Since its establishment in 1982, the Kajima Foundation for the Arts has contributed primarily to supporting art-related research studies. In recognition of its services, the foundation was commended at an award ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Agency for Cultural Affairs in September 2018. The foundation also received the Cultural Promotion Award at the 13th Western Art Promotion Foundation Awards in October 2018.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs' commemorative award ceremony celebrated the agency's 50th anniversary on June 15, 2018 by reflecting on the past 50 years and commending individuals and organizations that contributed to cultural promotion. The Kajima Foundation for the Arts was commended in recognition of making significant contributions to cultural promotion through its grant programs for cultural and artistic activities.

The Western Art Promotion Foundation Awards promotes western art by commending outstanding western art exhibits and other activities implemented in the past two years from the viewpoints of boosting the understanding of western art, promoting cultural exchange, and research and development. The Kajima Foundation for the Arts was chosen for the Cultural Promotion Award owing to its contributions toward realizing the "Lucas Cranach the Elder: 500 Years of the Power of Temptation" exhibit through its continuous activities and grant programs.

The foundation's activities provide grants for research in the arts, related publications, international exchange, and projects to foster the spreading of art, chiefly for young and middle-level art researchers in Japan and overseas. It has provided some 2,370 grants, making a total of approximately 1.92 billion yen (as of FY2017).