N - Z
Philanthropic Organizations
- The Omidyar Network
- Operation Family Fund
- The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
- The Robin Hood Foundation
- The Rockefeller Foundation
- Ronald McDonald House Charities
- The Ross Institute
- The Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation
- The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Fund
- The Saban Family Foundation
- The Larry and Jane Scheinfeld Foundation
- The Skoll Foundation
- The Smith Richardson Foundation
- The Soros Foundation Network
- Tomorrow's Hope Foundation
- United Nations Foundation
- The Waitt Family Foundation
The Soros Foundation Network
Founder: George Soros
George Soros is a highly successful investor and stock speculator. His fortune was built on his skills alone. Born in Hungary, Soros was 13 when Nazi Germany invaded his homeland. Soros’ first encounter with the world of commerce came after the war, when he worked as a currency trader during the Hyperinflation. When Soros moved to the United States, he was already an accomplished businessman and stock trader. He founded the Quantum Fund and after five years, his net worth reached $11 billion, way above his estimate of $500,000. He went on to establish the Soros Management Fund.
Areas of Interest:
- Open societies
- Education
The Soros Foundation Network and its Notable Projects/Programs:
George Soros has been active in his pursuits as a philanthropist since the 1970s. His initial programs included the funding of black students to attend the University of Cape Town in South Africa during the height of Apartheid, and contributing to the dissident movements in communist countries behind the Iron Curtain.
The Soros Foundation was founded to encourage and enthuse the promotion of what Soros calls ‘open societies,’ in which struggling and developing nations should not only be open in commerce but also in the aspects of philosophy, ideologies, and modern thinking and behavior. The Soros Foundation Network, which is based in Central Europe, has supported projects that help uphold the philosophy of Soros, among these programs are: (1) the expansion of free press, (2) access to the Internet and digital communications, (3) the diffusion of human rights to every individual, (4) the advancement of knowledge in the arts and culture, (5) social and economic reforms, and (6) equality in law.
The Soros Foundation Network is also keen on educating librarians and in the improvement of libraries. Education is one of the Network’s main concerns, and is shown in the Network’s pledge of $206 million to the Central European University.
Being a vocal proponent in the formation of open societies, George Soros established the Open Society Institute. The Open Society institute has spent a total of $4 billion as 2003, in efforts to promote democratic governance and other aims of The Soros Foundation Network to Central Europe, Western and Southern Africa. Annually, the Open Society Institute spends $400 million.