WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation today announced that it has selected the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation as a recipient of the Heritage Innovation Prize.

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s grant of $150,000 supports its efforts to expose the devastating effects of Communism—specifically, advancing the work accomplished through VOC’s China Studies Program. Through this program, foundation works to expose the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights atrocities and counters the CCP’s global efforts to undermine freedom and the rule of law.

Heritage’s award will help the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation expand its China Studies Program by funding high-impact research on the CCP’s human rights abuses and security threats, promotional efforts through major media campaigns, advocacy engagement with partner network, and their annual China Forum conference.

Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts released a statement upon announcement of the award:

“Heritage is committed to taking back our culture from the Left’s radical ideologies that threaten the very foundations of our country. We’re proud to award the Innovation Prize, using the resources generously provided by fellow Americans, to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation for its work of exposing the true devastation that China has brought about with its Communist regime.”

Andrew Bremberg, president of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, also released a statement:

“We are honored to be selected for the Heritage Innovation Prize. As the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation continues its mission to educate the public about the more than 100 million killed under communist regimes, this generous support will enable us to strengthen our fight for the more than 1.5 billion still oppressed under the deadliest ideology in human history—primarily in China. This prize will expand VOC’s ability to shed light on the human rights atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party as we work to expose Beijing’s crimes through groundbreaking research, analysis, and advocacy.”

The Heritage Innovation Prize recognizes and provides substantive financial awards totaling up to $1 million annually to results-oriented nonprofits for projects involving research, litigation, education, outreach, or communications, particularly those focused on empowering parents in education, holding Big Tech accountable, countering the threat of the Chinese Communist Party, securing America’s borders and reducing crime, ensuring free and fair elections, reducing the growth of spending and inflation, and promoting life and family formation.

This is the third round of Heritage Innovation Prizes to be awarded. In 2022, winners of the Prize included the Alliance Defending Freedom, Alliance for Opportunity, Americans United for Life, Charlotte Lozier Institute, Defense of Freedom Institute, Forge Leadership Network, Independent Women’s Forum, State Financial Officers Foundation, and Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. Each organization was awarded a grant ranging from $60,000 to $500,000, some of which will be received over several years. These awards are sponsored by The Heritage Foundation’s robust endowment for innovative conservative projects.

For more information on the most recent Innovation Prize awards, read here, or for information on the inaugural awards, read here. For more information about the prize itself, read here.