Open Society Foundations
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Open Society Foundations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Society Foundations
- Legal name
- Open Society Foundations
- Website
- https://opensocietyfoundations.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Society Foundations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Philanthropic Grant-Making Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
Keywords
Where Open Society Foundations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices13 records
Markets served
Open Society Foundations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Foundation Grant-Making: The Open Society Foundations operates as a philanthropic organization funded primarily by George Soros's personal fortune. The foundation gives grants to organizations and individuals promoting democratic governance, human rights, and social justice. Total expenditures over three decades exceed $24 billion, with $1.2 billion in 2024 alone. Funding supports strategic litigation, non-profit sector defense, government corruption tracking, and civil society organizations worldwide.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Open Society Foundations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Open Society Foundations is a global philanthropy that distributes grants to civil society organizations, advocacy groups, academics, and individuals working to build vibrant and inclusive democracies. Its activities include direct grant-making, strategic litigation support, research and publications, policy advocacy, and impact investment through arms such as the Soros Economic Development Fund, deployed across six regions including Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and the United States.
Product overview
The Open Society Foundations is a global philanthropy organization that does not offer traditional technology products or SaaS offerings. Instead, it operates as a grant-giving foundation focused on building vibrant and inclusive democracies. The organization provides grants to diverse groups and individuals who promote its values of justice, equity, and human rights. OSF's work encompasses grant making, research, advocacy, impact investment, and strategic litigation across multiple geographic regions including Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and the United States. The organization has offices worldwide and produces publications, news content, and maintains a website as a digital presence for sharing information about its mission and work, but does not offer software products, APIs, or technology platforms as offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Soros Economic Development Fund: Impact investment arm of Open Society that deploys catalytic capital to address challenges facing democracy and open society.
- Open Society Justice Initiative
Products and services
- Direct Grant-Making Program Direct grants to civil society organizations, NGOs, advocacy groups, academics, and individuals worldwide, ranging from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars, supporting work on democratic governance, human rights, rule of law, civil liberties, and economic justice.
- Strategic Litigation Support Funding and support for strategic litigation on human rights, government accountability, and atrocity crimes, including through the Open Society Justice Initiative.
- Soros Economic Development Fund (Impact Investment) Impact investment vehicle deploying catalytic capital to support enterprises and initiatives aligned with democratic and open society values, including regenerative agriculture, sustainable energy, and biodiversity protection.
- U.S. Economic Security and Civil Liberties Initiative A $300 million, five-year thematic grant initiative in the United States focused on economic security and civil liberties, funding civil rights, policy, and advocacy organizations including the Roosevelt Institute, Groundwork Collaborative, and National Women's Law Center.
- Antisemitism and Anti-Muslim Discrimination Initiative A $30 million, three-year thematic grant initiative to combat antisemitism and anti-Muslim discrimination, funding organizations such as the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Nexus Project, and Shoulder to Shoulder.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50,000+ grants awarded to organizations and individuals worldwide
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Open Society Foundations
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Open Society Foundations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Open Society Foundations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Fondation Connaissance et Liberte (FOKAL)coreFOKAL was Open Society's Haiti foundation, founded in 1995. In 2022, FOKAL became a fully independent entity, transitioning from being part of the Open Society network to operating independently while maintaining alignment with open society values.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Open Society Foundations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ford Foundation: One of the largest US private foundations with a comparable global grantmaking footprint and focus on democracy, human rights, and inequality. Directly comparable as a multi-billion-dollar, internationally distributed philanthropy operating a similar program-driven model.
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The world's largest private foundation with similarly massive scale (endowment tens of billions) and global grantmaking across health, governance, and equity. Comparable as a mega-foundation deploying billions annually through programmatic strategy and partnerships.
- Carnegie Corporation of New York: Major US private foundation with parallel focus on democracy, education, and international peace. Closely comparable in mission, scale, and historical roots as a programmatic philanthropy working through grants and advocacy.
- John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: Large US private foundation with global grantmaking in human rights, democratic governance, and conservation. Comparable in operating model, endowment scale, and strategy of combining long-term grants with high-profile initiatives (e.g., MacArthur Fellows).
- Rockefeller Foundation: Historic US private foundation with global programs in health, equity, and democratic resilience. Comparable as a century-old endowment-driven philanthropy pursuing systemic change through grants and field-building.
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Major US private foundation with substantial global democracy and human rights grantmaking. Directly comparable as a multi-billion-dollar programmatic funder with similar strategic-grants approach.
- Bloomberg Philanthropies: Large privately funded philanthropy with deep civic engagement and democracy programs globally. Comparable as a wealth-backed foundation deploying hundreds of millions annually into advocacy and governance reform.
- Kresge Foundation: US private foundation with significant US-focused grantmaking on equity, civic infrastructure, and climate. Comparable as a multi-billion-dollar programmatic philanthropy with a domestic focus overlapping OSF's US portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Oxfam International: Global confederation focused on poverty, inequality, and rights, employing advocacy, research, and grants across dozens of countries. Comparable in international advocacy footprint and operating model that overlaps with grantees OSF funds.
Regional players
- Human Rights Watch: Global human rights organization conducting research and advocacy that frequently intersects with OSF's grantmaking priorities. Comparable as a beneficiary-style partner and adjacent operating entity in the same thematic space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Open Society Foundations social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Society Foundations compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Open Society Foundations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Society Foundations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Open Society Foundations subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Open Society Foundations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Open Society Foundations M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Open Society Foundations
What does Open Society Foundations do?
The Open Society Foundations is a global philanthropy that distributes grants to civil society organizations, advocacy groups, academics, and individuals working to build vibrant and inclusive democracies. Its activities include direct grant-making, strategic litigation support, research and publications, policy advocacy, and impact investment through arms such as the Soros Economic Development Fund, deployed across six regions including Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and the United States.
Is Open Society Foundations a public or private company?
Open Society Foundations is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open Society Foundations founded?
Open Society Foundations was founded in 1984. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Open Society Foundations based?
Open Society Foundations is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open Society Foundations make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Grant-Making.
Who are Open Society Foundations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Kresge Foundation. Oxfam International is listed as a broad incumbent. Human Rights Watch is listed as a regional player.
Does Open Society Foundations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Society Foundations.
What industry is Open Society Foundations in?
Open Society Foundations's product category is Philanthropic Grant-Making Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.