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Open Society Foundations
| Open Society Foundations | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | New York (U.S. headquarters) |
| Type: | Foundation |
| Top official: | George Soros, Chairman |
| Year founded: | 1993 |
| Website: | Official website |
Open Society Foundations (OSF) is a network of organizations around the world established by George Soros to promote open societies and limit authoritarian regimes. According to OSF's website, they are "the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for rights, equity, and justice." The organizations run by OSF sponsor programs and provide grants for individuals and organizations who work in line with the foundations' goals throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the United States.[1][2]
Background
Open Society Foundations began in 1979 when George Soros began supporting scholarships for black students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and for Eastern European dissidents to allow them to study abroad. Soros established his first foundation outside the United States in Hungary in 1984. Open Society Foundations became a formal entity in 1993.
As of July 2025, the group's mission statement was:[1]
| “ | The Open Society Foundations champion the search for bold, democratic solutions to our urgent, common challenges that advance rights, equity, and justice.
We do this by supporting a wide array of independent voices and organizations around the world that provide a creative and dynamic link between the governing and the governed. Our approach seeks to counter the narrow pursuit of political self-interest and short-term opportunism—in pursuit of a sustainable future for people and planet that leaves no one behind.[3] |
” |
Leadership
As of July 2025, the following individuals served on the board of directors:[4]
- Alex Soros, Chair
- Daniel Sachs, Vice Chair
- Maria Cattaui
- Andrea Soros
- Ivan Krastev
- Tamiko Bolton Soros
Work and activities
As of July 2025, the OSF website said: "The Open Society Foundations give grants to a diverse array of groups and who work in different ways to promote democratic practice, human rights, equity, and justice. We support this work at both national and global levels through advocacy in our own name, as well as through impact investing and legal action."[5]
OSF's website listed four focus areas:[5]
| “ |
Democratic Practice Equity in Governance Future Worlds Rights and Dignity |
” |
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of Open Society Foundations' revenues and expenses from 2011 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | $202.5 million | $208.6 million |
| 2012 | $325.2 million | $585.2 million |
| 2013 | $155.6 million | $190.4 million |
| 2014 | $173.3 million | $180.0 million |
| 2015 | $369.7 million | $186.8 million |
| 2016 | $255.1 million | $210.2 million |
| 2017 | $372.0 million | $219.3 million |
| 2018 | $209.3 million | $215.1 million |
| 2019 | $208.5 million | $740.4 million |
| 2020 | $526.5 million | $379.4 million |
| 2021 | $988.4 million | $556.4 million |
| 2022 | $564.2 million | $364.4 million |
| 2023 | $436.3 million | $390.5 million |
See also
External links
- Open Society Foundations official website
- Open Society Foundations on Facebook
- Open Society Foundations on X
- Open Society Foundations on YouTube
- Open Society Foundations on Instagram
- Open Society Foundations on LinkedIn
- Open Society Foundations on TikTok
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Open Society Foundations, "Who We Are," accessed July 22, 2025
- ↑ Open Society Foundations, "George Soros," accessed August 27, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Open Society Foundations, "Board of Directors," accessed July 22, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Open Society Foundations, "What We Do," accessed July 22, 2025
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