Roma Initiatives builds upon the Open Society Institute's many years of support for Roma communities, seeking to challenge prejudice and discrimination and to pursue policy change. It guides all OSI program and grantmaking activity related to the Decade of Roma Inclusion, a commitment by 12 European governments to improve the social and economic status of Roma.

Roma Initiatives works to increase the ability of Roma to participate in public life, advocate for systemic change in policies affecting Roma, challenge anti-Roma prejudice and negative stereotypes, and increase Roma participation in the Decade to make it an enduring success. As part of this effort, Roma Initiatives supports Decade Watch, a monitoring project in which Roma activists hold governments participating in the Decade accountable for implementing policies to end discrimination and the marginalization of the Roma.

In addition to coordinating OSI's wider Roma-related efforts, Roma Initiatives provides project and institutional support grants to Roma civic organizations. It works with Roma communities, civil society groups, and governments to promote tolerance and antidiscrimination efforts, equal access to quality education, women's empowerment and gender equity, public health, and civic and political participation.

Through the OSI Roma Decade Matching Fund, Roma Initiatives has supported a range of initiatives covering education, gender, employment, cultural identity, diversity, and intercultural dialogue. These have included advocacy and capacity-building efforts, seminars, public debates, awareness-raising campaigns, and art and photography exhibitions.

Seeking to empower young Roma activists, Roma Initiatives has supported internships for Roma at organizations such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE, as well as intensive English language, debate and advocacy training.

Roma Initiatives is based at the Open Society Institute-Budapest.