Alexander Soros Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Alexander Soros Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to promoting civil rights, social justice, and education both in the United States and abroad. It also gives out an annual award to activists working at the nexus of environmentalism and human rights.
IP TAKE: This is an inaccessible funder that keeps a low profile and does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult for grantseekers to know its grantmaking priorities and what types of groups it funds. Additionally, it does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding, and it does not appear to even invite LOIs.
While the Foundation does not name a preferred geographic giving area, most grants stay in New York, although it has made grants in other states, particularly California and Alabama. It appears to primarily support larger, well-established groups and organizations with the biggest reach. Smaller nonprofits do occasional receive funding, although these appear to be the exception, rather than the rule.
The Foundation is not a very active one, and tax records show that it has made fewer than a hundred grants during its first decade in existence. This is unlikely to change now that Soros is slated to take over the reins as chair of Open Society Foundations. Indeed, it would be unsurprising to see the Alexander Soros Foundation either wind down or go dormant while young Soros has his hands full establishing himself at OSF.
PROFILE: Established in 2012, Alexander Soros Foundation was established by Alexander Soros, a son of billionaire George Soros, who launched Open Society Foundations. Alexander has a University of California, Berkeley Ph.D. in History. The Foundation does not maintain a website, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. According to tax filings, the Alexander Soros Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to promoting civil rights, social justice, and education both in the United States and abroad.
In 2011, Soros told the Wall Street Journal that he leans toward risky and unpopular positions in his philanthropy.
“Who’s going to do the unpopular stuff like dealing with issues of drugs and prisons,” he said. “I’m much more interested in doing things that are more experimental and controversial because I think they could have the greatest impact. My dad’s view was always instead of building a hospital in a war-ravaged area, why not try and make peace or solve the actual problem.”
Grants for Global Security and Human Rights
While the Foundation does not appear to have official grants programs or clearly defined funding priorities, tax records reveal that it consistently supports global security and human rights organizations. Its most well-known effort in this space is the Alex Soros Foundation Award for Environmental and Human Rights Activism, which supports activists working at the nexus of environmentalism and human rights. (Read his op-ed on the relationship between environmentalists and indigenous activists here.) Recipients are chosen by a nominating committee comprised of big names in the field. Previous winners include Antônia Melo da Silva, a Brazilian environmental activist known for her work with the Xingu Forever Alive Movement.
In addition to the award, the foundation supports a bevy of groups working in the human rights and international relations spaces, including Global Witness, an “international NGO established in 1993 that works to break the links between natural resource exploitation, conflict, poverty, corruption, and human rights abuses worldwide,” and Libraries Without Borders, where Soros has sat on the board.
Other former grantees include Center for a New American Security, International Senior Lawyers Project, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Equal Justice Initiative, Mujeres Unidas Y Activas, and Center for Civilians in Conflict, for conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
Grants for Environment and Indigenous Rights
In addition to the Soros Foundation Award, which recognizes activists working at the intersection of human rights and environmentalism, the foundation backs environmental groups around the world working to protect and restore endangered forests and rivers.
The Foundation has steadily supported Rainforest Foundation, for environmental and resource rights. Other grantees include International Rivers Network, Seeds of Africa Foundation, and Danmission for forest preservation.
Grants for Jewish Causes
The Foundation does not give huge sums to Jewish organizations, but it has been known to give in this area. Alex Soros is the founding chair of Bend the Arc Jewish Action: a Jewish Partnership for Justice, and the Soros Foundation has given at least $350,000 to the organization. Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies North America is another grantee.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range between about $83,000 to $450,000; $200,000 is the most common amount. In a recent year, the foundation gave away $1.8 million.
The foundation keeps a low profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding. It does not provide contact information or a clear way for grantseekers to get in touch; however, a mailing address is listed below.
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CONTACT:
Alexander Soros Foundation
c/o SFM 250 W 55th St, #27 Fl
New York, NY 10019
