Open Society Institute

The Open Society Institute (operating as Open Society Foundations) is one of the worlds largest private foundations focused on democratic governance, human rights, and justice. Founded by George Soros, who has contributed over $32 billion, the foundation has awarded more than 50,000 grants totaling $24.2 billion over three decades. The critical thing to understand about approaching OSF is that the vast majority of grants are awarded to organizations they approach directly — unsolicited proposals are rarely accepted. However, OSF does publish occasional open RFPs and fellowship opportunities. The foundation prioritizes organizations that promote democratic governance, justice reform, equity, rule of law, and rights of marginalized communities. Following its major restructuring (2021-2024), OSF now favors longer-term, more flexible funding arrangements with a smaller number of strategic partners. Alignment signals include: demonstrated track record in human rights or justice work, intersectional approaches to social change, capacity to serve as catalysts for transformative change, and willingness to engage in advocacy and strategic litigation alongside direct service delivery.

Open Society Foundations operates with a 2025 budget of approximately $1.27 billion, down from $1.7 billion in 2023 following its restructuring. The Open Society Institute entity specifically contributed $269 million across 666 grants in 2023. Individual grants range widely from a few thousand dollars to $40 million, though the majority fall in the $10,000 to $500,000 range. Geographic distribution of 2024 expenditures shows the United States receiving the largest share at $242M (20.3%), followed by Latin America and Caribbean at $117.1M (9.8%), Europe and Central Asia at $83.7M (7.0%), Africa at $69.9M (5.9%), Asia Pacific at $26M (2.2%), and Middle East/North Africa at $19.4M (1.6%). Post-restructuring, OSF is shifting toward larger multiyear grants to fewer organizations, meaning individual grant sizes are trending upward. The foundation funds year-round with no single annual cycle — each program sets its own timeline.

The Open Society Institute, with $5.4 billion in assets, sits among the largest human rights and democracy-focused foundations globally. Here is how it compares to peer funders in this space:

OSF is distinctive in several ways: its sheer scale of democracy-focused grantmaking exceeds all peers combined; it operates in more countries than any other private foundation; and it uniquely combines grants with strategic litigation and advocacy. Unlike Ford Foundation which accepts unsolicited proposals, OSF is primarily invitation-only. The recent restructuring reduced OSF from 2,000 staff and 40 offices to approximately 500 staff and 13 offices, making it leaner but more strategically concentrated than peers like MacArthur.

The Open Society Foundations have undergone a dramatic transformation from 2021 through 2025. The restructuring, driven by Alexander Soros who took over as board chair in December 2022, has fundamentally reshaped the organization. Staff were cut from approximately 2,000 to 500, and the global footprint was reduced from about 40 offices to 13. The 2025 budget stands at $1.27 billion, a reduction from $1.7 billion in 2023. However, the foundation describes this not as retrenchment but as strategic refocusing — multiyear grants are getting bigger by default, and resources freed from closed programming areas are being redirected to larger, more flexible grants. New strategic priorities include an $80 million program focused on Africas critical minerals, reflecting an emphasis on rethinking development models. The foundation has also committed to faster, longer-term, and more flexible grantmaking. Critics, including Alliance Magazine, have characterized the cuts as an example of lean philanthropy that may feed the nonprofit starvation cycle by reducing support to smaller organizations.

1. Do not send unsolicited proposals: OSF explicitly states that the vast majority of grants go to organizations they approach directly. Submitting cold proposals is unlikely to succeed and may signal unfamiliarity with their process.

2. Build visibility in your field: The most effective path to OSF funding is establishing a strong reputation in democracy, human rights, or justice work so that OSF program staff identify your organization as a potential partner.

3. Monitor open opportunities closely: When OSF does publish RFPs or fellowship openings (opensocietyfoundations.org/grants), windows are competitive. Subscribe to their email notifications for timely alerts.

4. Align with post-restructuring priorities: OSF now favors fewer, larger, multiyear partnerships with organizations serving as catalysts for transformative change. Emphasize your organizations capacity for sustained, intersectional impact rather than one-off projects.

5. Demonstrate intersectional approaches: OSF values work that connects multiple dimensions of social change — e.g., linking justice reform with marginalized community rights, or democratic governance with economic equity.

6. Engage at the program level: Each OSF program has its own strategy and grantmaking process. Research the specific program most aligned with your work and reach out to explore fit before investing in a proposal.

7. Prepare for rigorous evaluation: OSF expects clear theories of change, measurable outcomes, and evidence of impact. Frame proposals around systemic change, not just service delivery.

8. Consider regional networks: OSF maintains national and regional foundation networks that may offer alternative entry points, particularly for organizations in the Global South.