Open Society Foundations

• Check fit first: the filing's themes are democratic practice, human rights, and equity and justice, and the foundation says applicants' values, goals and work should align with the relevant programme's strategy, so enquire with that programme before writing.
• Its listed priorities are Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa and the United States, though it says it gives around the world.
• A modest request fits its usual pattern: about 8 in 10 of its 1,593 grants to organisations fall between $300 and $500,000, a typical band rather than a limit, and across recent filings half of those grants were $7,500 or less, though its largest was $45,000,000.
• The route is relationship-led, since the vast majority of grants go to organisations it approaches directly, and 91% of grant dollars to organisations in the latest filing went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings.
• Each programme sets its own process, some using requests for proposals, some inviting letters of inquiry or concept papers, and some accepting proposals by invitation only, so ask the programme how it works before you submit anything.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• Central European University · To provide general support
  $38,025,3182024 tax year
• Central European University · To provide general support
  $31,983,0662024 tax year
• Bard College · To provide general support
  $12,500,0002024 tax year
• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · To advance open societies and inclusive democracies in politics and governance by hosting and supporting the establishment of the women's political leadership fund, a fiscally-sponsored project of the grantee
  $5,000,0002024 tax year
• Media Development Investment Fund · To provide general support
  $5,000,0002024 tax year
• Barack Obama Foundation · To support the foundations efforts to scale up their international programs and in particular, obama foundation leaders, scholars and fellows programs
  $3,000,0002024 tax year
• Bard College · To support bard college's center for civic engagement as the new administrative hub for the open society university network's operations
  $2,825,4712024 tax year
• Reset Tech · To support the grantees work in protecting public safety, fundamental rights and election integrity by encouraging effective enforcement of the digital services act
  $2,000,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.