Paul & Daisy Soros Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~$4.8M (2023 disbursements; $6.4M in 2024)
• Success Rate: ~1.2% (30 awards from approximately 2,600+ applicants)
• Decision Time: ~5 months (October application deadline to March notification)
• Grant Range: $250 – $90,000 (individual fellowships up to $90,000; other institutional grants vary)
• Geographic Focus: United States (applicants must be enrolled in US graduate programs)

Contact Details

• Website: pdsoros.org
• Application Portal: pdsoros-fellowships.smapply.io
• Address: 224 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
• EIN: 13-7057096
• Director Contact: Craig Harwood, Director — pdsoros.org/director/
• Application Resources: pdsoros.org/application-resources/

Overview

The Paul & Daisy Soros Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1996 by Hungarian-born engineer Paul Soros (brother of George Soros) and his wife Daisy Soros, both immigrants who benefited from the opportunities America afforded their family. Headquartered in New York City, the foundation holds assets of approximately $55–57 million and disburses over $4 million annually. It is best known for administering the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans — one of the most competitive graduate fellowships in the United States — which was launched in 1998 with a $50 million charitable trust (later supplemented by a further $25 million in 2010). Now in its 27th year, the fellowship has supported more than 800 individuals from over 103 countries of origin. Beyond the core fellowship program, the foundation also provides institutional grants to arts, culture, and advocacy organizations including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Philharmonic, Human Rights First, and the International House.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

• Award: Up to $90,000 per fellow over two years
  • Stipend: Up to $25,000/year paid directly to the fellow
  • Tuition support: Up to $20,000/year paid directly to the institution (covering a maximum of 50% of tuition and fees)
• Awards per cycle: 30 fellows annually
• Application method: Open, competitive application via online portal (annual cycle)
• Eligible programs: Any full-time, degree-granting graduate or professional program in the United States

Public Voices Fellows Program (supplemental)

• A year-long fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project, open to existing Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows
• Supports approximately 20 Fellows per year in developing their public leadership and communication skills

Institutional Grants

• The foundation makes additional grants to arts, cultural, and advocacy organizations
• These are not awarded through an open public application process
• Typical award range: $250 to $1,200,000

Priority Areas

• Graduate education for immigrants and children of immigrants (New Americans)
• Fields spanning medicine, science, law, policy, technology, business, government, non-profits, the arts, and academia
• Organizations advancing human rights and immigration-related causes
• Arts and cultural institutions (particularly New York-based)
• Nantucket Conservation and environmental causes

What They Don't Fund

• Applicants who are in the third year or beyond of their graduate programme at the time of application
• Applicants older than 30 at the application deadline
• Executive, part-time, joint bachelor's/master's, certificate, post-baccalaureate, or programmes outside the United States
• Full-time employment during the fellowship period is not permitted
• No support for health insurance costs from tuition funding
• The foundation does not accept public applications for its institutional grants

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

• Daisy M. Soros — Philanthropist and Chair; advisory director of the Metropolitan Opera, executive committee member of the New York Philharmonic, and director emeritus of Lincoln Center
• Allison Binns — Founder, Peregrine Strategy LLC
• Peter Georgescu — Chairman Emeritus, Young & Rubicam Inc.
• Sachin Jain — CEO, SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan
• Ann Kirschner — University Professor, Macaulay Honors College, CUNY
• Paul Holdengraber — Founding Executive Director, Onassis Foundation LA
• Noel Lateef — President and CEO, Foreign Policy Association
• Jeffrey Soros — Co-CEO, Los Angeles Media Fund
• Peter Soros — Writer and Investor

Administration

• Craig Harwood — Director (joined August 2013). A musicologist and former Dean of Davenport College at Yale University and Director of Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College
• Yulian Ramos — Deputy Director
• Nikka Landau — Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
• Yamileth Lopez — Program Administrative Assistant

Key Leadership Quote:

"The Fellowship aims to support the 30 most promising New Americans who will go on to make distinctive contributions to American society, culture or their field."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online via the official application portal at pdsoros-fellowships.smapply.io. The application is free of charge. Applicants may apply while simultaneously applying to graduate school — admission to a programme is not required at the time of application.

Required application materials:

• Demographic information and educational history
• Graduate programme details
• Resume/CV
• Two essays (up to 1,000 words each):
  • Essay 1: New American experience — how your background as an immigrant or child of immigrants shaped who you are
  • Essay 2: Career goals and motivation for graduate study
• Transcripts and standardised test scores
• Three to five letters of recommendation

Decision Timeline

Milestone	Timing
Application opens	Spring each year
Application deadline	Late October (typically October 30, 2pm ET)
Finalists notified	Mid-January
Finalist interviews (virtual)	February
Winners notified	March
Fellows publicly announced	Mid-April

Success Rates

• 2021: 2,445 applications received; 30 awards made — selection rate of 1.2%
• 2025: More than 2,600 applications received; 30 awards made
• The top 77 applicants (finalists) are selected, then 30 winners are chosen through virtual interviews
• This is one of the most competitive graduate fellowships in the United States

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply in subsequent years, provided they still meet all eligibility requirements (age 30 or younger; not in third or subsequent year of target programme). Previous applications cannot be resubmitted — a brand new application must be completed, including new essays and letters of recommendation.

Application Success Factors

What the selection committee values:

• Creativity, originality, and initiative: The fellowship is looking for applicants who do bold, distinctive things — not just high achievers by conventional metrics
• Sustained accomplishment: A track record of working hard and achieving in the face of challenges
• Commitment to the Constitution and Bill of Rights: Explicitly listed as a selection criterion
• Promise of future contributions: The committee wants to see that the applicant will make a "distinctive contribution to American society, culture, or their field"

Direct advice from the programme:

• "The program is interested in applicants who do the most with what they have, challenge themselves, and work hard to overcome obstacles."
• "Your essays form the overarching narrative that brings your resume and transcripts to life."
• "Don't get caught up in stressing about what you think others want."
• "Refrain from presenting yourself as a perfect candidate without flaws or challenges, as the fellowship values resilience and the ability to overcome adversity."

For Essay 1 (New American Experience): Talk to family about immigration experiences; review old photos and documents; think broadly, personally and creatively about what being a New American means.

For Essay 2 (Career Goals): Write about the questions you are seeking to answer, the tasks you want to accomplish, and the missions you want to contribute to. Tie this explicitly to how graduate study will help you get there.

Study past fellows: The foundation explicitly encourages applicants to read past fellows' profiles at pdsoros.org/meet-the-fellows. Notable alumni include US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (1998), AI expert Fei-Fei Li (1999), and Ebola researcher Pardis Sabeti (2001).

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Extraordinarily competitive: With a selection rate of approximately 1.2%, this is one of the most selective fellowships in the US
• Eligibility is the gateway: Confirm immigration status, age (30 or under), and year-of-study eligibility before investing in an application
• Essays are the heart of the application: The two essays are the primary differentiator — authenticity, boldness, and personal storytelling over polished but impersonal writing
• No GPA or school quotas: The foundation does not impose GPA thresholds, test score minimums, or quotas — this is a genuinely holistic review
• Recommenders need briefing: Letters must address the specific PD Soros criteria (creativity, originality, initiative, commitment to constitutional values)
• Reapplication is permitted and encouraged: Unsuccessful applicants who remain eligible should consider reapplying with a refreshed, new application
• Community is a major benefit: Beyond funding, fellows gain access to a lifelong alumni network, two all-expenses-paid Fall Conferences in New York, and campus visits

References

1. Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans — Official Website. https://pdsoros.org/ (accessed February 2026)
2. About the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship. https://pdsoros.org/about-the-fellowship/ (accessed February 2026)
3. Eligibility Requirements. https://pdsoros.org/eligibility/ (accessed February 2026)
4. Application Process. https://pdsoros.org/application-process/ (accessed February 2026)
5. Fellowship Financial Support. https://pdsoros.org/fellowship-financial-support/ (accessed February 2026)
6. Applicant Guide to PD Soros Essay Writing. https://pdsoros.org/applicant-guide-to-pd-soros-essay-writing/ (accessed February 2026)
7. Guidance for Recommenders. https://pdsoros.org/guidance-for-recommenders/ (accessed February 2026)
8. Who We Are — Administration. https://pdsoros.org/fellowship/administration (accessed February 2026)
9. Meet the Class of 2025. https://pdsoros.org/meet-the-class-of-2025/ (accessed February 2026)
10. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — Paul & Daisy Soros Foundation (EIN 13-7057096). https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/137057096 (accessed February 2026)
11. Instrumentl 990 Report — Paul & Daisy Soros Foundation. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/137057096 (accessed February 2026)
12. Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paul_%26_Daisy_Soros_Fellowships_for_New_Americans (accessed February 2026)