A look into Open Society Foundations' grantmaking

Last year, Open Society Foundations announced plans to restructure. The philanthropic funder, which backs democracy and human rights causes all over the world, plans major changes to its structure, including laying off up to 40% of employees and closing multiple satellite offices all over the world, to streamline funding and improve response times during global crises. But what impact might this have on development grant giving? In the past five years, OSF has spent $3.8 billion in worldwide grants, peaking in 2019 with $1.2 billion. OSF has said it expects to fund more flexibly in the future, although it is not clear whether it will give more overall. This amount excludes grants that were awarded solely to organizations and individuals in the United States, which add up to an additional $1.5 billion over the past five years and are not included in the figures for the rest of this analysis. All data in the analysis is based on the information available from the OSF awarded grants page. It is also worth noting that not all grants have been made available to view or have their descriptions edited on the OSF website because of data protection laws. What does the data tell us? OSF provides grants to organizations and individuals all over the world, mainly focusing on providing operational support to pursue programs that align with the organization’s goals. Over the past five years, $2.6 billion in total was granted to organizations with a global target. Regionally, OSF grantmaking is focused on the Europe and Central Asia region. $415.9 million was spent on the region alone over the past five years. This is followed by the Latin America and Caribbean region, with $287.6 million; Africa, with $176.7 million; the Middle East and North Africa, with $164 million; and then Asia-Pacific, with $126.5 million. Multiregional grants sit at $49.6 million. With the restructuring of the organization, it is expected that the grantmaking will be refocused toward other regions in the coming years. What kinds of programs does OSF fund? Based on the data, by far the largest amount over the past five years, $1.9 billion went to the Education theme. This includes grants geared toward Early Childhood Education and Higher Education programs. Following this are grants related to Democratic Practice, with $421.5 million; Human Rights Movements & Institutions, with $322.9 million; Economic Equity & Justice, with $257.6 million; and then grants without a specific theme, with $145.6 million. Who are the top grantees? Some of the largest organizations funded by OSF didn’t make it onto the list because they work only in the United States. Democracy PAC, for example, was mainly focused on supporting the U.S. elections. Organizations funded to work internationally include: Central European University Total number of received grants: 76 Total grant amount: $1 billion The Central European University is largely funded by the founder of OSF. So it’s not surprising that they are at the top of this list. The majority of the grants go into funding the different programs that the university has to offer as well as providing general support. The largest grant this institution has received amounted to $632.5 million made in 2019 to provide general support. Bard College Total number of received grants: 64 Total grant amount: $768.8 million Bard College is a liberal arts-focused college that comes in second with a total of $768.8 million in grants received. The highest grant received amounted to $500 million to provide support for its educational and charitable work. International Crisis Group — Washington Office Total number of received grants: 12 Total grant amount: $44.5 million The International Crisis Group, an organization dedicated to the prevention of wars, received 12 grants that total $44.5 million. The highest grant it received amounted to $28.4 million awarded in 2022 for general support. Institute for New Economic Thinking Total number of received grants: 2 Total grant amount: $28.6 million The Institute for New Economic Thinking, an institution developed to assist in economic recovery, was awarded two grants amounting to $28.6 million. The highest award it received amounted to $23.5 million in 2021 for general support. Roma Education Fund Total number of received grants: 7 Total grant amount: $21.8 million The Roma Education Fund is a foundation dedicated to bridging the educational gaps between Roma and non-Roma. It received seven grants totaling $21.8 million. The highest is a $7 million grant for general support toward their projects. Natural Resource Governance Institute Total number of received grants: 4 Total grant amount: $21.6 million The Natural Resource Governance Institute, an organization dedicated to providing advice on natural resources and energy transition, received four grants amounting to $21.6 million. The highest grant was given in 2018, worth $8.2 million. European Council on Foreign Relations Total number of received grants: 10 Total grant amount: $16.6 million The European Council on Foreign Relations received 10 grants worth a total of $16.6 million. The highest was worth $5 million. Global Witness Total number of received grants: 5 Total grant amount: $15 million Global Witness, an organization dedicated to preserving biodiversity and protecting the interests of the people and planet, received five grants worth a total of $15 million. The highest was worth $6.8 million. The Barack Obama Foundation Total number of received grants: 1 Total grant amount: $15 million The Barack Obama Foundation received only one grant worth $15 million in 2020 to support the scaling up of its international programs. BRAC USA Inc. Total number of received grants: 5 Total grant amount: $14.5 million BRAC USA was awarded five grants worth $14.5 million. The highest grant it received amounted to $8 million, in 2018, to assist in providing humanitarian assistance to Myanmar refugees in Bangladesh. International Budget Partnership Total number of received grants: 6 Total grant amount: $14.1 million The International Budget Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting responsible public fund management, received six grants worth $14.1 million. The highest grant amounted to $5.3 million and was awarded in 2018. 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