The Lithuanian Foundation’s annual support for Lithuanian activities is approaching $2 million
The Lithuanian Foundation, Inc. – a supporter of Lithuanian culture, Lithuanian organizations, Lithuanian education, Lithuanian activities, and students in the United States, Lithuania, and around the world – wishes to share and celebrate the results of its work in 2025.
For over sixty years, the Foundation’s annual support has steadily grown and will soon reach $2 million per year. In 2025, the Foundation granted a total of $1,956,066 to support various projects and scholarships! Most of these funds (approximately 2/3) consist of interest from donor-directed funds established by the Lithuanian Foundation. Currently, there are 123 such funds.
The Foundation’s Grants Commission met twice in 2025 at the World Lithuanian Center in Lemont, IL. The first meeting, which lasted two days, took place in the spring, on May 17–18. In the fall, on October 25, the Commission met for the second time.
The Grants Commission consisted of members of the Lithuanian Foundation: Tauras Bublys (chair), Saulius Čyvas, Marius Kasniūnas (first meeting), Milda Davis (second meeting), and Dalius Vasys (alternate), as well as four representatives of the Lithuanian American Community, Inc.: Žygintas Janus, Laura Garnytė, Ingrida Strokovas, and Artūras Žilys (secondary). Juozas Kapačinskas, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Lithuanian Foundation, Viktoras Kaufmanas, LF President, and Jūratė Mereckis, Executive Director, also attended the meetings. Vida Bieliauskienė served as secretary.
LF Grants Commission Meeting on May 18, 2025 (from left): Žygintas Janus, Artūras Žilys, Marius Kasniūnas, Ingrida Strokovas, Tauras Bublys (Chairman of the Grants Commission), Laura Garnytė, Saulius Čyvas, Dalius Vasys.
A total of 157 applications were submitted during the first call, with 113 applications (72%) approved. Additionally, 69 applications were submitted during the second call, and 39 applications (56.6%) were approved. In 2025, a total of 152 applications were approved, and $1,401,184 was granted to support those projects.
The full list of funded projects can be found here:
2025 LF Project Support—Stage I
2025 LF Project Support—Stage II
In addition, $30,132 will be allocated directly to organizations in Lithuania and the US from special donor-directed funds, in accordance with the wishes and instructions of the fund’s founders.
In 2025, $1,431,316 will be given out to support various projects. The resolutions of the Grants Commission’s meetings were forwarded to the Board of Directors for approval. The Board of Directors approved the Commission’s funding decisions on June 10, 2025, and the second meeting resolutions on December 9, 2025.
Support will go to:
Lithuanian American Community, Inc.—$709,735 (50%)
Lithuanian World Community, Inc.—$60,188 (4%)
Other organizations in the US—$577,747 (40%)
Lithuanian diaspora organizations in other countries—$34,500 (2%)
Organizations in Lithuania—$49,146 (3%)
Members of the LF Grants Commission Scholarship Sub-Commission met on November 15, 2025. The Commission consisted of Loreta Sadauskas (Chairperson), Rasa Fernandes, Jūratė Murray, Alda Polikaitis, Inesa Sabaliūnienė, Dalius Vasys, Jonas Didžbalis, Vytas Mačiulis, Rimas Radzevičius, and Kristina Žvinakis.
2025 LF Grants Commission Scholarship Sub-Commission.
The Scholarship Sub-Commission reviewed 168 student scholarship applications and approved 121 (72%) of them. During the meeting, $477,800 was allocated for student scholarships. Lithuanian Foundation scholarships will be awarded to 101 Lithuanians studying in the United States, 8 in the United Kingdom, 7 in Lithuania, 2 in Canada, and one each in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
The full list of scholarship recipients can be found here:
2025 LF Scholarship Recipients
An additional $46,950 will be given out from the Foundation’s donor-directed funds directly to educational institutions in Lithuania. Candidates for these scholarships are selected by the educational institutions themselves. Eighty-three (83) students will receive the scholarships.
The Board of Directors approved the Scholarship Subcommittee’s decisions at its meeting on December 9. A total of $524,750 will be paid out in scholarships in 2025.
The Lithuanian Foundation extends a sincere thank you to the donors, founders of donor-directed funds, and bequests on behalf of all recipients of support and scholarships, whose generosity enables the organization to carry out its mission of financially supporting the preservation and strengthening of Lithuanian identity and values.
