James Piereson, president of the William E. Simon Foundation, headed the influential John M. Olin Foundation for 20 years, until it spent down its assets and closed in 2005. According to A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America, an authorized history of the foundation by National Review writer John Miller, the foundation “funded the conservative movement as it emerged from the intellectual ghetto and occupied the halls of power.”
As part of a series of dialogues and discussions marking the tenth anniversary of OSI’s U.S. Programs, Gara LaMarche, vice president of the Open Society Institute and director of OSI’s U.S. Programs, and James Piereson engaged in a wide-ranging conversation on how the Olin Foundation carried out its work, including its successes, failures, and impact, and what those on the progressive end of the political spectrum can learn from Olin’s experience.
Read more
Online Hate Speech
New SEC Complaint Says Meta Misled Shareholders over Myanmar Hate

A whistleblower complaint to the SEC argues that the social media giant Meta misrepresented its role in fueling violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya—highlighting the need for more platform accountability for online hate.
Civic Engagement
Bolstering Women and Youth, Linchpins of Democracy

Philanthropy has historically underfunded women and youth. Open Society’s new $50 million investment in their engagement addresses that imbalance—and builds on recent surges in civic engagement crucial to the future of American democracy.
Art and Activism
Reimagining January 6th

The insurrection at the U.S. Capitol left him in a cold sweat. Creating a comic book seemed like one way to reach people not obsessively following the news and spark activism to help defend a multicultural democracy.