GEORGE SOROS was never here to stay. That's not how he operates. The Hungarian-born billionaire invests money to attack tough societal problems with the expectation that a city or organization will eventually assume the work - and that's as it should be. Philanthropic dollars are best spent to empower individuals and communities.
When Mr. Soros' Open Society Institute chose Baltimore as its first regional city of interest in 1998, this newspaper viewed it as a "positive step." He pledged to spend at least $25 million on some of Baltimore's most intractable problems - drug abuse, struggling schools, youth crime, unemployment. OSI has spent twice that amount and extended its stay once already. Now, Baltimore and its supporters must decide if OSI's work is worth their dollars. Mr. Soros isn't abandoning Baltimore - he's offered $10 million over the next five years to continue the work, provided his millions are matched 2-to-1.
It's an offer Baltimore should accept, a challenge that should be met through a public-private partnership.
On the occasion of the Greater Baltimore Committee's 50th anniversary, corporate leaders should consider Mr. Soros' challenge. This is an opportunity to build on a record in areas of desperate need in the city and further refine efforts to combat drug addiction, improve student achievement and promote innovative civic leadership.
George Soros is not your conventional billionaire. He spends his money on developing and encouraging a healthy, open civil society, and he is critical of those he views as a danger to it. He spends money to get at the underlying causes of some tough urban problems and to change public policy. OSI takes risks - whether that means funding a methadone substitute, establishing a debating league for city kids or helping to create 150 jobs in the region through a new venture capital fund.
Some respected, influential civic players have already signed on to the challenge. The Annie E. Casey Foundation has offered $1 million over five years to match OSI's investment in East Baltimore programs. The Cohen Opportunity Fund, the Lockhart Vaughn Foundation and an anonymous donor also contributed money toward specific OSI initiatives, bringing initial pledges to more than $1.4 million. That's a respectable start, but the total sum is substantial in a city where many worthy organizations compete for philanthropic and corporate dollars and need often outstrips giving.
What would a new OSI give Baltimore? A sustained effort to increase drug treatment for the city's 60,000 addicts, a similar push to improve student achievement through after-school programs and help provide education and job skills to ex-offenders returning to local neighborhoods.
When OSI arrived in Baltimore, the city's nonprofit and philanthropic sector was in the midst of a renaissance. The institute's work should now be viewed as part of a collaborative effort to improve the quality of life in the city and its environs.
