Throughout the past quarter century, the Vilcek Foundation has given $17 million in prizes and grants to immigrants and cultural leaders who positively impact society in the United States
Twenty-five years ago Jan andMarica Vilcek started the Vilcek Foundation with a simple yet powerful goal: advocate for immigrants and uplift the arts and sciences. Since its creation, the foundation has established itself as a nationwide organization committed to showcasing exceptional individuals and nonprofits through its prizes, grants, and exhibitions.
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“Our mission, though straightforward, is extraordinary,” says Rick Kinsel, president of the Vilcek Foundation. “Few institutions recognize how many ways immigrants contribute to our daily lives. Across every discipline in the arts and sciences, these hardworking individuals advance each aspect of our country's culture, underscoring that though talent emerges from across the world, it flourishes in the United States.
“As we look to the next 25 years, we aim to deepen our connections, increase our influence, and broaden our scope to amplify the stories and achievements of the people who make our society great. The vitality of our country depends on the continued presence and participation of people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives,” Kinsel continues.
A Legacy of Support and Partnership
In 2001, the Vilcek Foundation awarded its first grant to the New York University School of Medicine. Since then, grantmaking has been a vital part of the foundation's operations and programs. Over the past 25 years, the foundation has bestowed more than $7.4 million in grants and donations to nonprofit organizations in alignment with its mission, vision, and theory of change. Through this initiative, the foundation has built meaningful partnerships with more than 130 organizations across 30 states, Washington D.C., and Guam.
Among its most enduring collaborations is its 18-year partnership with the Hawai'i International Film Festival, which began in 2007 with the advent of the Vilcek Foundation-supported New American Perspectives program. The initiative has introduced 90 immigrant filmmakers from 30 countries to festival audiences. In recent years, the Vilcek Foundation has provided funding to nonprofits including BioBus, Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and World Central Kitchen.
In 2025, the foundation doubled the number of grants awarded annually through its first open call program, ensuring sustained support for institutions in the arts and sciences that often face funding challenges.
Honoring Excellence: The Vilcek Prizes
At the heart of the organization's mission are the Vilcek Foundation Prizes, which shine a light on immigrant accomplishments across the arts and sciences. Since 2006, the prizes have recognized luminaries whose work has transformed their fields, from Nobel laureates to pioneering artists.
The inaugural Vilcek Prizes were given in biomedical science and fine arts. Internationally renowned artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude were honored with the Vilcek Prize for Fine Arts for capturing the imagination of the world and broadening the popular conception of art with their large-scale works. Biologist Joan Massagué received the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for his groundbreaking discoveries that uncovered the processes underlying embryonic development, tumor onset, and cancer metastasis. In 2009, the foundation expanded its recognition to early-career innovators with the development of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise, which celebrate the next generation of artists and scientists.
Since starting the prizes program, the Vilcek Foundation has awarded $9.6 million to visionary individuals including Katalin Karikó, Yo-Yo Ma, Angélique Kidjo, José Andrés, Andrew Bolton, Nari Ward, and Dinaw Mengestu who each portray how immigrants strengthen the cultural and intellectual fabric of the United States.
In 2025, the foundation doubled the number of prizes it presents in the arts each year, ensuring even greater recognition for those who shape our shared future.
“The expansion of our grants and prizes reflects not only the breadth of immigrant contributions in the United States but also our commitment to supporting their impact for generations to come,” says Shinnie Kim, chief programs officer. “We aim to amplify stories and achievements that demonstrate how immigrants shape our shared future, through creativity, excellence, and community engagement.”
Celebrating Culture Through Art
The Vilcek Foundation's public cultural programs began in 2008 with its first exhibition, which featured Iranian-born artist Pouran Jinchi and Korean-born artist Il Lee. Since then, it has hosted 14 major exhibitions nationwide, including Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Marsden Hartley: Adventurer in the Arts at the New Mexico Museum of Art and Bates College Art Museum; and Brian Doan: hôme, hôme, hôme, LOST: A Showcase of the International Artists and Filmmakers of ABC's Hit Show, and Nicole Awai: Almost Undone at the Vilcek Foundation headquarters in New York.
In 2020, the Vilcek Foundation launched its coloring book series, a community-centered project developed in collaboration with institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Each volume translates curatorial insight into approachable illustrations, exposing readers of all ages to artistic and cultural exchange.
“Over the last 25 years, the art collection has grown and evolved, a necessary and important process that ensures its continued relevance and resonance,” says Emily Schuchardt Navratil, curator. “Sharing the art collection with the public through exhibitions in our headquarters, the traveling exhibitions developed with partner institutions, our loaned artwork, and publications allows us the opportunity to reach an even wider audience with our mission. A mission that remains as critical today as it was 25 years ago.”
Announcing the Vilcek Foundation's Public Archive
To honor this impressive milestone, the Vilcek Foundation launched a public archive that showcases the history of the Vilcek Foundation and the organization's leadership, as well as a robust timeline of the evolution of the institution's various programs. Users are able to view images, videos, and ephemera that document the legacy of the Vilcek Foundation. This living collection will be regularly updated as the foundation continues its work championing immigrants, the arts, and sciences.
“Creating this archive gives us a chance to highlight the voices and experiences that have shaped the foundation's mission,” says Brian Cavanaugh, director of digital. “By presenting these histories in new and dynamic ways, we hope people can connect more deeply with the knowledge and creativity that make this collective story so powerful.”
The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences more broadly. Since it was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, the foundation has awarded over $17 million in prizes and grants in support of this mission. Beyond the foundation, Jan and Marica Vilcek have personally donated more than $330 million to institutions across the United States, further demonstrating their enduring belief in the power of knowledge, hard work, and resilience.
The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRC Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org.
ContactShelby RollerThe Vilcek Foundation212-472-2500shelby.roller@vilcek.org
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