CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation marks the beginning of its 25th anniversary by announcing $42 million in grants, including $14 million to National Public Radio and $21.5 million to arts and cultural organizations in Chicago.

Other anniversary year grants announced today included $4 million to four groups

engaged in international work and $2.5 million to five Florida organizations. The anniversary year grants can be used by the organizations to help build their endowments, for facilities, or special projects.

"The MacArthur Foundation combines a deep commitment to its hometown with grantmaking nationwide and in 85 countries," said Jonathan F. Fanton, president of the Foundation. "These special 25th anniversary grants reflect that range. We are providing capital support to 41 Chicago-area arts and cultural institutions, as well as grants to four international organizations working in fields of major interest to the Foundation-population, peace and security, conservation and sustainable development, and public interest media."

"Foundations make their impact through the work of their grantees, the courageous individuals and institutions that confront challenging problems at home and abroad," said Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. "In recognition of the critical partnership between donor and grantee, the Board of Directors of the MacArthur Foundation is proud to support these 51 organizations with which the Foundation has worked over the years."

The groups receiving this support were notified over the course of the past several days. None of the organizations receiving the grants applied for them, learning that they had been awarded the funds through a phone call from the Foundation. They will be free to use the support for endowment, facilities, or special projects.

National Public Radio

The Foundation is making a $4 million endowment grant to National Public Radio, and will also award $10 million in general operating funds over the next 10 years in support of NPR’s domestic and international news and public affairs programming.

"Good information is critical to a well functioning democracy, all the more so as citizens confront complex issues of domestic and international policy," said Fanton. "National Public Radio is a reliable source of objective information and thoughtful analysis which places American issues and interests in a worldwide context."

Chicago Arts and Culture

In the Chicago area, 41 arts and culture organizations received a total of $21.5 million in grants. The recipients range in size from the city’s largest museums and performing arts groups to small community-based performing arts companies and arts education groups.

"One of the great treasures of Chicago is the number of arts and cultural organizations that, like the Foundation, call this great city home," said Fanton. "From institutions that are influential throughout the world to the smallest of neighborhood theaters, Chicago is alive with offerings that enrich our lives, stimulate our imaginations, and help educate our children. These organizations bring new works of art to the attention of international audiences, bind communities together, and stimulate economic activity. In these challenging times, it is important to support institutions that nurture the spirit."

International Affairs

Four organizations whose work is international in scope will each receive grants of $1 million from the Foundation. They are the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, the World Resources Institute, the Global Fund for Women, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"Each of these organizations is deeply engaged in addressing issues vital to the well-being of people throughout the world," said Fanton. "They, and many like them, seek to make the world a safer and more just place, nurture the environment and preserve biodiversity, and address population concerns through a respect for women’s reproductive rights and health."

Florida Institutions

Grants of $500,000 each have been awarded to the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (West Palm Beach); the Catherine T. MacArthur School of Continuing Education of Palm Beach Atlantic University (West Palm Beach); the Conservation Fund, a national organization active in Palm Beach County; the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center (Lake Placid, Florida); and the Friends of MacArthur Park, an organization that works in behalf of the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park (North Palm Beach).

While living in Florida, John D. MacArthur engaged in extensive business and real estate activities. He established the community of Palm Beach Gardens, sold the land on which many southeast Florida housing and commercial developments are now located, and donated much of the land that is now the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.

"John and Catherine MacArthur cared deeply about the region where they spent the latter years of their lives, and the Foundation is pleased to recognize that commitment with these gifts on its 25th anniversary," said Fanton.