What We Do
The Open Society Institute–Baltimore focuses its work exclusively on three intertwined problems: untreated drug addiction, an overreliance on incarceration, and obstacles that impede youth in succeeding inside and outside the classroom. OSI-Baltimore also supports the Baltimore Community Fellows, a corps of social innovators, now over 100 individuals, who work directly to revitalize underserved communities.
For the last 11 years, OSI-Baltimore has been acknowledged for its tenacious approach to solving the biggest challenges in this city. OSI-Baltimore looks for the root causes of problems and digs in—collaborating with city leaders and community members, sharing research and innovative ideas from around the country, finding potential solutions, and implementing changes that work and stick. Examples of its accomplishments and impact are noted throughout this website. View a progress report, or read the booklet 10 Audacious Ideas That Have Changed Baltimore.
How We Came to Baltimore
In 1998, the Open Society Institute, an international, operating foundation founded by philanthropist George Soros decided to open a field office in the United States. The foundation's U.S. Programs, headquartered in New York, was interested in finding a location where it could learn more about the dynamics in play in urban centers that result in persistent poverty and injustice and then invest significant charitable funds to address their root causes. It looked at a number of cities and ultimately decided that Baltimore-a city with typical urban problems but the resolve to address them-had a unique set of attributes that would make it a good choice as a "laboratory," where a number of initiatives could be tested and evaluated. OSI-Baltimore remains the only OSI office in the United States that directs its work solely to solve problems in one city.
Challenge Before Us
Until 2005, OSI-Baltimore was funded solely by George Soros, whose contribution of more than $60 million to the city is the single largest outside philanthropic investment in Baltimore's history for work to help its most vulnerable citizens. Because of this investment, OSI-Baltimore has been a significant contributor to many efforts to support lasting change in this city.
We now actively seek other investors to support our future work and, as of February 2009, have raised $12 million towards a $20 million challenge. Soros will match 1:2 all gifts, up to $10 million. All funds raised from our investors go directly into four key initiatives as support from George Soros covers our administrative costs and overhead. Learn more, or give a gift.
Site Credits
OSI-Baltimore website banner photograph: Murals created at the Lockherman Bundy Elementary School under the leadership of Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen, Class VII Community Fellow, whose project is entitled "Rebuilding Through Art." Photograph by Eric Blair.