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Funder profile

Open Society Institute

Private foundation NYEIN 13-7029285

Open Society Institute is a private foundation based in New York, NY (EIN 13-7029285). Its most recent IRS Form 990-PF filing reports about $269M in grants paid across 676 awards in 2023. Its largest giving areas are Education, Environment, Community Development. This profile is built from public 990-PF giving history — it reflects what the funder has actually funded, not an open call for proposals.

$269M
Grants paid (FY2023)
676
Grants awarded
$398K
Avg grant
$33K
Median grant
EducationEnvironmentCommunity DevelopmentHuman ServicesArts CultureWorkforce

Funding capacity & financials (FY2023)

From Open Society Institute's IRS Form 990. Assets show capacity; the giving rate shows how actively they deploy it (a private foundation must pay out ~5%/yr) — useful for sizing your ask.

$5.3B
Total assets (capacity)
5.1% of assets
Annual giving rate
$411M
Gross income

Leadership & board

Officers, directors & key staff from Open Society Institute's IRS Form 990 (Part VII).

Leonard Benardo
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
$773K
Catherine Livingston
GEN COUNSEL, SECRETARY
$637K
Samantha Stokes-Baydur
CHIEF PEOPLE AND CULTURE OFFICER
$631K
Mark Malloch-Brown
TRUSTEE & PRESIDENT
$596K
Laura Silber
VP, EXT AFFRAIRS & OFFICE OF THE CHAIR
$592K
Binaifer Nowrojee
VICE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMS
$585K
Maija Arbolino
TREASURER/CFO
$436K
Nicole Wilett
CHIEF OF STAFF
$393K
Deborah Fine
DEP GEN COUNSEL, SEC (FORMER)
$366K
Greg Taylor
GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF OPS (FORMER)
$261K
Gail Scovell
GEN COUNSEL, SECRETARY (FORMER)
$240K
Smita Singh
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER (TERM 3/6/23)
$127K

Who does the Open Society Institute fund?

The Open Society Institute is a private foundation that awards grants nationally (and, in some cases, internationally). According to its most recent IRS Form 990-PF filing (FY2023), it paid about $269M across 676 grants, concentrated in Education, Environment, Community Development and Human Services.

What types of organizations does the Open Society Institute fund?

The Open Society Institute's recent grants went to nonprofits and institutions working in Education, Environment, Community Development and Human Services. Recent recipients include Bard College, Central European University, Central European University. Because giving is reported in aggregate on the 990-PF, the best signal of fit is the funder's giving history below.

How much does the Open Society Institute give, and what is a typical grant?

In FY2023, the Open Society Institute awarded about $269M across 676 grants — an average grant of about $398K and a median of about $33K.

Where does the Open Society Institute award grants?

The Open Society Institute awards grants nationally (and, in some cases, internationally), based on the locations of the recipient organizations in its 990-PF giving records.

Does the Open Society Institute accept unsolicited grant applications?

Like most private foundations, the Open Society Institute generally does not publish an open application cycle — many fund by invitation or through existing relationships. This profile reflects the funder's giving history from public IRS Form 990-PF filings, not an open call for proposals. Always confirm the Open Society Institute's current guidelines before reaching out.

Who are recent Open Society Institute grant recipients?

Recent Open Society Institute grant recipients include Bard College ($45M); Central European University ($41M); Central European University ($30M); Central European University ($9.3M); Bard College ($7.5M); Media Development Investment Fund ($5.0M). The full recipient list and giving history are available on GrantSonar.

Example Open Society Institute grant recipients

A sample from the funder's 990-PF giving records. The full list is on GrantSonar.

Bard CollegeNY$45M
Central European UniversityNY$41M
Central European UniversityNY$30M
Central European UniversityNY$9.3M
Bard CollegeNY$7.5M
Media Development Investment FundNY$5.0M
Kurawal Foundation$3.2M
New Venture FundDC$3.2M

Based on the Open Society Institute's public IRS Form 990-PF filings (most recent: FY2023). 990 data reflects giving history and typically lags 1–2 years; it is not an open call for proposals. Always confirm the funder's current guidelines before applying.

Built from 236,000+ U.S. grantmaking foundations and 4.6 million itemized grant records in public IRS Form 990 / 990-PF filings (135,000+ funders with itemized giving history).

See if the Open Society Institute fits your organization

GrantSonar shows the full recipient list, your org-specific fit, similar funders, and the open grants you're actually eligible for.

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