Grants support impact-driven initiatives spotlighting immigrant artistic production and storytelling across the United States
NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Vilcek Foundation today announces the 12 U.S.-based nonprofit organizations receiving funding as a part of its second open-call grant cycle. The foundation distributed a total of $212,000 to nonprofits whose work uplifts immigrants, or champions innovative initiatives in the arts and sciences.
In the face of heightened xenophobia and significant decreases in public funding across the United States, the Vilcek Foundation remains steadfast in its mission to recognize the contributions of foreign-born individuals and promote the arts and sciences. Inclusive of this year’s grants, the foundation has awarded more than $7 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in 40 U.S. states, two U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C. in the quarter century since its establishment.
“Immigrants are essential to the fabric of the United States, yet their contributions are often overlooked or undervalued,” says Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel. “The Vilcek Foundation is proud to partner with organizations that elevate immigrant voices and drive tangible impact within their local communities. 2026 expands our grantmaking’s geographic reach with recipients in eight new states, bringing us closer to supporting local, regional, and national nonprofits enacting meaningful change across the country.”
The 2026 grantees were selected from nearly 2,000 applications from nonprofits nationwide, representing a 46% increase in applications from the 2025 grant cycle. Applications were received from all 50 U.S. states, three U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C. Proposals were evaluated based on their level of innovation, depth of community engagement, and potential for lasting impact.
Diverse in scope, scale, and sector, this year’s grantees are unified in their work uplifting immigrants, as well as the arts and sciences more broadly. The 2026 Vilcek Foundation Grantees are: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts; Radio Boise; Brattleboro Museum & Art Center; City of Asylum/Detroit; Counterpublic; Del Vaz Projects; Delaware Contemporary; The Immigrant Story; Japanese American National Museum (JANM); National Performance Network; Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA); and Voices Jackson Hole.
Funded institutional operations and projects include public exhibitions of works by contemporary immigrant artists, the collection and creation of oral history archives, and bilingual institutional programming. For the first time, the foundation is providing support for organizations based in Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming through its grantmaking.
“Rooted in Omaha and connected to a global community of artists, Bemis Center creates opportunities for the public to engage with contemporary art in unexpected ways,” Chris Cook, executive director of Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, says. “Support from the Vilcek Foundation will help us build on that work tremendously, connecting Indigenous artists with local audiences through free performance-based programs in our new Indigenous Voices series.”
The 2026 grant period runs from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. See below for the full list of 2026 grantees.
The foundation expanded its grantmaking in 2024 by establishing an open call for applications for the 2025 grant cycle. 2025 grants were awarded to 14 qualifying nonprofit organizations in 12 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Guam.
Applications for the Vilcek Foundation’s 2027 grant cycle are open from now through March 31, 2027. Eligible organizations that have previously applied for a Vilcek Foundation Grant may reapply with a new proposal.
For more information on Vilcek Foundation Grants, including eligibility requirements and recipients to date, visit vilcek.org/grants.
2026 Vilcek Foundation Grantees
- Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
- A Vilcek Foundation Grant of $20,000 provides project support for Indigenous Voices, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts’ new performance series featuring time-based, site-specific work by Indigenous artists Emily Johnson, Kite, Ya Tseen, and Nathan Young.
- Radio Boise, Boise, ID
- The Vilcek Foundation’s $20,000 grant supports Radio Boise’s new, immigrant-focused music and storytelling initiative, “Amplify Boise: Music, Migration, and Community Voice.”
- Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro, VT
- A $20,000 Vilcek Foundation Grant enables a solo exhibition of work by Turkish artist Hayal Pozanti, the 2027 “Immigrant Artists in Vermont” symposium, and related programming.
- City of Asylum/Detroit, Detroit, MI
- A Vilcek Foundation Grant of $5,000 partially underpins the City of Asylum/Detroit’s monthly “Visiting Artist in Residence” programming series centering foreign-born writers in exile, including South African Poet Laureate Mongane Wally Serote.
- Counterpublic, St. Louis, MO
- A Vilcek Foundation Grant of $20,000 provides partial funding for installations and programs by immigrant artists Petrit Halilaj, Mee Jey, Inès Kivimäki, Alan Nakagawa, and Rirkrit Tiravanija presented as a part of Counterpublic’s 2026 triennial Coyote Time.
- Del Vaz Projects, Santa Monica, CA
- Exhibition research and curatorial scholarship related to cultural production across Iranian diasporic and queer communities is empowered by a Vilcek Foundation Grant of $20,000.
- The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE
- The Vilcek Foundation enables the installation of Montenegrin artist Blažo Kovačević’s interactive exhibition, Selfie, with $20,000 in grant funding.
- The Immigrant Story, Portland, OR
- A Vilcek Foundation Grant of $20,000 provides operational financing for The Immigrant Story’s public storytelling programs, exhibitions, podcasts, and oral history work.
- Japanese American National Museum (JANM), Los Angeles, CA
- Through a $20,000 grant, the Vilcek Foundation assists the preservation, archival, and editorial work related to JANM’s collection of artworks by Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II.
- National Performance Network, New Orleans, LA
- A $20,000 Vilcek Foundation Grant sponsors performances by immigrant artists via the National Performance Network’s Artist Engagement Fund.
- Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA), Providence, RI
- A $15,000 grant from the Vilcek Foundation partially sponsors RILA’s “Nuestras Raíces” oral history archive and associated bilingual programming in English and Spanish.
- Voices Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole, WY
- The Vilcek Foundation funds operating support for the “Visionary Voices” training program, which empowers local immigrant leaders through mentorship and professional development, with a $12,000 grant.
The Vilcek Foundation
The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. Established in 2000, the foundation has provided over $17.5 million to individuals and nonprofit organizations in support of this mission.
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.
CONTACT
Marjorie Fuchs
The Vilcek Foundation
929-371-4333
marjorie.fuchs@vilcek.org
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SOURCE The Vilcek Foundation
