The Vilcek Foundation will award a total of $200,000 in new grants to eligible nonprofits working to champion immigrants and the arts and sciences who apply in 2026. Individual grant awards will be up to $20,000 each. The deadline to apply for a grant is April 30, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET.

The foundation encourages mission-driven nonprofit organizations that have a specific focus on supporting immigrants in the arts, sciences, and education, to apply for a 2026 Vilcek Foundation Grant. The foundation invests in organizations that take a creative approach to putting their mission into action, and that prioritize the development of unique projects and operations to effectively achieve meaningful goals.

The ideal grant recipient produces outputs or serves populations in innovative ways that sets them apart from others in their sector. Funding will be prioritized in U.S. states and territories where the foundation has not previously awarded grants. A list of past grants is available on the Vilcek Foundation’s Grants History page.

Requirements – To be eligible to apply for a grant:

• An organization must be a nonprofit organization operating under U.S. IRC Section 501(c)(3).
• An organization must be based in the United States or U.S. territories.
• An organization’s activities and expenditures must primarily be based in the United States or U.S. territories.
• An organization must abide by all laws and regulations governing nonprofit organizations under IRC Section 501(c)(3) in the United States.
• An organization must be in good standing and hold tax-exempt status with the IRS.
• An organization must be able to provide the following documents:
  • A signed W-9 with a valid EIN
  • An IRS determination letter
  • A recent IRS Form 990, Form 990-PF, Form 990-EZ, or Form 990-N
  • An audited financial statement, reviewed financial statement, or internally prepared financial statement (prepared by an accountant) from the previous fiscal year
  • An annual operating budget and proposal budget.

Restrictions:

• The foundation does not award grants to organizations working with fiscal sponsors.
• The foundation does not award grants in support of scientific research.
• The foundation does not award grants in support of capital projects or campaigns.
• The foundation does not award grants to organizations seeking support to cover the costs of galas, award ceremonies, or other events primarily intended as fundraisers.
• The foundation does not award grants to K-12 schools or to charter schools. While we recognize the significant need for arts program support in schools, this is not our current focus or area of expertise.
• The foundation does not participate in or provide support to any political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elective public office.
• The foundation does not offer renewals on grants; all grants awarded by the foundation are intended as individual, non-renewable awards. 

Application Instructions:

To apply for a grant, eligible organizations must submit an application through the Vilcek Foundation Grant Portal. Learn more and register for the Grant Portal at the following link: https://www.vilcek.org/grants. 

If you have further questions about the Vilcek Foundation’s grantmaking, please contact grants@vilcek.org.