How does the Open Society Foundations determine which organizations to fund?
Executive summary
Open Society Foundations (OSF) funds groups and individuals whose work advances “open society” values, prioritizing organizations with a vision that can produce lasting social change and building long-term, organization-centered relationships of trust [1] [2]. OSF is a large, decentralized network that makes thousands of grants across 100+ countries, uses program-specific strategies, and typically approaches prospective grantees directly rather than relying only on open calls [3] [1] [4].
1. How OSF defines who is fundable: values and impact over a single checklist
OSF says it looks for work that advances democratic practice, rights and human dignity, and equitable governance — in short, projects that align with “open society” values and that its staff judges will lead to lasting social change [2] [1]. That makes ideological fit a primary filter: applicants are evaluated against program priorities rather than a universal, one-size-fits-all rubric [4].
2. A decentralized engine: program teams set the priorities and processes
Grant decisions are not made from a single centralized application desk. Instead, each program within OSF “has its own strategy and process for selecting grantees,” meaning eligibility, criteria, and application mechanics vary by program and region [4]. Inside Philanthropy describes OSF as a large, decentralized operation touching every part of the world, which reinforces that funding choices reflect local or program-level priorities [3].
3. Relationship-driven, organization-centered grantmaking
OSF emphasizes “building long-term relationships of trust” and an organization-centered approach that evaluates an organization’s health, effectiveness, strengths, and challenges — not just a single project pitch [2]. This suggests OSF invests in both capacity and strategic partnerships, assessing whether an organization can sustain impact over time [2].
4. Mostly proactive outreach, with some open opportunities
The foundations state that “the vast majority of our grants are awarded to organizations that we approach directly,” though they do list some open calls and fellowships [1]. Practical implication: many applicants succeed by aligning with OSF program agendas and cultivating connections rather than relying solely on public solicitations [1] [4].
5. Flexible funding types: project grants, general support, intermediaries
OSF provides both discrete project grants and general operating support, and it can fund formally established organizations directly or support informal groups through fiscal sponsors or intermediaries [4]. This flexibility lets OSF tailor support to organizational realities in different countries or sectors [4].
6. Competitive, strategic, and sometimes scale-focused
Outside commentary notes OSF makes thousands of grants a year across more than 100 countries and that its grantmaking is “highly competitive,” with attention to program priorities; Inside Philanthropy adds that OSF does not generally fund small grassroots operations unless they can scale quickly or build regional coalitions [3]. That frames OSF as strategic and results-oriented in selecting grantees [3].
7. Time-bound programs and evolving priorities
OSF publicly communicates that it adapts its grantmaking approaches over time — combining time-bound programs with long-term institutional support — to respond to changing global dynamics [5]. Applicants should expect priorities and funding windows to shift as OSF updates strategies [5].
8. Fellowship and specialized routes into funding
Beyond organizational grants, OSF runs fellowship programs (e.g., Open Society Fellowship, Leadership in Government Fellowship, Soros Justice Fellowships) with distinct guidelines, cities of focus, and selection rules; these are another entrance route for individuals and intellectual projects aligned with OSF themes [6] [7] [1].
9. Transparency limits and regional variation
OSF’s public FAQs and “How We Work” pages outline principles and mechanisms, but they also make clear that selection processes differ across programs and regions [4] [2]. Available sources do not provide a single, detailed scoring rubric or full public dataset of all selection criteria; local program offices often set the specifics [4] [2].
10. Competing viewpoints and outside scrutiny
While OSF portrays itself as supporting human rights and democratic governance, Outside sources acknowledge controversy and political pushback in some countries (noted in broader profiles and historical criticism about OSF activities), underscoring that funding choices are politically visible and sometimes contested [3] [8]. Available sources do not enumerate how OSF handles reputational risk or political retaliation in each context beyond noting it has worked in repressive settings [5] [2].
Conclusion — practical takeaways for applicants: align proposals tightly to a specific OSF program’s priorities, demonstrate organizational health and capacity for sustained impact or scale, consider intermediaries if you lack formal status, and watch OSF program pages and fellowship calls for the limited open opportunities [4] [2] [1].