Articles from Open Society Foundations

New York, Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Open Society Foundations today welcome Bard College’s successful completion of a landmark endowment challenge first issued in 2021 by Open Society Founder George Soros. By meeting the challenge, Bard has established the first endowment in its history, positioning the college to sustain and expand its mission as an independent institution of higher education centered on the liberal arts and sciences and dedicated to the public interest for generations to come.The challenge invited Bard to match a $500 million commitment from Open Society by raising an additional $500 million from other donors, securing a $1 billion endowment to support the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty, student scholarships, the arts, and international engagement. Bard’s success marks a significant moment for an institution long recognized for its commitment to educational access, academic rigor, and public service. It also reflects Open Society’s historical support for higher education and the role of critical thinking in public life.At a time when American democracy is under strain and colleges and universities face growing political and financial pressure, Bard’s endowment underscores the importance of investing in independent higher education as a cornerstone of democratic life.“Higher education is essential to the future of American democracy,” said Alex Soros, chair of the Open Society Foundations. “Bard will continue to be a place where critical thinking flourishes and students learn why the liberal arts are more important to freedom and the rule of law than ever in today’s embattled moment.”Located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Bard College has played a leading role in advancing liberal arts and sciences education and expanding access to higher education. Its programs include the Bard Prison Initiative, which provides college education to incarcerated students; Bard Early Colleges, which enable public high school students to earn college degrees tuition free in supportive environments; and a wide range of international partnerships focused on expanding educational opportunity for underserved communities.“Bard is profoundly grateful to George Soros, Alex Soros, and the Open Society Foundations,” said Leon Botstein, president of Bard College. “The response of our donor community, which has given and pledged over $500 million to meet the OSF challenge, affirms George Soros’s belief in Bard and its mission. This outpouring of support endorses Bard’s excellence and innovation and bodes well for the future of the College.”

Open Society Justice Initiative Files Complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee

New York, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF), the impact investment arm of the Open Society Foundations, is committing $25 million to Allied Climate Partners (ACP)—a new and innovative public-private partnership focused on increasing the number of bankable climate projects in emerging markets and developing economies around the world.

New York, Nov. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Open Society Foundations is pleased to announce the 2023 cohort of Soros Justice Fellows, which includes a mix of emerging and established leaders in the field of criminal justice reform, including public educators, artists, lawyers, activists, non-profit innovators, journalists, and filmmakers from across the United States.

New York, June 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings today striking down race-based admissions in higher education place new barriers in the path of students of color already contending with systemic racial discrimination in our schools and reverse a half-century of progress on racial equity in education.

New York, June 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a court filing, the U.S.-based nonprofit Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), joined by experts and a coalition of policing and criminal justice organizations, have expressed support for a lawsuit opposing the “Stop W.O.K.E.” Act (HB7), a law that would severely restrict Florida educators and students from discussing race and gender in higher education classrooms. They argue that HB7 would prevent Florida law enforcement agencies from preparing officers for the realities of working with and serving diverse communities, since state-mandated diversity training, a part of basic recruit training, is in most cases administered in community colleges, junior colleges, or vocational or technical institutions.

New York, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research supported by the Open Society Foundations shows that increasing delays in resolving sovereign debt crises in some of the world’s poorest countries are significantly adding to the human cost of defaults—cutting economic growth, reducing life-expectancy, and worsening child mortality rates.

Amman, March 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Open Society Foundations today announced that they are giving $1.7 million to a United Nations initiative in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) that seeks to catalyze increased public spending on achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by negotiating reduced national debt service payments. Importantly, the initiative provides a channel for MENA civil society organizations to have a voice about where such kinds of innovative financing is needed most.