The Open Society Foundations, founded by investor George Soros, operate from New York as a grantmaking network active in more than 100 countries. Soros launched his philanthropy in 1979 with scholarships for Black South African students under apartheid and Eastern European dissidents, establishing the first foundation in Hungary in 1984 to fund exchanges under Communist rule. In 1993, the U.S.-based Open Society Institute formed to coordinate efforts in post-Soviet states and Russia, rebranding to Open Society Foundations in 2010.
Soros has donated over $32 billion since 1984, including an $18 billion transfer in 2017; as of 2025, the group reports $24.2 billion in expenditures and over $23 billion in assets. Leadership shifted in 2023 when Soros handed control to son Alexander, who cut 40% of international staff from 800.
The network backs groups on rights, equity, and justice, with one-fifth of spending in the U.S., including a Baltimore office since 1998 tackling education and addiction. Past projects funded tuberculosis control in Russian prisons ($12.5 million initial outlay), end-of-life care ($45 million Project on Death in America), and a $10 million Rohingya refugee fund. It has supported Roma communities in Europe, arts centers in the former Soviet bloc, and early medical marijuana advocacy. Priorities now address authoritarianism and climate issues across regions from Europe to Asia-Pacific.