Open Society Action Fund Inc
Open Society Action Fund Inc is a New York, New York–based public charity, according to its 2024 filing. The organization describes itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(4) that advocates on domestic and international public policy; its 2024 filing reports advocacy, coalition-building, and grantmaking in social welfare programs.
Open Society Action Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Open Society Action Fund Inc gave $159.6M across 203 grants in 2024 (avg $786K), top state District of Columbia. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $159,624,297
- -14.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 203
- -11.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $786,327
- -3.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $400,000
- Total assets
- $13,608,256
- -74.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (42 of 163, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Open Society Action Fund Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 224 West 57Th Street, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 548-0600
Website: https://opensocietyactionfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Open Society Action Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Our American Future Action ($16.4M). Together the top 10 received $64.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,041 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 285 grants of 1,041 (27%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The funder’s 2024 filing reports international policy work across Africa, Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. Its reported domestic work covers U.S. policy issues. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to the District of Columbia (42%), New York (14%), California (9%), Wisconsin (5%), and Florida (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 203 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Open Society Action Fund Inc open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 42 of 163 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $587K; repeat grants $1.1M. How we count
Medians: $500K first-time, $425K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $105.5M (2020) to $186.4M (2023). In 2024 it made 203 grants totaling $159.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Our American Future Action Washington, DC | To Support Non-Partisan Policy Advocacy and Civic Engagement | $16,364,341 |
| America Votes Washington, DC | To Support Nonpartisan Civic Engagement | $9,000,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Inc New York, NY | To Support the Grantee's Social Welfare Activities | $5,560,000 |
| Drug Policy Action New York, NY | To Support the Grantee's Non-Partisan Social Welfare Activities | $5,000,000 |
| Equis Labs San Francisco, CA | To support its social welfare activities to further latinx participation in democracy | $5,000,000 |
| Workmoney Inc Milwaukee, WI | To Support the Grantee's Social Welfare Activities | $5,000,000 |
| Accelerate Action Inc Salt Lake City, UT | To Support Nonpartisan Civic Engagement | $4,200,000 |
| Floridians Protecting Freedom Miami, FL | To Support Nonpartisan Policy Advocacy in Florida | $4,000,000 |
| Future Forward USA Action Washington, DC | To provide messaging support to nonpartisan advocacy efforts to protect rights and freedoms | $3,000,000 |
| Tides Advocacy San Francisco, CA | To support the social welfare activities of the electoral justice project | $3,000,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,608,256 | $157,180,674 | $178,663,592 | $159,624,297 | 203 | $80,674 |
| 2023 | $52,865,786 | $257,005,378 | $246,246,513 | $186,414,119 | 230 | $5,378 |
| 2022 | $36,100,367 | $240,000,000 | $205,511,896 | $152,387,162 | 149 | — |
| 2021 | $37,304,586 | $196,000,000 | $206,669,929 | $156,296,831 | 225 | — |
| 2020 | $8,982,600 | $139,000,000 | $144,593,206 | $105,451,619 | 234 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to promote social justice and human rights through domestic and foreign policy advocacy. Its 2024 filing lists domestic work including democracy defense, voting rights, civil rights, racial and gender justice, reproductive freedom, economic security, criminal justice reform, and government accountability. It also lists international policy work across regions including Africa, Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa, covering areas such as human rights, democracy, health, drug policy, and peace and security.
The 2024 grants included support for organizations working on civic engagement, civil liberties, drug policy, economic security, reproductive freedom, and social justice. For example, America Votes describes its mission as coordinating and promoting progressive issues and pursuing electoral reform that expands ballot access. The ACLU describes its mission as maintaining and advancing civil liberties and rights. Drug Policy Action says it seeks to reform drug policies and educate the public. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the funder’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the funder reported 203 grants totaling $159,624,297. Grant amounts ranged from $39,957 to $16,364,341, with a median of $400,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $16,364,341 to Our American Future Action for nonpartisan policy advocacy and civic engagement; $9,000,000 to America Votes for nonpartisan civic engagement; $5,560,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union for social welfare activities; and $5,000,000 each to Drug Policy Action, Equis Labs, and WorkMoney. Other large grants included $4,200,000 to Accelerate Action, $4,000,000 to Floridians Protecting Freedom, and $3,000,000 each to Future Forward USA Action and Tides Advocacy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laleh Ispahani as a director and executive director, Micaela Fernandez Allen as deputy director, Maija Arbolino as treasurer, and Debbie Fine as secretary. It also lists Gara LaMarche, Alexander Soros, and Andrea E. Soros as directors. The organization’s website identifies Andrea Soros as Andrea Soros Colombel.
Open Society Action Fund Inc is led by Laleh Ispahani, Director & Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 5 of 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Laleh Ispahani
Director & Executive Director
Deputy Director → Executive Director, 2023
Executive Director → Director & Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
13.7 hrs/week
$58K (2020) → $152K (2024)
Ruth Noemi Colon
Director of Ops & Cult.
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
$1K (2023) → $3K (2024)
Alexander Soros
Director
On filings since 2020
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gara Lamarche
Director
On filings since 2020
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea E. Soros
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Fine
Secretary
On filings since 2023
0 hrs/week
$204 (2023) → $308 (2024)
Maija Arbolino
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
$822 (2023) → $5K (2024)
Micaela Fernandez Allen
Deputy Director
On filings since 2023
12.2 hrs/week
$33K (2023) → $89K (2024)
Former officers (8)
- Former: Andrea Soros Colombel (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Behice Kinderman (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Tom Perriello (2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Deborah Fine (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Hannah Zlotnick (2020–2022) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Thomas Perriello (2020–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Caroline Chambers (2020) — Deputy Director
- Former: Patrick Gaspard (2020) — Director & Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $152K, to Laleh Ispahani (Director, Executive Director). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Open Society Action Fund Inc
How much does Open Society Action Fund Inc give each year?
Open Society Action Fund Inc gave $159.6M across 203 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $186.4M across 230 grants.
What is Open Society Action Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Open Society Action Fund Inc's median grant in 2024 was $400,000, and its average grant was $786,327, across 203 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Open Society Action Fund Inc that year got $587K on average.
Where does Open Society Action Fund Inc give grants?
Open Society Action Fund Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (14%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (59 grants), New York, NY (16 grants), San Francisco, CA (12 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (11 grants).
Does Open Society Action Fund Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 0% of Open Society Action Fund Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 203) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Grantee's Social Welfare Activities" (47 grants), "To Support the Grantees Social Welfare Activities" (12 grants) and "To Support Nonpartisan Civic Engagement" (9 grants).
Who are Open Society Action Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Open Society Action Fund Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Our American Future Action ($16,364,341), America Votes ($9,800,000 across 2 grants) and American Civil Liberties Union Inc ($5,560,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Open Society Action Fund Inc?
Open Society Action Fund Inc reported $13.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $157.2M.
What does Open Society Action Fund Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to promote social justice and human rights through domestic and foreign policy advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Open Society Action Fund Inc?
Open Society Action Fund Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check opensocietyactionfund.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Open Society Action Fund Inc's EIN?
Open Society Action Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2028955. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 16, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Open Society Action Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/open-society-action-fund-inc-morg_43be69139ef0405c9da4dccfbe0043f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_522028955_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Open Society Action Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/open-society-action-fund-inc-morg_43be69139ef0405c9da4dccfbe0043f8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Open Society Action Fund Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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