Open Society Foundations HOW WE FUND Every year the Open Society Foundations give thousands of grants to groups and individuals that work on the issues we care about: promoting democracy, transparency, and freedom of speech. 3,050+ GRANTS AWARDED TO ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN 2019 200+ INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIPS GIVEN IN 2019 $90 MILLION ACTIVE IMPACT INVESTMENTS AS OF JANUARY 2020 OUR APPROACH Building long-term relationships of trust with the entities we support, and understanding their health, effectiveness, strengths, and the challenges they face, is an integral part of the Open Society Foundations’ organization-centered approach to grant making. The vast majority of our grants are awarded to organizations that we approach directly. The kind of grants any Open Society program makes depend on its strategy and its vision of how to use its budget most effectively. Search our database of awarded grants. Organizations Open Society awards grants to organizations, which can include movements, coalitions, networks, collectives, and even informal groups. Guided mostly by our program staff, we support a wide range of activities—everything from discrete project grants to general operating support that cover the day-to-day costs of operations. In most cases, we will not provide more than one-third of any organization’s budget. View grants, scholarships, and fellowships Fellowships Open Society offers a range of fellowships, reflecting the variety of our work—from funding for individuals who have worked in public service in the United States to allow them to develop innovative policy solutions, to providing opportunities for new migrants to engage with local government in their host communities in Europe. View open fellowships Scholarships Every year, some 300 students and academics receive scholarships from the Open Society Foundations, continuing a program that has been part of George Soros’s philanthropy since the 1980s. Some scholarship recipients come from countries that restrict freedom of expression and debate at home. Some face other barriers, such as students and academics displaced by war, or members of Europe’s Roma communities. View open scholarships Social Impact Investing We make private sector investments through the Economic Justice Program’s investment vehicle—the Soros Economic Development Fund—to yield social impact. Learn more about our strategic investments OUR IMPACT Our global grants seek to address intractable problems, often rooted in deep social and economic inequalities. Our funding, while considerable, is dwarfed by global financial flows of international aid and investment that may reinforce inequalities. We know that real change comes slowly, and strive to recognize both successes and failures. A Nyeri Hospice palliative care nurse, who also provide legal aid to her patients and their families, greets two young women at the home of their sick grandmother. © Sven Torfinn/Panos for the Open Society Foundations 1 / 9 More than 20,000 people around the world have benefited directly from attending universities and colleges supported by scholarships from the Open Society Foundations. In the 1990s, our giving directly helped citizens in the former countries of Central and Eastern Europe during the difficult transition from Communism. Today, our grants help sustain a vast array of human rights and civil society groups around the world. 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