Open Society Foundations

Description

The Open Society Foundations were founded by George Soros. They describe themselves as the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for rights, equity and justice. Soros began his philanthropic work in 1979. He first funded scholarships for Black African university students in South Africa and for East European dissidents to study in the West.

The foundations later supported dissent behind the Iron Curtain and democracy movements in China. They also supported the opening of Central European University in 1991. Their mission is to champion bold, democratic solutions to shared global challenges. They do this by supporting independent voices and organizations that link the governing and the governed, countering narrow political self-interest in pursuit of a sustainable future.

Every year the foundations award thousands of grants to groups and individuals working on their focus areas. Their scholarship programs were wound down in 2021, with no new competitions held. Staff are based in offices across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the United States.

The organization is led by a Board of Directors, chaired by Alex Soros, which guides staff, partners and grantees. George Soros himself has given over 32 billion dollars to fund the foundations.