Arcus Operating Foundation
Arcus Operating Foundation was an arm of the left-of-center nonprofit Arcus Foundation which organized conferences, leadership programs, and research publications to advocate for LGBT issues. 1 It has received multiple financial contributions from George Soros’s Foundation To Promote Open Society. 23
Contents
In November 2018, the Arcus Operating Foundation was dissolved after spending down its remaining funds in June 2018. 4
Background
The Arcus Operating Foundation was formed in 2007 to support the work of the left-of-center nonprofit Arcus Foundation. The Arcus Operating Foundation originally convened conferences and meetings, released publications and research, and engaged in leadership training in support of left-of-center approaches to LGBT issues. 5
The Arcus Operating Foundation ceased operations and was dissolved in November 2018. 4
Expanding LGBT Philanthropy Meeting
In September 2008, the Arcus Operating Foundation convened a meeting at the Rockefeller Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy to increase support for LGBT philanthropy all over the world. The Rockefeller Foundation supported the meeting by providing the conference facility. 5
The report issued after the meeting claimed, “Resources to advance global LGBT rights are sparse — a 2007 report released by the U.S.-based donor-affinity group Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues (FLGI), documented that only $10.5 million in funding went to support LGBT rights initiatives in the Global South and Global East in 2005. Forty donors, many of whom are small, human rights funders, accounted for these funds.” 5
The report also detailed what the group claimed was persecution of gay and lesbians in developing countries. The meeting built upon a meeting convened by the Arcus Foundation in March 2007 of more than 30 donor groups. Arcus also commissioned six studies to determine how best to support the LGBT movement and offered, “the meeting considered the hypothesis that if human rights organizations and funders view LGBT rights as part of the broader human rights agenda, they may give and/or increase support to LGBT rights efforts. A paradigm shift is required: Until LGBT rights are seen as inseparable from other human rights, LGBT people around the world will continue to suffer.” 5
As a result of the meeting, a project to increase philanthropic support for LGBT causes was created with two working groups formed to implement it. The project was housed at the Arcus Operating Foundation. 5
Russia Freedom Fund
In November 2013, the Arcus Foundation, the Council for Global Equality, and Open Society Foundations created the Russia Freedom Fund to support LGBT interests in Russian. The fund was housed at the Arcus Operating Foundation. The Arcus Foundation claimed, “Grant decisions will be made by a committee comprising representatives from the Arcus Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, nongovernmental organizations including the Council for Global Equality and the International Lesbian and Gay Association-Europe, and Russian representatives acting in an individual capacity who are deeply knowledgeable about the human rights struggle in Russia.” 6
Leadership
Jon Stryker is the founder and president of the Arcus Foundation and was the sole member of the Arcus Operating Foundation’s board. 7
Financials
According to the Arcus Operating Foundation’s final tax return in 2018, the group had total assets of $485,735. Of that amount, $435,074 was granted to the Russia Freedom Fund. 4
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Expenses Detail
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $1,371,012
- Number of Grants: 11
- Number of Funders: 7
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $30,000
- Number of Grants: 1
- Number of Recipients: 1