Our Work

What we do?

OEF’s goal is to contribute to the development of open society in Estonia and other countries. Over the past 30 years the Foundation's initiatives have ranged from school reforms to contemporary art and legal reforms. Today our focus is on strengthening civil society and social cohesion. Our activities are driven by a vision of democracy, civil society, social responsibility and equal opportunities in democratic decision-making processes. We are dedicated to making a lasting contribution towards greater justice, open democracy and respect for diversity. We share experiences with countries in democratic transition and build cross-border partnerships in the European Union and across the globe.

Our mission is to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. In order to achieve this goal, the Foundation runs and supports a range of initiatives to advance openness and democratic practice in decision-making processes, substantive and inclusive civil dialogue in society, and human dignity. We help shape and advocate public policies and actions that assure greater justice in society and promote fundamental rights.

Open Estonia Foundation is the lead partner of Active Citizens Fund in Estonia, in consortium with Network of Estonian Nonprofit organizations (NENO). Support to civil society is a key priority for the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in 15 EU Member States in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. Full info on the program https://acf.ee/en/

Vibrant and sustainable civil society

In this priority area, we aim at:

  • strenghtening civic space and capacity building for CSOs; 
  • improving and developing capacity, advocacy skills and greater sustainability of civil society actors; aiming for a more active citizenship;
  • promoting the adoption of new, more participatory, transparent and accountable models of democracy;
  • open, transparent and accountable governance

Social cohesion

Our strategic goals include:

  • building a better understanding of democratic values among the public, particularly youth, and increasing their dedication to democratic practices as a key to social cohesion. 
  • striving towards more open, tolerant and diverse society;
  • combating discrimination and prejudice, intolerance and xenophobia, especially against vulnerable and minority groups;
  • creating a better awareness of and compliance with fundamental rights and freedoms