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Non-profit

Foundation to Promote Open Society (FPOS)

Parent Organization: Soros Network (Open Society Network)
Website:

www.opensocietyfoundations.org
Location:

NEW YORK, NY
Tax ID:

26-3753801
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)-PF

Budget (2015):

Revenue: $421,000,000
Expenses: $544,915,615
Assets: $7,335,239,392
Type:

Private Grantmaking Foundation
Chairman:

George Soros
Latest Filing:

2018 Form 990

Also see the similarly named Open Society Foundations (nonprofit)

The Foundation to Promote Open Society (FPOS) is one of two major grantmaking foundations funded by liberal financier and billionaire George Soros. It is closely affiliated with and funded by the Open Society Foundations (OSF; formerly Open Society Institute).

FPOS was founded in 2008 with a $1 million endowment from OSF, which endowed the foundation with an additional $1 billion in 2009. It’s also received substantial funding from various organizations in the Soros Network, including hundreds of millions of dollars from George Soros himself. [1]

While OSF remains the primary foundation in the Soros Network, FPOS has become Soros’ primary grantmaking foundation. In 2018 alone, FPOS paid out nearly $491 million in grants to other nonprofits. [2] Altogether, from 2008 to 2018 FPOS has granted $3.8 billion to other nonprofits, particularly left-of-center and far-left advocacy and activist groups. [3]

Leadership

Board of Directors

According to its 2018 IRS Form 990 filing (available here), FPOS’ board of directors in 2018 consisted of the following: [4]

Funding

Financial Overview

FPOS is a private grantmaking foundation. In 2018, it reported total revenues of $1.3 billion, total expenditures of $498 million, and total assets of $10.8 billion. It made $499 million in grants to other organizations in 2018. [5]

In 2018, FPOS gave grants to the following groups and their projects:

New Venture Fund

Total: $2,684,495

  • $75,000 – to support Demand Progress Education Fund.
  • $125,000 – to create network of Ohio-based artists and influencers for helping those affected by the opioid crisis and the criminal justice system.
  • $250,000 – to support Next Century Cities.
  • $400,000 – to support Coworker.org.
  • $100,000 – to support civil legal aid for immigrants and asylum seekers.
  • $24,500 – to support convening faith-based groups in Columbus, Ohio to discuss policy on the overdose epidemic.
  • $300,000 – to support Media Democracy Fund.
  • $60,000 – to research how banks can mitigate de-risking of civil society.
  • $375,000 – to support the Social and Economic Justice Leaders Planning Group.
  • $150,000 – to support organizations pushing for state-level redistricting.
  • $200,000 – to ensure policies for accurate 2020 Census.
  • $124,995 – to support the AgroEcology Fund.
  • $500,000 – to start a resource hub to support local police reform.

Contributions Approved for Future Payment: (Total: $1,490,000)

Donors to FPOS

FPOS was formed in 2008 with a $1 million endowment from the Open Society Foundations (OSF; then Open Society Institute), the main private foundation of George Soros. In 2009, FPOS received a further $1 billion from OSF and $50 million from George Soros himself. Since then, FPOS has been funded directly by Soros, Soros’ foundations, and various affiliated groups in the Soros Network.

The following chart is a list of all donors to the Foundation to Promote Open Society from 2008 to 2018: [6]

YearDonor to Foundation to Promote Open SocietyAmount
Total:$2,467,429,534
2018--
2017--
2016Geosor Corporation$12,0646,818
2015--
2014Soros Economic Development Fund$28,467,683
2014Soros Fund Charitable Foundation$374,923,199
2013Soros Charitable Foundation$183,015
2013Soros Humanitarian Foundation$601,230
2012Soros Humanitarian Foundation$123,263,512
2012Soros Charitable Foundation$59,665,334
2012Open Society Institute (Foundations)$283,678,743
2011Geosor Corporation$175,000,000
2010George Soros$250,000,000
2009Open Society Institute (Foundations)$1,000,000,000
2009George Soros$50,000,000
2008Open Society Institute (Foundations)$1,000,000

Financial Documents

The Foundation to Promote Open Society is a private foundation. Its IRS Form 990 filings for 2018, 2017, and 2016 are available below:

References

  1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF; multiple). Foundation to Promote Open Society. 2008-2018. Schedule B. ^
  2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF; multiple). Foundation to Promote Open Society. 2018. Part I. Line 26. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/03/FPOS-2018-Form-990.pdf ^
  3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF; multiple). Foundation to Promote Open Society. 2008-2018. Part I. Line 26. ^
  4. Return of Organization Exempt fro. Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Foundation to Promote Open Society. Attachment 17. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/03/FPOS-2018-Form-990.pdf

    See Page 310-311 ^

  5. Return of Organization Exempt fro. Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Foundation to Promote Open Society. Part I: Lines 12, 25, 26. Part II: Line 16. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/03/FPOS-2018-Form-990.pdf ^
  6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF; multiple). Foundation to Promote Open Society. 2008-2018. Schedule B. ^

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Alexander Soros
    Board Member
  2. Patrick Gaspard
    Board Member
  3. Jonathan Soros
    Vice-Chairman
  4. George Soros
    Main Donor and Chairman

Donation Recipients

  1. Advancement Project (Non-profit)
  2. AgroEcology Fund (AEF) (Non-profit)
  3. Alliance for Justice (AFJ) (Non-profit)
  4. Alliance for Open Society International (Open Society Institute Baltimore) (Non-profit)
  5. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation (Non-profit)
  6. American Immigration Council (AIC) (Non-profit)
  7. American Independent Institute (Non-profit)
  8. American Prospect (Non-profit)
  9. America’s Voice Education Fund (Non-profit)
  10. Arcus Operating Foundation (Non-profit)
  11. Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation (Non-profit)
  12. Campaign Legal Center (Non-profit)
  13. Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) (Non-profit)
  14. Center for Community Change (CCC) (Non-profit)
  15. Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) (Non-profit)
  16. Center for Economic and Policy Research (Non-profit)
  17. Center for Law and Social Policy (Non-profit)
  18. Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) (Non-profit)
  19. Center for Public Integrity (Non-profit)
  20. Center for Public Interest Research (Non-profit)
  21. Center for Responsive Politics (Non-profit)
  22. Center for Working Families (Non-profit)
  23. Center on Policy Initiatives (Non-profit)
  24. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) (Non-profit)
  25. ClimateWorks Foundation (Non-profit)
  26. Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) (Non-profit)
  27. Colorado Center on Law and Policy (Non-profit)
  28. Communities for Just Schools Fund (Non-profit)
  29. Compassion and Choices (Non-profit)
  30. Constitutional Accountability Center (Non-profit)
  31. Coworker.org (Non-profit)
  32. Demand Progress Education Fund (Non-profit)
  33. Democracy North Carolina (Non-profit)
  34. Drum Major Institute (Non-profit)
  35. EarthRights International (ERI) (Non-profit)
  36. Family Values @ Work (Non-profit)
  37. Fractured Atlas Productions (Non-profit)
  38. Free Press (Non-profit)
  39. German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) (Non-profit)
  40. Global Greengrants Fund (Non-profit)
  41. Good Jobs First (Non-profit)
  42. Hip Hop Caucus (Non-profit)
  43. Hope Enterprise Corporation (Non-profit)
  44. Institute for Women’s Policy Research (Non-profit)
  45. Interfaith Worker Justice (Non-profit)
  46. Institute for Nonprofit News (Non-profit)
  47. Lambda Legal (Non-profit)
  48. Leadership Conference Education Fund (Non-profit)
  49. League of Women Voters (LWV) (Non-profit)
  50. Legal Aid Society of New York (Non-profit)
  51. MapLight (Non-profit)
  52. Media Democracy Fund (MDF) (Non-profit)
  53. Media Matters for America (Non-profit)
  54. Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (Non-profit)
  55. Mother Jones (Non-profit)
  56. Movement Strategy Center (Non-profit)
  57. National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (Non-profit)
  58. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (Non-profit)
  59. National Consumer Law Center (Non-profit)
  60. National Employment Law Project (NELP) (Non-profit)
  61. National Public Radio (NPR) (Non-profit)
  62. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (Non-profit)
  63. NEO Philanthropy (Non-profit)
  64. New America (New America Foundation) (Non-profit)
  65. New Mexico Voices for Children (Non-profit)
  66. New Venture Fund (NVF) (Non-profit)
  67. Next Century Cities (Non-profit)
  68. Niskanen Center (Non-profit)
  69. North Carolina Justice Center (Non-profit)
  70. North Star Fund (Non-profit)
  71. Partnership for Working Families (Non-profit)
  72. People’s Action Institute (Non-profit)
  73. Ploughshares Fund (Non-profit)
  74. Priorities USA Action (Non-profit)
  75. Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (Non-profit)
  76. Progressive Maryland Education Fund (Non-profit)
  77. Public Knowledge (Non-profit)
  78. R Street Institute (Non-profit)
  79. Robin Hood Foundation (Non-profit)
  80. Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC) (Non-profit)
  81. Roosevelt Institute (Non-profit)
  82. Ruckus Society (Non-profit)
  83. Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) (Non-profit)
  84. Social and Economic Justice Leaders Planning Group (Non-profit)
  85. Solidago Foundation (Non-profit)
  86. Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) (Non-profit)
  87. SourceWatch (Other Group)
  88. Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) (Non-profit)
  89. Sundance Institute (Non-profit)
  90. Taxpayers for Common Sense (Non-profit)
  91. Tides Center (Non-profit)
  92. Tides Foundation (Non-profit)
  93. Trust for America’s Health (Non-profit)
  94. UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) (Non-profit)
  95. USAction Education Fund (Non-profit)
  96. Voter Registration Project (Non-profit)
  97. RePower Fund (Wellstone Action Fund) (Non-profit)
  98. Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC) (Non-profit)
  99. Working America Education Fund (Non-profit)
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: August 1, 2009

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2015 Dec Form PF $421,000,000 $544,915,615 $7,335,239,392 $419,998,655 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form PF $585,692,432 $465,086,516 $4,986,868,744 $323,416,615 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $390,573,880 $398,433,799 $3,330,839,478 $814,015,201 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $512,251,834 $277,229,666 $2,709,320,378 $1,318,538,873 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $328,274,870 $290,682,063 $2,238,969,129 $1,312,426,686 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for Foundation to Promote Open Society (FPOS)

    Foundation to Promote Open Society (FPOS)

    224 W 57TH ST
    NEW YORK, NY 10019-3212