Funding search · EIN 137029285 · New York, NY

Open Society Institute

Name: Open Society Institute grants, 2022–2024
Creator: PaperOrbit
License: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

A private foundation (files IRS Form 990-PF). Most private foundations do not take unsolicited applications; the route in is usually a program officer.

2,134
grants reported: $637.6M
total given: 2022–2024
filing years: $20,000
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 2022–2024. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

matching gift public educate about justice social society

Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is built Report an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Where the money goes

General operating support for open society universities (CEU, Bard, OSUN)
Independent media, press freedom, and platform accountability
Democratic governance, anti-authoritarianism, and civil society in Global South
Global financial architecture, development finance, and economic justice research
Human rights defenders, refugee and migrant rights, racial justice
Individual fellowships for artists, filmmakers, and narrative producers

Typical grant

The median grant is $20,000 and half of everything sits between roughly $1,000 and $130,000, so the volume of the portfolio is small and mid-sized checks. The very large money is concentrated in a handful of institutional commitments: Central European University took roughly $70 million across two 2024 grants, Bard College over $16 million, and Media Development Investment Fund $5 million. Repeat giving is normal for core institutions and network partners, with Bard, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and Institute of International Education each appearing multiple times in a single year.

Their words

Phrases from their own grant descriptions, worth speaking back to them.

“TO PROVIDE GENERAL SUPPORT”
“OPEN SOCIETIES AND INCLUSIVE DEMOCRACIES”
“CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS ADVANCING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE”
“THE GLOBAL SOUTH”
“ELECTION INTEGRITY”
“FISCALLY-SPONSORED PROJECT OF THE GRANTEE”

Positioning adjacent work

Connect research to global financial architecture reform, the theme funding PERI, ODI, UNDP, and Tax Justice Network at $250K-$350K.
Ask $150,000 to $350,000 for a research or policy project; above that requires institutional partnership history.
Frame platform and disinformation work around enforcement of the Digital Services Act and marginalized user protection.
If unaffiliated or foreign, use a fiscal sponsor like Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Tides, or Panorama Global.

Worth knowing: New York recipients dominate at 824 of 1,489, and a large share of overseas grants go to London, Berlin, Brussels, and Bangkok organizations rather than US universities. Two institutions, Central European University and Bard College, absorb a substantial fraction of total dollars, so the giving reads as core-network maintenance plus a long tail of general support to aligned advocacy groups, not open competition.

7 grants matching “criminal justice reform” · $295,754

$70,300
K Charlinda Davis · New York, NY · 2024
To conduct a research study which explores the needs and experiences of pregnant people who have been incarcerated, in order to inform and advance a wider gender-based violence, reproductive justice, and criminal justic… read allTo conduct a research study which explores the needs and experiences of pregnant people who have been incarcerated, in order to inform and advance a wider gender-based violence, reproductive justice, and criminal justice reform policy agenda less
$70,300
L Thompson · New York, NY · 2024
To craft a dynamic community archive of the groundbreaking efforts of louisianas advocates and visionaries who paved the way for criminal justice reform in louisiana
$24,000
L Pullano · New York, NY · 2024
To provide executive leadership and capacity development support to ensure long-term sustainability for an organization that supports and educates citizens seeking reform of the criminal justice system in michigan
$3,654
Y Arrington · New York, NY · 2024
To educate the public and produce a pilot and short-series visual podcast that will include interviews and debates with black and brown youth voices on issues and solutions to criminal justice reform, juvenile probation… read allTo educate the public and produce a pilot and short-series visual podcast that will include interviews and debates with black and brown youth voices on issues and solutions to criminal justice reform, juvenile probation reform, restorative justice, police reform, and reentry and recidivism less
$56,500
Yasmine Arrington · Washington, DC · 2023
To educate the public and produce a pilot and short-series visual podcast that will include interviews and debates with black and brown youth voices on issues and solutions to criminal justice reform, juvenile probation… read allTo educate the public and produce a pilot and short-series visual podcast that will include interviews and debates with black and brown youth voices on issues and solutions to criminal justice reform, juvenile probation reform, restorative justice, police reform, and reentry and recidivism less
$36,500
Willette Benford · Chicago, IL · 2022
To develop black women, to lead criminal justice reform work
$34,500
Yasmine Arrington · Washington, DC · 2022
To educate the public and produce a pilot and short-series visual podcast that will include interviews and debates with black and brown youth voices on issues and solutions to criminal justice reform, juvenile probation… read allTo educate the public and produce a pilot and short-series visual podcast that will include interviews and debates with black and brown youth voices on issues and solutions to criminal justice reform, juvenile probation reform, restorative justice, police reform, and reentry and recidivism less

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

Central European University10 grants · $218.0M
Bard College19 grants · $124.8M
Media Development Investment Fund3 grants · $14.7M
The Barack Obama Foundation3 grants · $9.0M
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors5 grants · $8.7M
New Venture Fund9 grants · $8.5M
Tides Foundation6 grants · $5.3M
Asia Democracy Network4 grants · $5.2M
European Council On Foreign Relations2 grants · $5.0M
Natural Resource Governance Institute2 grants · $5.0M

Giving over time

$221.8M

2022

$269.2M

2023

$146.6M

2024

Grant history

The 100 largest of 2,134 grants.

$45.0M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$40.9M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$38.0M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2024
To provide general support
$37.5M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2022
To provide general support
$37.0M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2022
To provide general support
$32.0M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2024
To provide general support
$30.1M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$27.9M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2022
To provide general support
$12.5M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2024
To provide general support
$10.0M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2022
To support bard college's center for civic engagement as the new administrative hub for the open society university network's operations
$9.3M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2023
To support the launch of the osun research excellence hub at central european university's budapest campus
$7.5M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2023
To support bard college's center for civic engagement as the new administrative hub for the open society university network's operations
$5.0M
Media Development Investment Fund · New York, NY · 2024
To provide general support
$5.0M
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2024
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
$5.0M
Media Development Investment Fund · New York, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$4.7M
Media Development Investment Fund · New York, NY · 2022
To provide general support
$3.2M
Kurawal Foundation · 2023
To provide general support
$3.2M
New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2023
To contribute to the pooled fund on spyware accountability that supports civil society organizations to investigate and expose mercenary spyware and help bring accountability to the global cyber arms trade
$3.0M
The Barack Obama Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2024
To support the foundations efforts to scale up their international programs and in particular, obama foundation leaders, scholars and fellows programs
$3.0M
International Consortium of Investigative Journali · Washington, DC · 2023
To provide general support
$3.0M
The Barack Obama Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2023
To support the foundations efforts to scale up their international programs and in particular, obama foundation leaders, scholars and fellows programs
$3.0M
Natural Resource Governance Institute · New York, NY · 2022
To provide general support
$3.0M
The Barack Obama Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2022
To support the foundation's efforts to scale up their international programs and in particular, obama foundation leaders, scholars and fellows programs
$2.8M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2024
To support bard college's center for civic engagement as the new administrative hub for the open society university network's operations
$2.6M
Journalism Development Network · Washington, DC · 2023
To provide general support
$2.5M
European Council On Foreign Relations · 2023
To provide general support
$2.5M
New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2023
To support the joint skills building and strategizing of activists working nationally and across borders to renew democracy and resist backsliding
$2.5M
European Council On Foreign Relations · 2022
To provide general support
$2.5M
Swiss Philanthropy Foundation · 2022
To support the early childhood regional networks fund in sustaining and strengthening the early childhood field's civil society architecture and advance the rights of young children to develop to their fullest potential… read allTo support the early childhood regional networks fund in sustaining and strengthening the early childhood field's civil society architecture and advance the rights of young children to develop to their fullest potential through provision of multi-year core funding to four regional professional early childhood networks. The early childhood regional networks fund is a pooled philanthropic fund hosted by swiss philanthropy foundation less
$2.1M
Center for Global Development · Washington, DC · 2023
To develop partnerships and support research that will build consensus on the revised scope and focus of the multilateral development banks
$2.1M
Asia Democracy Network · 2022
To provide general support
$2.0M
Aspiration · San Francisco, CA · 2024
To ensure effective enforcement of social media accountability rules during the 2024 eu elections in order to reduce and mitigate the spread of disinformation
$2.0M
Reset Tech · Washington Dc, DC · 2024
To support the grantees work in protecting public safety, fundamental rights and election integrity by encouraging effective enforcement of the digital services act
$2.0M
Asian University for Women Support Foundation · Cambridge, MA · 2023
To provide general support
$2.0M
International Budget Partnership · Washington, DC · 2023
To provide general support
$2.0M
Natural Resource Governance Institute · New York, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$2.0M
Asia Democracy Network · 2023
To provide general support
$1.8M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2022
To support the threatened scholars integration initiative
$1.8M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2023
To develop an integrated curriculum, and a set of public programs, research opportunities, and collaborative activities across the open society university network
$1.7M
Tides Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2023
To support the asia advancement fund to enhance participatory and good governance in south asia
$1.7M
Foxglove Legal Community Interest Company · 2023
To provide general support
$1.6M
European Network On Debt and Development · 2023
To provide general support
$1.6M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2022
To support a network of initiatives for osun institutions emphasizing skills-based learning with a range of technologies, critical reflection, and social justice components
$1.6M
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2022
To integrate curricular, co-curricular, teaching, and research across osun partner institutions through civic engagement activities that build upon and enhance existing initiatives
$1.5M
Institute of International Education · New York, NY · 2024
To allow the grantee to manage a travel and learning fund for individuals and organizations to participate in convenings, exchanges, education, global learning, conducting research, and travel
$1.5M
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2024
To support the international fund for public interest media to seed new revenue streams for public interest media in the global south
$1.5M
Center for Civilians in Conflict · Washington, DC · 2023
To support grantee's charitable operations
$1.5M
Human Rights Watch · New York, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$1.5M
Open Society Foundation for Albania · 2023
To provide general support
$1.5M
Human Rights Watch · New York, NY · 2022
To provide general support
$1.4M
Tides Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2024
To support the asia empowerment fund for civil society groups advancing democratic governance
$1.3M
The Fund for Global Human Rights · Washington, DC · 2023
To provide general support
$1.3M
The Fund for Global Human Rights · Washington, DC · 2022
To provide general support
$1.3M
Lapis Middle East and Africa Fz Llc · 2023
To improve access to basic education for unserved and underserved children in afghanistan
$1.3M
International Development Economics Associates · 2024
To provide general support
$1.3M
Global Citizen · New York, NY · 2023
To support global citizens programmatic work to increase development finance and improve global governance for the global south
$1.3M
International Development Economics Associates · 2023
To provide general support
$1.2M
Access Now · New York City, NY · 2024
To provide general support
$1.1M
Tides Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2022
To support the asia advancement fund to enhance participatory and good governance in south asia
$1.0M
Central European University · New York, NY · 2023
To support central european university's budapest campus operations and programs
$1.0M
Brac USA · New York, NY · 2024
To support brac usa's ultra poor graduation initiative, which aims to mobilize governments globally to scale graduation and economic inclusion programs through government social protection systems
$1.0M
Climate Vulnerable Forum · 2024
To provide general support
$1.0M
Dignity Alliance International · 2024
To provide general support
$1.0M
Global Citizen · New York, NY · 2024
To support global citizens programmatic work to increase development finance and improve global governance for the global south
$1.0M
Transparentem · New York, NY · 2024
To provide general support
$1.0M
Brac USA · New York, NY · 2023
To support brac usa's ultra poor graduation initiative, which aims to mobilize governments globally to scale graduation and economic inclusion programs through government social protection systems
$1.0M
Crisis Action Limited · 2023
To provide general support
$1.0M
Global Citizen · New York, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$1.0M
Privacy International · 2023
To provide general support
$1.0M
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2023
To support the climate emergency collaboration group, a fiscally sponsored project, to build and test a strategy toward delivering substantive changes in the development finance system
$1.0M
Transparentem · New York, NY · 2023
To provide general support
$1.0M
Brac USA · New York, NY · 2022
To support brac usa's ultra poor graduation initiative, which aims to mobilize governments globally to scale graduation and economic inclusion programs through government social protection systems
$1.0M
Center for Civilians in Conflict · Washington, DC · 2022
To support grantee's charitable operations
$1.0M
Committee To Protect Journalists · New York, NY · 2022
To support committee to protect journalists' campaign for its press freedom center
$1.0M
Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator · 2022
To provide general support
$1.0M
Human Rights Watch · New York, NY · 2022
To provide general support
$1.0M
Ifex · 2022
To provide general support
$999,500
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2024
To support the climate emergency collaboration group, a project of the grantee, and its work on global financial architecture reform through building an effective global ecosystem of civil society, political and technic… read allTo support the climate emergency collaboration group, a project of the grantee, and its work on global financial architecture reform through building an effective global ecosystem of civil society, political and technical actors working together to create momentum and political space for ambitious change aimed to reduce poverty and promote sustainability less
$945,000
Kurawal Foundation · 2022
To provide general support
$938,692
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2023
To support the second and third year of a masters program curriculum in transnationalism that will prepare students to shape the transnational public debate about urgent contemporary global problems
$930,000
Freedom Voices Network · 2024
To provide general support
$915,000
Proteus Fund · Amherst, MA · 2023
To support the transparency and accountability initiative donor collaborative, a fiscally-sponsored project of the grantee, to assist its members to strengthen the impact and effectiveness of their transparency and acco… read allTo support the transparency and accountability initiative donor collaborative, a fiscally-sponsored project of the grantee, to assist its members to strengthen the impact and effectiveness of their transparency and accountability funding, and the movement as a whole less
$910,136
The Carter Center · Atlanta, GA · 2023
To promote and protect human rights through research and knowledge exchange
$900,000
Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting · Washington, DC · 2023
To provide general support.
$900,000
The Governing Council of the University of Toronto · 2023
To support the citizens labs work on researching issues around human rights and the digital space
$900,000
The Jain Family Institute · New York, NY · 2023
To support the grantee's research on green industrial policy, central banking, and fiscal justice across latin america
$880,000
Open Society Foundation for Albania · 2022
To support humanitarian relief efforts for displaced afghans evacuated to albania
$871,069
Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2022
To provide funding for training osun faculty in best practices for liberal arts & sciences instruction
$850,000
Norwegian Human Rights Fund · 2023
To provide general support
$800,000
New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2023
To contribute to the funding initiative on mercenary spyware accountability, hosted by new venture funds dignity & justice fund, to support civil society organizations working to investigate, expose, and prevent mercena… read allTo contribute to the funding initiative on mercenary spyware accountability, hosted by new venture funds dignity & justice fund, to support civil society organizations working to investigate, expose, and prevent mercenary spyware less
$800,000
Tides Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2023
To support the asia advancement fund to enhance participatory and good governance in south asia
$750,000
Black Equity Organisation · 2024
To provide general support
$750,000
Asociacion Tecnologia Educacion Desarrollo Inve · 2023
To support the grantee's work in safeguarding privacy, freedom of expression, and open access to information online, to enhance the capacity of actors in the region to defend and promote these rights in the digital sphe… read allTo support the grantee's work in safeguarding privacy, freedom of expression, and open access to information online, to enhance the capacity of actors in the region to defend and promote these rights in the digital sphere less
$750,000
Black Equity Organisation · 2023
To provide general support
$750,000
New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2023
To increase available funding for research and analytical work on how multilateral development banks (mdbs) can scale up lending in low- and middle-income countries, in line with the new g20 capital adequacy review comm… read allTo increase available funding for research and analytical work on how multilateral development banks (mdbs) can scale up lending in low- and middle-income countries, in line with the new g20 capital adequacy review commission recommendations less
$750,000
Project Everyone · 2023
To support the grantees work on achieving the sustainable development goals (sdgs) by launching a campaign for global leaders and key institutions to mobilize financial support for developing and emerging economies to a… read allTo support the grantees work on achieving the sustainable development goals (sdgs) by launching a campaign for global leaders and key institutions to mobilize financial support for developing and emerging economies to avert a development and climate catastrophe less
$750,000
Uplift Afghanistan Fund · Westlake Village, CA · 2023
To provide general support
$750,000
Black Equity Organisation · 2022
To provide general support
$750,000
Institute for Strategic Initiatives · 2022
To provide general support
$750,000
Uplift Afghanistan Fund · Westlake Village, CA · 2022
To pilot electronic direct aid mechanisms in support of afghan women

View all 2,134 grants →

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Grants already paid are the record; PaperOrbit reads your paper and finds the funders whose record matches it — then explains why.

Search funders like this one

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, Part XV, as filed by the foundation. These are grants already paid — a record of what this funder backs, not an open call.