces do not curtail independent investigative reporting, by helping to fund newsrooms such as ProPublica and the Center for Investigative Reporting. Life in a Quantified Society EXPLAINER READ MORE MULTIRACIAL DEMOCRACY Post-Election Punditry Overlooks Asian American Gains The pundits focused on a swing vote shift to the GOP in statewide races on the ballot November 2. But the election saw landmark strides toward a multiracial democracy at the local level, as Asian Americans made significant gains. NOVEMBER 10, 2021 | LALEH ISPAHANI SOLIDARITY AGAINST HATRED A History of Anti-Asian Hate in the United States The Atlanta-area shooting was just the latest instance of rising violence against people of Asian descent. We need to understand its roots—and the intersecting factors at work—to stop hate’s spread. MARCH 25, 2021 | LALEH ISPAHANI & KAVITA NANDINI RAMDAS FACT SHEET Racial Justice in the United States For decades, George Soros and the Open Society Foundations have supported the movement against systemic racism—from ending the drug war to reforming systems of education and criminal justice to securing the right to vote. JULY 13, 2020 Read more from this region: United States Subscribe to updates about Open Society’s work around the world By entering your email address and clicking “Submit,” you agree to receive updates from the Open Society Foundations about our work. To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy. VOICES Read the latest from our staff, grantees, and partners about how we’re working around the world to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. Learn more HOW WE FUND Every year the Open Society Foundations give thousands of grants to groups and individuals that work on the issues we focus on—promoting tolerance, transparency, and open debate. Learn more WHO WE ARE Our History George Soros Leadership Financials Policies Programs Offices and Foundations HOW WE WORK How We Fund Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships Awarded Grants WHAT WE DO Where We Work Themes Events Newsroom Publications Employment Contact Us © 2021 Open Society Foundations, some rights reserved. Terms and Conditions Privacy Accessibility We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience of our website, to collect anonymous statistics, and to keep our site reliable and secure. You may deny the use of all nonessential cookies by clicking “Reject.” By clicking “Accept,” you consent to the use of cookies on this site. For more information, see our cookie policy. Settings Accept Reject