Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute, based in New York, is a private foundation that supports organizations and individuals working to promote democratic practice, human rights, equity, and justice. Its filing describes the Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, as working through a global network of offices across six continents and using grantmaking, advocacy, impact investing, and legal action to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable to their people.
Open Society Institute at a glance
In short: Open Society Institute gave $146.9M across 559 grants in 2024 (avg $263K), mostly in New York. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $146,889,147
- -45.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 559
- -17.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $262,771
- -34.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $5,403,306,305
- +2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (108 of 295, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (78% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Open Society Institute
- How to Apply
-
The filing directs applicants to the Foundations’ website for application materials, deadlines, and award restrictions. The website advises organizations or individuals to review the relevant program’s strategy and process.
- Contact
Application contact: Open Society Institute Grants Dept
Mailing address: 224 West 57Th Street, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 548-0600
Website: https://opensocietyfoundations.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Open Society Institute
Latin America and the Caribbean Grant Program
Open Society Institute
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Open Society Fellowship
Open Society Institute
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Soros Justice Fellowships Grant
Open Society Institute
Amount
US $100,000 - US $140,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Open Society Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Central European University ($70.0M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $109.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 43 grants to individuals ($1,592,501), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
4,602 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 3,019 grants of 4,602 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing describes a global network of offices across six continents and says the Foundations support work at national and global levels. The website reports that grantees in 2023 represented more than 100 countries. The 2024 filing’s grant dollars were concentrated among recipients in New York (78%), with additional shares in DC (3%), California (3%), and Illinois (2%); the filing also lists 13% in an unspecified state category.
The Foundations’ Latin America and the Caribbean program description identifies Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico as priority countries. The 2024 grants also include support for work connected to the EU, Asia, and the Global South.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 559 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Open Society Institute open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 108 of 295 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $101K; repeat grants $689K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 53% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $128.0M (2020) to $310.8M (2021). In 2024 it made 559 grants totaling $146.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Central European University New York, NY | To Provide General Support | $38,025,318 |
| Central European University New York, NY | To Provide General Support | $31,983,066 |
| Bard College Annandaleonhudson, NY | To Provide General Support | $12,500,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc New York, NY | 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 | $5,000,000 |
| Media Development Investment Fund New York, NY | To Provide General Support | $5,000,000 |
| The Barack Obama Foundation Chicago, IL | To support the foundations efforts to scale up their international programs and in particular, obama foundation leaders, scholars and fellows programs | $3,000,000 |
| Bard College Annandaleonhudson, NY | To support bard college's center for civic engagement as the new administrative hub for the open society university network's operations | $2,825,471 |
| Reset Tech Washington DC, DC | To support the grantees work in protecting public safety, fundamental rights and election integrity by encouraging effective enforcement of the digital services act | $2,000,000 |
| Aspiration San Francisco, CA | To ensure effective enforcement of social media accountability rules during the 2024 eu elections in order to reduce and mitigate the spread of disinformation | $2,000,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc New York, NY | To support the international fund for public interest media to seed new revenue streams for public interest media in the global south | $1,500,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,403,306,305 | $396,477,106 | $295,896,735 | $146,889,147 | 559 | $279,326,682 | $402,148,347 | $250,883,754 |
| 2023 | $5,268,526,545 | $436,327,089 | $390,477,522 | $269,257,188 | 676 | $410,572,916 | $449,894,353 | $241,425,890 |
| 2022 | $5,271,338,522 | $564,227,312 | $364,425,841 | $221,888,671 | 946 | $365,184,114 | $600,740,003 | $256,033,151 |
| 2021 | $5,888,437,822 | $988,350,898 | $556,436,293 | $310,846,698 | 1,209 | $453,705,704 | $560,618,630 | $202,598,806 |
| 2020 | $3,969,456,779 | $526,468,189 | $379,422,137 | $127,998,260 | 1,212 | — | $529,688,877 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Open Society Institute reported a distributable amount of $250.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated in the filing is to support diverse organizations and individuals promoting democratic practice, human rights, equity, and justice. The filing identifies four interconnected focus areas: Rights and Dignity, Democratic Practice, Equity in Governance, and Future Worlds. The Foundations’ website also describes support for a wide range of activities, from specific projects to general operating support.
The website says organizations supported may include movements, coalitions, networks, collectives, and informal groups. Examples of grantee work in the 2024 filing include support for civic engagement, independent media, digital rights and election integrity, and civil society groups advancing democratic governance. In describing their own missions, grantees include Central European University, which says it promotes open-society values and critical thinking; Media Development Investment Fund, which says it provides financing and technical assistance to independent news organizations; and Reset Tech, which says it works to protect the public from digital threats to security, safety, and fundamental rights.
Grantmaking
The 2024 filing lists 559 grants totaling $146,889,147. Grant amounts ranged from $13 to $38,025,318, with a median of $15,000.
The largest listed awards included two general-support grants to Central European University, for $38,025,318 and $31,983,066. Bard College received $12,500,000 in general support and $2,825,471 for its Center for Civic Engagement as the new administrative hub for the Open Society University Network’s operations. Other listed grants included $5 million to Media Development Investment Fund for general support; $2 million to Reset Tech for work related to enforcement of the Digital Services Act; and $2 million to Aspiration to support social media accountability rules during the 2024 EU elections.
The Foundations’ website says the application process varies by program. Some programs use requests for proposals, others invite letters of inquiry or concept papers, and some accept proposals. It says most grants are awarded to organizations approached directly. The Latin America and the Caribbean program description says it rarely funds unsolicited proposals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alexander Soros as trustee; Maija Arbolino as treasurer/CFO; Leonard Benardo as senior vice president; Pedro Abramovay as vice president, programs; and Sandra Breka as VP and COO. It lists Binaifer Nowrojee as president as of April 1, 2024, and Mark Malloch-Brown as trustee and president through March 31, 2024. Laura Silber is listed as trustee as of December 19, 2024.
Open Society Institute is led by Binaifer Nowrojee, President since 2024 (on filings since 2021); 10 of 14 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Binaifer Nowrojee
President
Vice President & Org. Transformation → Vice President & Programs, 2022
Vice President & Programs → President, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$512K (2021) → $881K (2024)
Mark Malloch-Brown
Trustee & President
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$262K (2021) → $323K (2024)
Greg Taylor
Global Director of Ops
Global Director of Operations → Global Director of Ops, 2022
On filings since 2020
$458K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Laura Silber
Trustee
Vice President, Advocacy & Communications → Vice President, Ext Affrairs & Office of the Chair, 2022
Vice President, Ext Affrairs & Office of the Chair → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$453K (2020) → $603K (2024)
Alexander Soros
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leonard Benardo
Senior Vice President
Vice President → Senior Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$713K (2020) → $774K (2024)
Maija Arbolino
Treasurer & CFO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$376K (2020) → $446K (2024)
Nicole Wilett
Chief of Staff
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$350K (2021) → $389K (2024)
Samantha Stokes-Baydur
Chief People & Culture Officer
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$454K (2022) → $705K (2024)
Catherine Livingston
General Counsel & Secretary
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$191K (2022) → $54K (2024)
Smita Singh
Chief Strategy Officer
On filings since 2022
$482K (2022) → $25K (2024)
Debbie Fine
General Counsel & Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$530K (2024)
Sandra Breka
Vice President & COO
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pedro Abramovay
Vice President & Programs
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Gail Scovell (2020–2023) — General Counsel & Secretary
- Former: Salil Shetty (2021–2023) — Vice President & Global Programs · Filing note: As of 9121
- Former: Deborah Fine (2022–2023) — Dep General Counsel & Secretary
- Former: Johanna Chao Kreilick (2020–2022) — Director · Filing note: Until 5721
- Former: Patrick Gaspard (2021–2022) — President
- Former: Samantha Gilbert - (2021) — Spec. Hr Advisor to President
- Former: Akwe Amosu (2020) — Chief Integration Officer · Filing note: Until 13120
- Former: Andrea Soros Colombel - (2020) — Trustee
- Former: George Soros (2020) — Trustee & Chair -
- Former: Patrick Gaspard - (2020) — Trustee & President
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 $881K, to Binaifer Nowrojee (President (As of 4/1/2024)). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Open Society Institute
How much does Open Society Institute give each year?
Open Society Institute gave $146.9M across 559 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $269.3M across 676 grants.
What is Open Society Institute's typical grant size?
Open Society Institute's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $262,771, across 559 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Open Society Institute that year got $101K on average.
Where does Open Society Institute give grants?
Open Society Institute gives mostly in New York: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (245 grants), Washington, DC (29 grants), Brooklyn, NY (27 grants) and Baltimore, MD (15 grants).
Does Open Society Institute give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of Open Society Institute's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (70 of 559) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Matching Gift Program" (240 grants) and "To Obtain an LLM" (4 grants).
Who are Open Society Institute's largest grantees?
Open Society Institute's largest 2024 grantees include Central European University ($70,008,384 across 2 grants), Bard College ($16,062,530 across 3 grants) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc ($7,499,500 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 43 grants to individuals ($1,592,501), which are not listed by name. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Open Society Institute?
Open Society Institute reported $5.4B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $279.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $250.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Open Society Institute fund?
The mission stated in the filing is to support diverse organizations and individuals promoting democratic practice, human rights, equity, and justice. The filing identifies four interconnected focus areas: Rights and Dignity, Democratic Practice, Equity in Governance, and Future Worlds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Open Society Institute?
The filing directs applicants to the Foundations’ website for application materials, deadlines, and award restrictions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Open Society Institute's EIN?
Open Society Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-7029285. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Open Society Institute funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/open-society-institute-morg_bfbfbb057e584086af73007e5fe705d1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_137029285_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Open Society Institute funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/open-society-institute-morg_bfbfbb057e584086af73007e5fe705d1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Institute'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.
Open Society Institute down — hundreds of funders to go?