At a glance
- Focus areas: Justice and human rights, democratic practice, equity, and civic participation
- Typical grant size: About $5,000 to $44.9 million; median around $250,000, with most grants falling between $10,000 and $500,000 (opensocietyfoundations.org; IRS Form 990-PF, July 2026)
- Geographic scope: Global, with a dedicated US programs portfolio
- Accepts unsolicited applications? Mix — varies by program; some use RFPs, others letters of inquiry or concept papers, others invitation-only (opensocietyfoundations.org FAQ, July 2026)
- Deadlines/rounds: No single foundation-wide deadline — opportunities are posted on individual program pages and via OSF’s email updates (opensocietyfoundations.org, July 2026)
- EIN: 26-3753801 (Foundation to Promote Open Society, the primary US grantmaking entity; IRS Form 990-PF, July 2026)
- Annual giving: ~$481.3 million in grants (2024, 738 awards) from the Foundation to Promote Open Society alone; OSF’s global network gives roughly $1 billion annually across all affiliated entities (IRS Form 990-PF, July 2026)
- Official source: opensocietyfoundations.org
What Open Society Foundations funds
OSF is one of the largest private funders of human rights and social justice work globally, with a US-focused portfolio alongside its international programs. Recurring priority areas typically include:
- Justice reform — criminal justice, immigration justice, and legal system accountability
- Human rights — protecting civil liberties, press freedom, and the rights of marginalized groups
- Democratic practice — voting rights, civic participation, and countering disinformation
- Equity — racial justice, economic mobility, and rights-based approaches to public health and education
OSF generally steers away from funding that isn’t connected to rights, justice, or democratic participation — direct social services without a rights or systems-change frame, for instance, are typically a weaker fit. Notably, OSF wound down its scholarship programs in 2021, including the Civil Society Leadership Awards, Civil Society Scholar Awards, Disability Rights Scholarship Program, and Palestinian Rule of Law Program, with no new competitions since (opensocietyfoundations.org FAQ, July 2026). Because OSF operates through a network of foundations and initiatives, some regional and thematic programs have their own distinct scope and restrictions, so it’s worth checking the specific program page rather than assuming one policy applies across all of OSF.
How much you can apply for
Grant sizes at OSF vary substantially by program and by whether the support is project-based or general operating. Some initiatives fund smaller, rapid-response grants for time-sensitive advocacy or legal work, while others make large, multi-year commitments to organizations building long-term movement or field infrastructure — the overall range runs from about $5,000 to nearly $45 million (opensocietyfoundations.org; IRS Form 990-PF, July 2026). OSF’s own FAQ confirms it provides both project and general support, seeking to give grantees flexibility where appropriate, so it’s reasonable to research whether a given open call allows operating support or is restricted to a specific project.
Who can apply (eligibility)
OSF funds 501(c)(3) nonprofits as well as non-charitable entities in some cases — its programs can also make recommendations to the Open Society Policy Center for 501(c)(4) grants supporting policy advocacy (opensocietyfoundations.org FAQ, July 2026). International and informal organizations or networks are eligible for many programs given OSF’s global scope, funded directly or through fiscal sponsors and fiscal agents (opensocietyfoundations.org, July 2026). The strongest fit is an organization doing rights-based, justice-oriented, or democracy-strengthening work, ideally with some track record of policy or systems impact, though grassroots and emerging organizations are also part of OSF’s portfolio through targeted funds.
Do they accept unsolicited applications?
It depends on the program — OSF’s own FAQ confirms that the application process “varies by program”: some use requests for proposals (RFPs), others invite letters of inquiry or concept papers, and others accept proposals by invitation only (opensocietyfoundations.org FAQ, July 2026). Some of OSF’s largest, most strategic grants go to organizations identified and cultivated by program staff. At the same time, OSF periodically publishes open calls for proposals tied to specific funds, rapid-response mechanisms, or regional initiatives, and these are genuinely open to organizations without a prior relationship. The practical move is to check the foundation’s current open calls page and sign up for its email updates rather than assume the whole institution operates one way (opensocietyfoundations.org/grants, July 2026).
How to apply, step by step
- Check the current open calls page on opensocietyfoundations.org for any active funds or RFPs matching your work.
- Identify the right program or regional foundation — OSF’s structure includes multiple thematic and geographic units, each with its own priorities and contact points.
- Submit a letter of inquiry or brief concept note where an open call exists, following the specific format and deadline published for that call.
- If invited to submit a full proposal, expect to document organizational capacity, a theory of change, and measurable justice or rights outcomes.
- If no open call fits, consider building visibility through coalitions, convenings, and public policy work that OSF program staff are likely to encounter, since much of OSF’s funding still originates from staff-initiated outreach.
What strong applications look like
Strong OSF applications connect concrete, verifiable outcomes to a clear justice or rights framework — not just “we helped X people,” but what changed in policy, practice, or power as a result. Reviewers look for a credible theory of change, a track record (even a modest one) of legal, advocacy, or civic engagement results, and organizational capacity to manage the grant responsibly, including compliance basics like current Form 990 filings and clean governance. Because OSF funds contentious and often politically sensitive work, applications that are precise about what they can substantiate — rather than overclaiming impact — tend to build more credibility with program officers. That precision is exactly what grounded, citation-backed grant writing is built for: every outcome claim traceable to a real source, not an inflated figure.
Recent grants
Recent examples: a $300 million commitment (2026) to strengthen rights, freedoms, and the rule of law in the United States; and a $30 million, three-year initiative (2025) countering antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, with recipients including the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Nexus Project, and the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (opensocietyfoundations.org newsroom, July 2026).
Look up OSF’s recent grants on Candid or ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer and pay attention to which specific fund or regional program made the award, whether it was general operating or project support, and how it compares in size to your own budget — OSF’s giving spans several distinct funds with very different grant sizes and eligibility rules.
Official source and last updated
Primary source: opensocietyfoundations.org. Financial details should be verified against the foundation’s most recent IRS Form 990-PF, available through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search or ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer. Last updated: July 21, 2026.
If OSF isn’t the right fit right now, these funders work in adjacent justice and social-change space:
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