Guidelines

In an effort to remain open to new organizations and emerging trends, the Strategic Opportunities Fund of the Open Society Institute will be accepting letters of inquiry from nonprofit organizations seeking project support. Grants up to $100,000 will be awarded over one or two years and requests are considered in a competitive application process.

To be considered, an applicant must first submit a letter of inquiry (see details below) which briefly describes the organization and the specific project and activities in need of support.

Focus Areas

Please review the Strategic Opportunity Fund focus areas to determine if proposed work falls within the scope of existing priorities.

Eligibility

Applicant organizations must be tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3) or a public charity under Section 509(a)(1), (2), or (3).

Ineligibility

The Strategic Opportunities Fund does not provide support for:

Lobbying activities
Direct services
Annual fundraising drives
Projects undertaken by individuals
Capital costs, including equipment or real estate purchases/renovations

Review Process

If, after review of Strategic Opportunity Fund priorities, the proposed project is an appropriate fit, please complete the form on the Online Application System at https://oas.soros.org/oas/. Please abide by the deadlines outlined below. Organizations should only submit one inquiry per calendar year.

After the letter of inquiry is received and reviewed, applicants will receive notification regarding the project's suitability. OSI will then forward further guidelines to those applicants asked to submit a full proposal. Please do not submit a full proposal unless invited to do so. A request to submit a proposal does not guarantee funding, but rather is the next step in the review process.