Open Society Foundations

We are proud to announce a bold new $300 million initiative to improve the daily lives of Americans and stand up for the rule of law while strengthening rights and freedoms under attack across the United States as we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the republic. This investment reflects our commitment to defending against efforts to erode freedoms and civil liberties in the United States and our belief that economic security and rights must advance together to protect democracy. We will give grants to organizations working at the national, state, and local levels that defend civil liberties, stand for the rule of law, expand civil rights, and create economic opportunity. These commitments build on the significant investments Open Society has made in the United States to advance rights, equity, and justice, and represent a meaningful expansion of our work on democracy reform and economic justice. They complement other ongoing Open Society initiatives in the U.S., including on drug policy reform, migration, U.S. foreign policy, and our impact investing and strategic litigation work.

This week, @OpenSociety’s Resources Futures in Africa convening took place in Pretoria, South Africa.

“The irony is that corporate silence poses dangers not only to the foundational pillars of democratic capitalism but also, by extension, to bottom lines,” writes @GeorgiaKeohane, CEO of our impact investing arm, the Soros Economic Development Fund, in @ForeignAffairs.

Today @OpenSociety launched a plan that invests $300M in new thinking that reimagines core rights & economic needs. With rights and freedoms under attack, we must defend & bolster freedoms while simultaneously promoting policies that expand opportunity. x.com/OpenSociety/st…

At @OpenSociety, we just committed $300 million to defend freedoms and create economic opportunities for all in the U.S. We are partnering with people who are looking beyond the hard times of today to imagine an affirmative vision for the next generation.

Pluralism, and tolerance of pluralism, is critical for democracy and open societies to flourish. That requires courage from all of us to speak out in defense of our friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans when they are attacked.

Learn more about our work in the United States: opensocietyfoundations.org/what-we-do/reg…

Learn more about this investment: opensocietyfoundations.org/newsroom/open-…

Every American should be able to live, work, and care for their families, yet costs are soaring, and this promise is out of reach for too many people in America today. Laleh Ispahani shares why we’re doubling down on our work in the U.S. with a $300 million investment that will expand rights, foster economic dignity, and rebuild our democracy. This builds on our decades-long work in the U.S. and around the world.

Learn more: osf.to/4nDa7KJ

We are proud to announce a bold new $300 million initiative to improve the daily lives of Americans and stand up for the rule of law while strengthening rights and freedoms under attack across the United States as we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the republic. This investment reflects our commitment to defending against efforts to erode freedoms and civil liberties in the United States and our belief that economic security and rights must advance together to protect democracy. We will give grants to organizations working at the national, state, and local levels that defend civil liberties, stand for the rule of law, expand civil rights, and create economic opportunity. These commitments build on the significant investments Open Society has made in the United States to advance rights, equity, and justice, and represent a meaningful expansion of our work on democracy reform and economic justice. They complement other ongoing Open Society initiatives in the U.S., including on drug policy reform, migration, U.S. foreign policy, and our impact investing and strategic litigation work.

Read @lispahani’s full reflection: opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/san-die…

The attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego is not an isolated incident. It follows a long and painful line of violent acts in the U.S. targeting Muslim communities and other racial and ethnic minorities. This demands a response that starts with solidarity, writes our Laleh Ispahani @lispahani. An attack on one community does not stay contained—the damage radiates outward. Democracies are not permanent but fragile and require active maintenance. The fuse that most reliably burns them down is racial and ethnic scapegoating—the decision, often made by those in power, to define some people as threats and others as worth protecting. Americans must choose to see themselves as one community and must recognize and make clear that the country’s promise of liberty and justice belongs to all. Last week, we announced a $30 million initiative to counter antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate. Funding, legal defense, research, and interfaith coalition building matter. But the truth is that these do not work without the willingness of every American—regardless of faith or background—to say clearly: This is not who we want to be. To the community of the Islamic Center of San Diego: You are not alone. What happens to you matters to all of us. And when we hold that truth and stand together, we help create the democracy we all deserve.

Demand for Africa’s mineral resources is intensifying, and there's a growing desire to move from colonial-era extractive models to ones that center value addition, industrialization, and community benefit. @DGyeyir on the need for a collective movement: linkedin.com/pulse/why-coll…

We succeeded in getting the Constitutional Court to overturn the unjust 10-year sentence against him. Our collective took on his defense pro bono and demonstrated how a police frame-up highlights structural racism in Colombia. @OpenSociety

Learn more: opensocietyfoundations.org/newsroom/open-…

Prejudice, dehumanization, and violence against Muslims and Jews––fueled by deep injustices in the Middle East––have led to corrosive hate. This week, we were proud to announce a new $30 million, three-year initiative to support organizations working to address an alarming surge of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate.

My father has been the target of antisemitism his whole life. It has only strengthened our resolve to stand against all forms of hate. Proud that @OpenSociety is making a $30 million investment to build trust and solidarity across communities and keep people of all faiths safe.

Our founder George Soros became a philanthropist shaped by his experience as a Hungarian Jew during the Holocaust. That experience inspired the enduring vision behind the Open Society Foundations: a world where everyone is free to live without fear, and where rights and freedoms belong equally to all—regardless of faith, identity, or background. Soros has been a frequent target of antisemitic attacks and conspiracy theories. “Hate corrodes our shared humanity, and left unchecked, becomes a danger to us all,” said Open Society President Binaifer Nowrojee @NowrojeeOSF. “Entire communities cannot be targeted simply because of their religion. Bigotry and intolerance in any form must be called out and confronted.” This initiative builds on our long-standing commitment to advancing human rights, supporting vibrant civic spaces, and advocating for all people to live in safety and dignity. Learn more about this investment: osf.to/4wqUREt

Hate has no place in open societies. That’s why we’re announcing a new $30 million investment to address an alarming surge of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate in the United States and around the world. We will support efforts to keep communities safe by strengthening interfaith solidarity, expanding education, and combating discrimination and violence. Recent data show an increase in both antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate incidents fueled by the ongoing war in the Middle East, fear, and polarization.