OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS

Contact information:
400 West 59th Street

New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212-548-0600

Fax: 212-548-4600
Website: www.soros.org

Type of foundation: Independent

Types of grants: Project grants, fellowships, scholarships, general support, research, technical assistance.

Description: Founded by George Soros in 1984 to help countries make the transition from communism, the Open Society Foundations make grants in the U.S. and more than 70 nations around the globe. The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. On a local level, the Open Society Foundations implement a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health and independent media. The Foundations place a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities.

The Foundations run several initiatives or giving programs, supporting work in areas including (among others):

• Documentary Photography.
• Criminal and juvenile justice.
• Government accountability and transparency.
• Human rights.
• Information.
• International migration.
• International women’s rights.
• Latin America.
• Legal reform.
• Media.
• Public health.
• Youth.

The Open Society Institute in New York is the headquarters for the Open Society Foundations. It is the hub of communications for the entire network and is also the main grant-giving center. The New York office administers a number of large Open Society Foundations programs, including the Open Society Justice Initiative, the Public Health Program, the Central Eurasia Project/Middle East and North Africa Initiative, the Burma Project/Southeast Asia Initiative, the Scholarship Programs, the International Women’s Program, the Open Society Fellowship, and U.S. Programs.

The Foundations' U.S. Programs support grantmaking, programming and policy initiatives that:

• Build an inclusive society that increases opportunity for all while addressing the unique struggles faced by women, people of color, immigrants, poor people and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
• Promote civic participation and develop new leaders, especially among communities that have been historically underrepresented.
• Ensure fair criminal justice, immigration and national security policies, and reduce the over-reliance on incarceration and harsh punishment.
• Increase the transparency, integrity and accountability of institutions vital to open society.

The Foundations maintain a Media Program that provides assistance to media outlets that promote democratic values and demonstrate a high level of professionalism, independence and openness in presenting different views. The program supports a variety of outlets, including newspapers, radio and TV stations, networks, news agencies and production houses. In particular, assistance is available for outlets that lack the resources to invest in developmental projects that would bring them to full independence and sustainability. Media Program grants can provide for infrastructure development and expansion, business planning, management restructuring, technical assistance, legal know-how and market research. Much of the Media Program funding appears to be given internationally.

The Soros Justice Media Fellowships are of particular interest to journalists. Fellowships are awarded annually to writers, print and broadcast journalists, bloggers, filmmakers and others with distinct voices proposing to complete media projects for local, regional and national markets. Media fellowships are one year in duration. Fellows are expected to make their projects their full-time work during the term of the fellowship. In 2012, projects can begin in either the spring or fall. Media Track I fellowships, designed for new and emerging media makers, provide a stipend of $50,000 and up to $4,000 for project-related expenses; Media Track II fellowships, aimed at more experienced individuals, provide a stipend of $70,000 and up to $4,000 for project related expenses. Photography projects — production or distribution — are not eligible for funding through this fellowship program. The application deadline for 2012 fellowships is October 12, 2011.

Sample grants:

• $100,000,000 over ten years to Human Rights Watch to expand its global presence so it can more effectively protect and promote human rights around the world (2010).
• $1,900,000 to Tides Immigration Reform Project for re-granting to organizations working on education related to immigration reform and immigrant rights (2010).
• $1,800,000 to National Public Radio for the Impact of Government initiative (2010).
• $175,000 to Washington Koen Media Productions to use their documentary film Beyond the Bricks as a tool for community-based organizing and policy advocacy, to improve academic outcomes for black boys (2010).
• $155,000 to New Orleans Lens for a new nonprofit journalism initiative that will provide news, information and access to data related to Gulf Coast issues of public interest (2009).
• $50,000 to Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism in general support (2009).
• $50,000 to WGBH to conduct outreach and develop a website to accompany Frontline's documentary, The Released, which highlights the experience of the mentally ill after their release from prison (2009).

Fit for Public Media: The Open Society Foundations have a strong interest in independent media and investigative journalism. In addition to actively supporting the growth of independent media in areas of the world with a history of press repression, the Foundations actively support media initiatives in the U.S. that coincide with its principal program interests. The Foundations do not shy away from projects that address controversial or sensitive issues. Applicants should consider how the proposed project will intersect with and/or advance public understanding of key Open Society interest areas. The Foundations maintain an extensive online archive of publications and articles on a variety of topics related to their funding areas. Some of these may be of interest to stations and may provide useful data that would support proposals.

Eligibility: Eligibility varies by program area. Applicants should review the relevant program guidelines. To access guidelines, applicants should start here and follow instructions to the appropriate program.

Deadline: Some giving programs have deadlines, while others do not. Applicants should review the relevant program guidelines.

How to apply: Application instructions vary by giving opportunity. The Foundations issue numerous RFPs for specific giving programs, while others accept letters of inquiry on a rolling basis. Applicants should review the relevant program guidelines.

Giving range: Grant size varies greatly. Most grants to media appear to be below $200,000.

Assets: $1,102,893,795 (12/31/09)

Total giving: In 2009, the Open Society Foundations reported global expenditures of $683 million. This included $177,405,000 on U.S. programs.

View 2008 Annual Report here.