In 1998, the Open Society Institute (OSI) opened an office in Baltimore to focus on critical national urban issues as they are expressed locally. The office grapples with issues of national consequence that take on the limitations and opportunities created by local social, economic, and political conditions. This targeted focus enables OSI to develop a comprehensive understanding of the city’s assets and shortcomings and to respond with integrated grantmaking.

The Open Society Institute in Baltimore (OSI–Baltimore) taps the expertise and knowledge of the community through a local board, which governs its activities, and through sustained interactions between staff and community leaders. The initiative builds on the commitment of Baltimore’s government and nonprofit community to employ innovative strategies and develop public-private partnerships to address the city’s problems.