The Kazickas Family Foundation was founded in 1998, a few years after the re-establishment of independence, to help Lithuania after nearly 50 years of Soviet occupation. The main focus has always been in education, but over the years grant giving has been expanded to include culture and the arts, social welfare, medicine, and technology with grants to more than 100 non-profit organizations every year.
Our most noteworthy donations include:
- Scholarships and fellowships through the ASSIST secondary school program and to institutions such as Kaunas Technological University, Yale and the University of Washington (Baltic Studies Program).
- Support of Lithuanian culture and history – song, dance and music festivals, the Alexandra Kazickas Grant Program for heritage schools throughout the United States; architectural restoration of prominent historical buildings in Lithuania; printing of scholarly books.
- Ensuring the future of Lithuania through the ”Youth Can” program using sports and mentorships to help young people, especially in rural areas, build self-confidence and self-esteem and learn social responsibility.
KFF has offices in New York and Vilnius and is directed by .Jurate Kazickas, president, and her brothers Joseph, Michael and John. The founder, Joseph P. Kazickas, passed away in 2014. His wife of 70 years, Alexandra, died in 2011.
Please visit the Kazickas Family Foundation website for a complete overview of all current KFF activities and grants.
