Funding search · EIN 263753801 · New York, NY

Foundation To Promote Open Society

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

3,312
grants reported
$1.72B
total given
2022–2024
filing years
$250,000
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 20222024. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

workresearchrightspublicjusticehumansponsoredpolicy

Full IRS filings ↗How this is builtReport 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 support for democracy and civil society groups worldwide
  • Open Society network affiliates and national foundations abroad
  • Human rights defenders, accountability, and justice organizations
  • Green industrial policy, climate finance, and economic development research
  • Higher education tied to Bard, CEU, and the Open Society University Network
  • Latin American and African policy research and civic power building

Typical grant

Median grant is $250,000, with the middle half running $105,000 to $500,000. The eight-figure checks go to network entities and long-standing institutional partners such as Open Society Foundation London, Bard College, Central European University, and the Soros Economic Development Fund, while most everyone else lands between $100,000 and $1 million. Many recipients appear more than once in the same year and across years, so repeat and multi-tranche giving is the norm rather than the exception.

Their words

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

  • TO PROVIDE GENERAL SUPPORT
  • open, democratic societies around the world
  • TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
  • green industrial policy
  • civil society, inclusion, and human rights
  • marginalized communities

Positioning adjacent work

  • Tie research to green industrial policy, climate finance, or state capacity in the Global South.
  • Ask $250,000 to $1 million; above that requires an existing institutional relationship.
  • Frame outputs as research and analysis that informs policymakers, not academic publication.
  • Consider a fiscal sponsor like New Venture Fund, Proteus, or Amalgamated; they fund these routinely.

Worth knowing: Money concentrates hard in New York and Washington DC and in the Open Society network itself, with a handful of affiliates and Bard-linked entities absorbing several hundred million. Giving looks strongly relationship-driven and heavily international, so a cold approach from an unconnected US-based researcher faces long odds without a partner already inside their portfolio.

52 grants matching “drugs · $10.8M

  • $250,000

    Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Poland · 2024

    To support the grantees efforts towards a post-war drug policy reform in ukraine, as well as to strengthen the pro-decriminalization narrative in neighboring poland.

  • $137,770

    Release Legal Emergency and Drugs Service Limited · 2024

    To support the grantees work in health and criminalization related drug policy and harm reduction reform in ukraine and the surrounding region

  • $111,753

    Harm Reduction International · 2024

    To support the development of the general comment on drug policies

  • $100,000

    International Funders for Indigenous Peoples · Sacramento, CA · 2024

    To advance work on drug policy and its impacts on indigenous peoples by supporting a series of conversations and meetings between indigenous speakers and experts, funders, and global leaders and related outputs

  • $70,000

    Transform Drug Policy Foundation · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $50,000

    Instituto Papo Reto · 2024

    To support coletivo papo reto's program work related to harm reduction, drug policy, and community safety

  • $1.6M

    Fondation Pour L'Institut De Hautes Etudes Interna · 2023

    To support the global commission on drug policys work on multilateral reform in order to impact the general framing on drug policy at global, national, and local levels

  • $1.5M

    United Nations Development Programme Ny Office · New York, NY · 2023

    To support the hiv and health groups work on supporting the implementation of rights-based drug policies

  • $385,000

    International Drug Policy Consortium · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $200,000

    Instituto Amma Psique E Negritude · 2023

    To support the grantees work on research, and associated advocacy on the relationship - historically and currently between anti-black racism in the context of the war on drugs, and the growth and promotion of long-term, read all
  • $190,000

    Drug Policy Alliance · New York, NY · 2023

    To provide funding for international participation in the drug policy alliances biennial reform conference in phoenix, arizona, on october 18-21

  • $150,000

    Black Initiative for a New Drug Policy (Innpd) · 2023

    To support the grantee's impact evaluation research on a harm reduction and violence reduction program led by the state of bahia, in northeast of brazil

  • $148,221

    Harm Reduction International · 2023

    To support the development of the general comment on drug policies

  • $100,000

    Montclair State University Foundation · Montclair, NJ · 2023

    To coordinate and conduct education training to dispel misinformation on drug overdose amongst the community in paterson

  • $100,000

    El Centro De Estudios Legales Y Sociales (Cels) · 2023

    To support trainings and meetings for global south organizations so they better participate in un spaces where drug policy is debated

  • $100,000

    Association for Women'S Rights in Development · 2023

    To support the grantee's work to build bridges between feminist and drug policy reform movements

  • $99,750

    The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organi · 2023

    To support the grantee's work to gather evidence and document the ongoing violations of human rights of people who use drugs (pwud) in afghanistan

  • $99,050

    Birkbeck College University of London · 2023

    To support the planning of a global research and advocacy network of emerging drug markets

  • $99,000

    The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organi · 2023

    To support research and network development to create a diplomatic community in vienna that is more informed, more engaged and more willing to put in place tangible reforms to drug policies through the un.

  • $75,000

    Universidad De Los Andes · 2023

    To support the grantee's work on drug policy in colombia and latin america

  • $75,000

    Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs · Calabasas, CA · 2023

    To support the grantees fiscally sponsored program, interrupting criminalization, hosting of an intimate virtual conversation among black feminist organizers and drug policy advocates across the u.s. And beyond to build read all
  • $74,997

    Georgetown University · Washington, DC · 2023

    To support the un special rapporteur on the right to health on the research and dissemination of her annual thematic report on drug policy

  • $74,983

    Saferworld USA · Washington Dc, DC · 2023

    To support research into the role the un office of drugs and crime (unodc) has in provision of security assistance and support to states and security actors

  • $59,950

    Comision Mexicana De Defensa Y Promocion De Los De · 2023

    To undertake un advocacy on the war on drugs and international justice

  • $58,500

    Corporacion Ilex Accion Juridica · 2023

    To support the 1st people's alliance on global south leadership exchange for drugs policy reform

  • $44,000

    Yale University · New Haven, CT · 2023

    To support the grantee's work in undertaking research towards the development of the un cescr general comment on drugs policies

  • $30,080

    HIV Legal Network Reseau Juridique Vih · 2023

    To develop a series of drug policy briefings to assist countries accessing the european union

  • $18,125

    Washington Office On Latin America · Washington, DC · 2023

    To support a high-level panel on the topic of human rights and drug policy at the cities summit of the americas

  • $719,000

    Black Initiative for a New Drug Policy (Innpd) · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $450,000

    University of Essex · 2022

    To support the implementation of the international guidelines on human rights and drug policy in latin america

  • $400,000

    The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organi · 2022

    To support the grantee's research and network development at the intersection of organized crime and drug policy reform

  • $363,000

    Centro De Investigacion Y Docencia Economicas Ac · 2022

    To support the drug policy program as a permanent, interdisciplinary program of the grantee

  • $300,000

    Fundacion Gabo · 2022

    To support and promote innovative, high-quality and impactful journalistic projects related to drug policy in latin america

  • $299,350

    Brown University · Providence, RI · 2022

    To support the grantee's work to study safe consumption sites for people who use drugs in the united states

  • $283,974

    Universidad De Los Andes · 2022

    To support el centro de estudios sobre seguridad y drogas' (cesed) partnership with afro-colombian and indigenous communities to promote inclusive drug policy and reduce homicide and gender-violence

  • $255,000

    Amnesty International Limited · 2022

    To support the grantee's work on strengthening international human rights standards to scrutinize punitive drug policies

  • $250,000

    The Urban Institute · Washington, DC · 2022

    To support research on and evaluation of drug decriminalization in oregon, with an overarching goal of strengthening the quality of social support systems for people who use drugs across the state

  • $200,000

    Transform Drug Policy Foundation · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $182,500

    Legal Action Center of the City of New York · New York, NY · 2022

    To support the black harm reduction network to cultivate a longer term infrastructure and conversation series that centers the histories, experiences, and policy ambitions of black communities, especially practitioners read all
  • $137,516

    Voices of Community Activists and Leaders · Brooklyn, NY · 2022

    To build the capacity of harm reduction and community organizations in the united states to take on drug policy and drug user organizing activities

  • $125,000

    Community Education Group · Lost City, WV · 2022

    To support the grantee's work advocating for evidence-based treatment for people who use drugs

  • $100,000

    Instituto Incube · 2022

    To support the grantee's fiscally sponsored program, free school of harm reduction, to work on drug policy and harm reduction

  • $100,000

    Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University · Carbondale, IL · 2022

    To support work that addresses over-incarceration in pre-trial detention as well as restorative justice for incarcerated persons, particularly women who use drugs

  • $90,000

    Newark Community Street Team · Newark, NJ · 2022

    To support the grantee's work in hosting local networking, awareness and education trainings with partners across the sector on decriminalization of small drug possession in new jersey

  • $85,000

    New York Focus · Brooklyn, NY · 2022

    To support research and investigative reporting on new york state drug policies, including substance use disorder treatment

  • $81,980

    Corporacion Viso Mutop · 2022

    To support the grantee's technical and advocacy work towards drug policy reform in colombia

  • $80,123

    The College of New Jersey Foundation · Ewing, NJ · 2022

    To support the grantee's work on educational research around drug policy reform in new jersey

  • $80,000

    National Association of Counties Research Foundati · Washington, DC · 2022

    To support the grantee's work on drug overdose by educating county officials about harm reduction-oriented responses in the united states

  • $50,000

    Fondation Pour L'Institut De Hautes Etudes Interna · 2022

    To provide support for the drug policy and health diplomacy course

  • $49,325

    Transnational Institute (Tni) · 2022

    To support the drug policy advocacy group's work to increase awareness amongst key stakeholders, civil society actors and the general public about the effectiveness of drug policies based on public health, development, read all
  • $25,000

    The Regents of the University of California Los a · Los Angeles, CA · 2022

    To use existing data and field reports to prepare policy briefs that will inform international and regional responses to the elevated risks to people who use drugs in the covid-19 pandemic

  • $25,000

    New Jersey Policy Perspective · Trenton, NJ · 2022

    To support the dissemination of the grantee's report on the fiscal and social benefits of drug decriminalization in new jersey

Top recipients

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

  • Open Society Foundation London5 grants · $148.0M
  • Soros Economic Development Fund3 grants · $55.8M
  • Central European University51 grants · $54.0M
  • Bard College36 grants · $43.9M
  • Amalgamated Charitable Foundation18 grants · $29.1M
  • Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors34 grants · $25.3M
  • Roma Foundation for Europe2 grants · $21.0M
  • The Boston Foundation1 grant · $20.0M
  • Alliance for Open Society International3 grants · $19.8M
  • Open Society Initiative for West Africa1 grant · $19.5M

Giving over time

$484.1M
2022
$758.4M
2023
$481.5M
2024

Grant history

The 100 largest of 3,312 grants.

  • $44.9M

    Open Society Foundation London · 2024

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $42.8M

    Open Society Foundation London · 2022

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $41.2M

    Open Society Foundation London · 2023

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $25.0M

    Soros Economic Development Fund · New York, NY · 2024

    To support grantee's program related investment activities

  • $20.6M

    Soros Economic Development Fund · New York, NY · 2023

    To support grantee's program related investment activities

  • $20.0M

    Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $20.0M

    The Boston Foundation · Boston, MA · 2024

    To support the fokal designated fund

  • $19.5M

    Open Society Initiative for West Africa · 2023

    To support the grantee's non-lobbying programs, which promote inclusive democratic governance, transparent and accountable institutions, and active citizenship in africa

  • $15.6M

    Roma Foundation for Europe · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $15.0M

    Central European University · New York, NY · 2024

    To support research, outreach activities and operating costs of the budapest-based units of central european university in the 2024/25 academic year

  • $15.0M

    Central European University · New York, NY · 2023

    To support research, outreach activities and operating costs of the budapest site of central european university in 2023/24 academic year

  • $12.3M

    Alliance for Open Society International · New York, NY · 2023

    To provide support for open society institute-baltimore's charitable programs and operations

  • $12.0M

    International Crisis Group (Washington Office) · Washington, DC · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $11.0M

    Open Society Foundation London · 2023

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $10.2M

    Soros Economic Development Fund · New York, NY · 2022

    To support grantee's program related investment activities

  • $10.0M

    Equis Institute · San Francisco, CA · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $10.0M

    Hopewell Fund · Washington, DC · 2023

    To support the nonpartisan free election fund, a sponsored project of the grantee that protects the rights of all citizens to participate fully in our democratic process and safeguards our free and fair elections

  • $8.4M

    Amalgamated Charitable Foundation · Washington, DC · 2023

    To support the buildus fund, a sponsored project of the grantee, in ensuring the equitable implementation of federal legislation for marginalized communities across the u.s.

  • $8.4M

    Amalgamated Charitable Foundation · Washington, DC · 2022

    To support the equis institute, a project of the grantee that seeks to help latinx community-based organizations overcome racism and historic disenfranchisement to elevate latinx voices in our democracy

  • $8.1M

    Open Society Foundation London · 2024

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $6.9M

    Alliance for Open Society International · New York, NY · 2022

    To provide support for open society institute-baltimore's charitable programs and operations

  • $6.2M

    Roma Education Fund Romania Foundation · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $6.0M

    Common Counsel Foundation · Oakland, CA · 2023

    To support the movement for black lives, a project of the grantee that creates alternative solutions to harmful institutions, policies, and practices for all black communities across the nation

  • $5.7M

    European Council On Foreign Relations · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $5.4M

    Roma Foundation for Europe · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $5.2M

    Amnesty International Limited · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $5.0M

    The National Trust for Local News · Lexington, MA · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $5.0M

    Voter Registration Project · Washington, DC · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $5.0M

    Equis Institute · San Francisco, CA · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $5.0M

    Hopewell Fund · Washington, DC · 2022

    To support the democracy docket legal fund, which challenges suppressive voting laws and practices in court

  • $4.4M

    International Crisis Group (Washington Office) · Washington, DC · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $4.4M

    Possibility Labs · San Francisco, CA · 2023

    To support cllctivly, a fiscally sponsored project of the grantee, to launch the maryland black futures fund that will deploy capital to black power-building and movement-based organizations in maryland

  • $4.2M

    Colorofchangeorg Education Fund · Oakland, CA · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $4.1M

    Fondation Connaissance Et Liberte · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $4.0M

    Borealis Philanthropy · Minneapolis, MN · 2023

    To support the black-led movement fund, a project of the grantee, a national donor collaborative seeking to build a new generation of racial justice advocates promoting systemic social change

  • $4.0M

    Bvm Capacity Building Institute · Atlanta, GA · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $4.0M

    Borealis Philanthropy · Minneapolis, MN · 2022

    To expand the efforts of the communities transforming policing fund to identify, support, and nurture promising community-based police reform campaigns

  • $4.0M

    Open Society Foundation for Albania · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $3.9M

    Fondation Connaissance Et Liberte · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $3.8M

    Institute for Human Sciences · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $3.5M

    New America Foundation · Washington, DC · 2023

    To support the grantee's new practice lab, which conducts research and analysis on family economic security and wellbeing

  • $3.4M

    Open Society Foundation Ggmbh · 2022

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $3.4M

    Tides Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2023

    To support the asia advancement fund to enhance participatory and good governance in south asia

  • $3.3M

    Open Society Foundation for Albania · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $3.3M

    Neo Philanthropy · New York, NY · 2023

    To support the four freedoms fund, a project of the grantee that works to protect immigrants rights and ensure immigrants full inclusion within american society and communities

  • $3.2M

    Redi International · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $3.2M

    Civil Society Foundation · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $3.0M

    Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2023

    To support the grantees fiscally sponsored program, climate emergency collaboration group, to coordinate a strong philanthropic collaboration, provide nimble strategic funding, and bring greater alignment around the key read all
  • $3.0M

    Carnegie Endowment for International Peace · Washington, DC · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $3.0M

    Fondation Connaissance Et Liberte · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $3.0M

    United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Cha · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $3.0M

    University of California Berkeley Foundation · Berkeley, CA · 2023

    To support an endowment for ukrainian studies at uc berkeley

  • $3.0M

    Common Counsel Foundation · Oakland, CA · 2022

    To support the movement for black lives, a project of the grantee that creates alternative solutions to harmful institutions, policies, and practices for all black communities across the nation

  • $3.0M

    Ideas Innovacion Infraestructuras E Industrializ · 2024

    To support research and analysis of sustainable industrial development, regional integration, and green infrastructure projects in latin america

  • $3.0M

    Open Society Foundation Ggmbh · 2023

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $2.9M

    Stefan Batory Foundation · 2024

    To support democracy and open society efforts in central and eastern europe

  • $2.8M

    Open Society Foundation for South Africa · 2022

    To support non-lobbying program activities related to criminal justice, human rights, democracy building, public health, media freedom and access to information

  • $2.8M

    New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2024

    To support the learning & action hub for democracy (d-hub), a fiscally-sponsored project of the grantee, to advance democratic renewal through providing educational and peer-to-peer learning opportunities

  • $2.8M

    Open Society Foundation Ggmbh · 2023

    To support non-lobbying activities and programs promoting open, democratic societies around the world

  • $2.8M

    Freedom House · Washington, DC · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $2.7M

    Nossas Cidades · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.7M

    United Nations Economic Commission for Latin Ameri · 2024

    To support state capacities in latin american and caribbean countries to drive productive development and regional integration, fostering a more productive, inclusive, and sustainable future that contributes to the regi read all
  • $2.7M

    Pef Israel Endowment Funds · New York, NY · 2022

    To bolster democratic values, civic engagement, and volunteerism in the state of israel

  • $2.7M

    Global Witness · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $2.6M

    Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $2.6M

    Open Society Foundation for Albania · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.5M

    Trustees of Boston University · Boston, MA · 2023

    To provide support to the global development policy center's global economic governance initiative

  • $2.5M

    Amalgamated Charitable Foundation · Washington, DC · 2024

    To support global fund for a new economy to build new institutional infrastructure of the new economy field, including civil society, academia, and media that seek to build a global economy that is more inclusive and su read all
  • $2.5M

    Araminta Gug · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.5M

    Ethiopia Education Initiatives · New York City, NY · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.5M

    London School of Economics and Political Science · 2024

    To support the establishment of a new multidisciplinary program on the political economy of cohesive capitalism at the london school of economics and political science

  • $2.5M

    Global Fund for Women · San Francisco, CA · 2023

    To support the building of another world that is affirming of black women and gender expansive people by building a network of black women in philanthropy, conducting research on how black women are supported and provid read all
  • $2.5M

    Way To Rise · Washington, DC · 2023

    To support way to rise's valiente fund in order to build latinx civic, economic, and cultural power

  • $2.5M

    Howard University · Washington, DC · 2022

    To support the center for journalism and democracy, housed at howard university, to train and support the next generation of black investigative journalists in order to broaden the field of journalism, build a more incl read all
  • $2.4M

    Oxfam Mexico Ac · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.4M

    Global Witness · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.4M

    American University of Central Asia · 2023

    To support students from central asian countries with scholarships and provide program support for auca's liberal arts activities, student mobility, and faculty and student research

  • $2.4M

    Global Witness · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $2.4M

    International Media Support (Ims) · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $2.4M

    Caps Unlock · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.4M

    Institute of International Education · New York, NY · 2022

    To allow the grantee to create and manage a travel and learning fund for latin american individuals and organizations to participate in convenings, exchanges, education, global learning, conducting research, and travel

  • $2.3M

    Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2023

    To create a robust ecosystem of academic collaboration and advance the integration of teaching, learning, and curricula across osun

  • $2.3M

    C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group · New York, NY · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $2.1M

    Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2023

    To support the grantees fiscally sponsored program, global center for climate mobility, to educate the public, mobilize support, and advocate in multilateral and international forum about climate-induced mobility and di read all
  • $2.1M

    Central European University · New York, NY · 2024

    To support the establishment of the osun forum on democracy & development, a collaborative research platform structured around five thematic hubs centered on critical themes pertaining to contemporary democratic realiti read all
  • $2.1M

    Tides Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2023

    To support the diaspora alliance, a project of the grantee, in its efforts to promote just, equitable, and democratic societies by combating antisemitism and challenging its politicization

  • $2.1M

    United Nations Conference On Trade and Development · 2023

    To support the grantee's educational, policy, research and analyses on debt and taxation reforms for the benefit of vulnerable communities in borrower countries in the global south

  • $2.1M

    Colorofchangeorg Education Fund · Oakland, CA · 2022

    To provide general support

  • $2.1M

    Democracy Development Foundation · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $2.1M

    El Centro De Estudios Legales Y Sociales (Cels) · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $2.0M

    Bard College · Annandaleonhudson, NY · 2022

    To provide fellowships for newly-arrived afghan professionals and scholars in north america and the uk

  • $2.0M

    Center for American Progress · Washington, DC · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.0M

    Center for Civilians in Conflict · Washington, DC · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.0M

    Institute for Economic Justice · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.0M

    Instituto Cultura Comunicacao E Incidencia · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.0M

    Sustainable Solutions for Africa (Ssa) · 2024

    To conduct research and prepare and disseminate educational information on climate adaptation

  • $2.0M

    Yayasan Celios Pencerah Bangsa · 2024

    To provide general support

  • $2.0M

    Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote · Washington, DC · 2023

    To provide general support

  • $2.0M

    Borealis Philanthropy · Minneapolis, MN · 2023

    To expand the efforts of the communities transforming policing fund to identify, support, and nurture promising community-based police reform campaigns

  • $2.0M

    Carnegie Endowment for International Peace · Washington, DC · 2023

    To provide general support

View all 3,312 grants →

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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.