Funding search · EIN 621322826 · West Conshohocken, PA

John Templeton Foundation

Name: John Templeton Foundation grants, 2022–2024
Creator: PaperOrbit
License: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

A private foundation (files IRS Form 990-PF). Most private foundations do not take unsolicited applications; the route in is usually a program officer.

1,318
grants reported: $425.5M
total given: 2022–2024
filing years: $208,504
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 2022–2024. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

science human religious character religion evolution development intellectual

Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is built Report an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Where the money goes

Empirical science of religious belief, cognition, and spiritual practice
Character development, intellectual humility, and virtue research in youth and higher ed
Human flourishing measurement, meaning, purpose, and wellbeing studies
Foundational physics: quantum foundations, cosmology, black holes, complexity
Free enterprise, economic freedom, and entrepreneurship institutes
Public engagement: film, festivals, debate, journalism carrying big questions

Typical grant

Median grant is about $208,000, with the middle half running $49,000 to $420,000. The seven-figure checks go to multi-year, multi-wave research programs and regranting hubs (Global Flourishing Study, developmental religious cognition, fellowship pipelines); the smaller ones fund single-investigator projects, conferences, and curriculum work. Repeat funding is the norm, and grant titles openly say "Phase 3," "Phase 4," "Second Phase," so a first grant is often the start of a decade-long relationship.

Their words

Phrases from their own grant descriptions, worth speaking back to them.

“human flourishing”
“intellectual humility”
“character development”
“religious cognition”
“science of purpose”
“awe & wonder”

Positioning adjacent work

Frame adjacent work as a "big question" about purpose, agency, or belief, not as disciplinary incrementalism.
Propose a phased project and name Phase 1 explicitly; they fund continuations of work they already started.
Ask $400,000 to $800,000 for a first project; reserve seven figures for multi-site, multi-wave designs.
Pair empirical rigor with a theological, philosophical, or public-engagement partner; they fund cross-training explicitly.

Worth knowing: Money concentrates in elite US research universities (CA, MA, DC, NY, PA lead) plus a steady UK contingent (Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Leeds, Belfast) and named repeat grantees like Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Notre Dame, and Pew. A visible share also flows to free-market and religious-liberty institutions (Atlas, Acton, Lumen Christi, Thomistic Institute), so the portfolio is ideologically legible and relationship-driven, not a neutral open field.

75 grants matching “character” · $23.7M

$1.3M
Constructive Dialogue Institute · New York, NY · 2024
Constructive dialogue institute: building and scaling evidence-based tools to cultivate character
$859,166
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC · 2024
Character development through adolescent brains, peers, & tech use
$675,000
The Character Lab · Philadelphia, PA · 2024
Advancing the science and practice of character development
$658,663
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · Palo Alto, CA · 2024
Ai in schools: strengthening character and promoting virtuous ai use
$622,029
University of California Irvine · Irvine, CA · 2024
Addressing risks in online spaces with character development through digital micro-interventions
$574,120
Search Institute · Minneapolis, MN · 2024
Rooted in relationships: cultivating character through communities of practice
$573,974
President and Fellows of Harvard College · Cambridge, MA · 2024
Building character through equity-oriented social learning & communities of practice
$558,398
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2024
How to build ai platforms that promote childrens character development
$458,544
Youthbuild USA · Roxbury, MA · 2024
Character first: harnessing the power of love in promoting character development in youthbuild programs
$423,353
Penn State University · State College, PA · 2024
Learning from eight decades of global character training: examining cultural adaptations
$362,336
University of California Irvine · Irvine, CA · 2024
Embedding the development of intellectual character within a university curriculum
$360,173
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church · Philadelphia, PA · 2024
A parenting program to support adolescent character development at enon tabernacle baptist church
$345,991
Foundation for Jewish Camp · New York, NY · 2024
A laboratory for investigating character development at american jewish summer camp
$288,785
Citizen University · Seattle, WA · 2024
Power + character curriculum and educator training
$282,266
University of California Irvine · Irvine, CA · 2024
Cultivating intellectual character in the ai age
$198,720
Asociacion Civil De Estudios Superiores · 2024
Is a virtuous intellectual character a cause of human flourishing?
$167,269
Boys Hope Girls Hope · St Louis, MO · 2024
Accelerating youth character development by leveraging the power of youth peer groups
$129,431
American Camping Association · Martinsville, IN · 2024
Promoting character through counselors-in-training programs at medical specialty camps
$125,000
The Character Education Partnership · Sterling, VA · 2024
For general support
$100,153
Auburn University at Montgomery · Montgomery, AL · 2024
From civil rights to civic virtue: forming character through community
$94,498
Inquiry Schools · Philadelphia, PA · 2024
Creating a character-focused cop for urban cte educators in philadelphia
$75,000
Childhood Education International · Washington, DC · 2024
Social and emotional character development in serbian primary schools: a community of practice framework
$30,000
Georgia Rotary Districts Character Education Program · Smyrna, GA · 2024
For general support
$23,050
Regents University of California Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA · 2024
Character virtues in adolescent programming: toolkit for storytellers
$19,080
Mercy University · Dobbs Ferry, NY · 2024
The cultural evolution of the conscience, virtues, character development, and human progress
$1.4M
The Character Lab · Philadelphia, PA · 2023
Advancing the science and practice of character development
$750,000
Constructive Dialogue Institute · New York, NY · 2023
Constructive dialogue institute: building & scaling tools to cultivate intellectual &civic character
$568,249
President and Fellows of Harvard College · Cambridge, MA · 2023
Building character thru equity oriented social emotional learning &communities of practice
$517,076
Search Institute · Minneapolis, MN · 2023
Rooted in relationships: cultivating character through communities of practice
$458,544
Youthbuild USA · Roxbury, MA · 2023
Character first: harnessing the power of love in promoting character development in youthbuild programs
$449,955
Inquiry Schools · Philadelphia, PA · 2023
Creating a character-focused cop for urban cte educators in philadelphia
$427,953
Penn State University · State College, PA · 2023
Learning from eight decades of global character training: examining cultural adaptations
$360,173
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church · Philadelphia, PA · 2023
A parenting program to support adolescent character development at enon tabernacle baptist church
$356,820
University of California Irvine · Irvine, CA · 2023
Embedding the development of intellectual character within a university curriculum
$345,991
Foundation for Jewish Camp · New York, NY · 2023
A laboratory for investigating character development at american jewish summer camp
$259,090
Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford · 2023
Virtues & vocations: developing sustainable programmes for postgraduate character virtue formation
$248,896
Boston College Trustees · Chestnut Hill, MA · 2023
Building communities of practice to foster civic character in crew
$211,606
The Children'S Hospital of Philadelphia · Philadelphia, PA · 2023
Supporting parents to guide teen character development
$211,315
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC · 2023
Character development in the context of trauma
$177,861
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2023
Greater good in action 2.0: making the science of character virtue practical, engaging, impactful
$167,269
Boys Hope Girls Hope · St Louis, MO · 2023
Accelerating youth character development by leveraging the power of youth peer groups
$158,877
Boston College Trustees · Chestnut Hill, MA · 2023
How catholic school networks foster innov. & transformative pedagogies of character formation
$138,882
American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences · Arlington, VA · 2023
Promoting character through counselors-in-training programs at medical specialty camps
$100,153
Auburn University at Montgomery · Montgomery, AL · 2023
From civil rights to civic virtue: forming character through community
$23,119
Fundacion Varkey Argentina · 2023
Action research program for latin american teachers on character development
$23,000
Georgia Rotary Districts Character · Smyrna, GA · 2023
Georgia laws of life general operating support for growth and expansion
$5,425
Childhood Education International · Washington, DC · 2023
Social and emotional character development in serbian primary schools: a community of practice framework
$634,819
The Children'S Hospital of Philadelphia · Philadelphia, PA · 2022
Supporting parents to guide teen character development
$550,000
The Character Lab · Philadelphia, PA · 2022
Advancing the science and practice of character development
$533,583
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2022
Making the science of character virtue more practical, engaging, and impactful
$458,544
Youthbuild USA · Roxbury, MA · 2022
Character first: harnessing the power of love in promoting character development in youthbuild programs
$449,955
Inquiry Schools · Philadelphia, PA · 2022
Create character-focused cop for urban cte educators: elev char virtues & purp
$418,341
Fuller Theological Seminary · Pasadena, CA · 2022
The character and virtue development in youth ministry project
$360,175
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church · Philadelphia, PA · 2022
A parenting program to support adolescent character development at enon tabernacle baptist church
$345,991
Foundation for Jewish Camp · New York, NY · 2022
A laboratory for investigating character development at american jewish summer camp
$248,896
Boston College Trustees · Chestnut Hill, MA · 2022
Building communities of practice to foster civic character in crew
$243,634
Search Institute · Minneapolis, MN · 2022
Rooted in relationships: cultivating character through communities of practice
$236,723
President and Fellows of Harvard College · Cambridge, MA · 2022
Build character thru equity-oriented social emotional learning & communities of practice
$234,800
The Character Education Partnership · Sterling, VA · 2022
For general support
$211,229
Childhood Education International · Washington, DC · 2022
Social and emotional character development in serbian primary schools: a community of practice framework
$210,040
Philadelphia Outward Bound School · Philadelphia, PA · 2022
Enhanced middle school experience for learning network 11/strawberry mansion: character development
$207,899
Midtown Educational Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2022
Developing character for chicago inner-city youth
$207,457
Regents University of California Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA · 2022
Character virtues in adolescent programming: toolkit for storytellers
$184,022
Biola University · La Mirada, CA · 2022
Asmt of character & spiritual formation: an empirical, longitudinal & ecumenical project
$171,720
Mercy College · Dobbs Ferry, NY · 2022
The cultural evolution of the conscience, virtues, character development, and human progress
$168,620
Wake Forest University · Winstonsalem, NC · 2022
Exemplar interventions to develop character
$167,269
Boys Hope Girls Hope · St Louis, MO · 2022
Accelerating youth character development by leveraging the power of youth peer groups
$158,877
Boston College Trustees · Chestnut Hill, MA · 2022
Catholic sch networks foster innov & transformative pedagogies of character formation
$157,417
University of California Irvine · Irvine, CA · 2022
Embedding the development of intellectual character within a university curriculum
$139,447
Fuller Theological Seminary · Pasadena, CA · 2022
The character and virtue development in youth ministry project
$138,882
American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences · Arlington, VA · 2022
Promoting character through counselors-in-training programs at medical specialty camps
$100,155
Auburn University at Montgomery · Montgomery, AL · 2022
From civil rights to civic virtue: forming character through community
$61,406
Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois · Chicago, IL · 2022
Infants and toddlers' evaluations of moral character
$23,260
Foundation for Jewish Camp · New York, NY · 2022
Foundation for jewish camp study of character development at jewish camps
$16,600
L'Arche USA · Portland, OR · 2022
Identifying metrics of character development in adults: insights from shared life in larche

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

President and Fellows of Harvard College32 grants · $19.1M
Garden Association1 grant · $15.5M
Baylor University10 grants · $8.2M
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley21 grants · $7.2M
University of Bristol7 grants · $6.9M
Duke University23 grants · $6.8M
Yale University19 grants · $6.7M
Regents of the University of Minnesota5 grants · $6.6M
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University17 grants · $6.4M
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago4 grants · $5.7M

Giving over time

$164.5M

2022

$126.8M

2023

$134.3M

2024

Grant history

The 100 largest of 1,318 grants.

$15.5M
Garden Association · Winchester, TN · 2022
Repurposing the templeton library for public use
$4.3M
President and Fellows of Harvard College · Cambridge, MA · 2023
The ancient dna atlas of humanity
$3.5M
Regents of the University of Minnesota · Minneapolis, MN · 2023
Agency, directionality, and function: foundations for a science of purpose
$3.4M
Centre Pour La Recherche Sur L'Espace · 2024
Enrico fermi fellowships: cross-training in theoretical & experimental science
$2.9M
Medical University of Graz · 2022
We all are multitudes: the microchimerism, human health and evolution project
$2.2M
Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA · 2022
Applied research on intellectual humility: a request for proposals
$2.2M
Atlas Economic Research Foundation · Arlington, VA · 2024
Ease of employment, livelihood, and formality
$2.1M
Yale University · New Haven, CT · 2022
Growing the life worth living network in higher education
$2.1M
University of Bristol · 2023
Religious belief, health, and disease: a family perspective. Ii. The follow-up and analyses
$2.0M
Centre Samy Maroun Pour La Recherche Sur L'Espace · 2022
The quantum information structure of spacetime qiss
$2.0M
Baylor University · Waco, TX · 2024
Global flourishing study: piloting and waves 1-5
$2.0M
Baylor University · Waco, TX · 2023
Global flourishing study: piloting and waves 1-5
$1.9M
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2024
The cognitive neuroscience of religious cognition
$1.9M
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2023
The cognitive neuroscience of religious cognition
$1.8M
Lsst · Tucson, AZ · 2022
Establishing a templeton lsst early-career research fellowship
$1.8M
President and Fellows of Harvard College · Cambridge, MA · 2022
Black hole initiative phase 3
$1.8M
University of California Riverside · Riverside, CA · 2024
Developing belief: the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior: phase 1
$1.8M
University of California Riverside · Riverside, CA · 2023
Developing belief: the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior: phase 1
$1.8M
Regents of the University of Minnesota · Minneapolis, MN · 2022
Agency, directionality, and function: foundations for a science of purpose
$1.7M
University of Birmingham · 2023
Celebration britain
$1.7M
Florida State University Research Foundation · Tallahassee, FL · 2022
Psychological perspectives on divine forgiveness
$1.6M
St Johns College Durham · 2024
Equipping christian leadership in an age of science: phase 4
$1.6M
Interfaith America · Chicago, IL · 2024
Faith in health professions: integrating interfaith competencies across programs
$1.6M
St Johns College Durham · 2023
Equipping christian leadership in an age of science: phase 4
$1.5M
Baylor University · Waco, TX · 2023
Illuminating theological inquiry and christian ethics through training in psychological science
$1.5M
University of Bristol · 2024
Religious belief, health, and disease: a family perspective. Ii. The follow-up and analyses
$1.5M
Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela · 2024
2024 templeton prize
$1.5M
The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX · 2024
Mouse & human cell culture models of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of epimutations
$1.5M
University of Pittsburgh · Pittsburgh, PA · 2022
Governing deep difference during times of crisis
$1.4M
Universidad Francisco Marroquin · 2024
Ufm prosperity lab
$1.4M
Chapman University · Orange, CA · 2022
Markets in their social and moral context
$1.4M
President and Fellows of Harvard College · Cambridge, MA · 2022
The ancient dna atlas of humanity
$1.4M
World Science Foundation · New York, NY · 2023
World science festival big ideas series
$1.4M
World Science Foundation · New York, NY · 2024
World science festival big ideas series
$1.4M
The Character Lab · Philadelphia, PA · 2023
Advancing the science and practice of character development
$1.3M
University of Bristol · 2022
Religious belief, health, and disease: a family perspective. Ii. The follow-up and analyses
$1.3M
The Film Collaborative · Los Angeles, CA · 2023
Gratitude revealed: grass roots events
$1.3M
Constructive Dialogue Institute · New York, NY · 2024
Constructive dialogue institute: building and scaling evidence-based tools to cultivate character
$1.3M
Queen'S University of Belfast · 2023
Explaining atheism: the causal origins of individual and societal non-belief
$1.3M
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research · Cambridge, MA · 2022
Germline immortality: transgenerational maintenance of unstable genetic elements
$1.3M
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA · 2022
Examining poverty's roots within us communities
$1.3M
Regents of the University of Minnesota · Minneapolis, MN · 2024
Agency, directionality, and function: foundations for a science of purpose
$1.3M
Frank Wilczek · Concord, MA · 2022
2022 templeton prize
$1.3M
Folklight Film Club · Santa Rosa, CA · 2022
The first signs
$1.2M
Research Foundation for the State University of New York · Albany, NY · 2024
Diversity, dynamism and inclusion: a new multi-method approach for studying liberalism
$1.2M
Friends of Edna'S Maternity Hospital · Black Rock, CT · 2023
For general support
$1.2M
Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA · 2024
Applied research on intellectual humility: a request for proposals
$1.2M
President and Fellows of Harvard College · Cambridge, MA · 2023
Black hole initiative phase 3
$1.1M
Boston College Trustees · Chestnut Hill, MA · 2024
The impact of social norms on virtue
$1.1M
State Policy Network · Arlington, VA · 2023
Launching market-based solutions to poverty in the united states: an accelerator for prosperity
$1.1M
University of Birmingham · 2022
Celebration britain
$1.1M
Children'S Hospital Corporation · Boston, MA · 2022
Becoming altruistic: using genetic approaches to decode neural circuits and modulators
$1.1M
Northwestern University · Evanston, IL · 2023
Novel cryogenic methods for fundamental physics
$1.1M
Pew Charitable Trusts · Washington, DC · 2024
Pew-templeton global religious futures project phase vii
$1.1M
Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA · 2023
Applied research on intellectual humility: a request for proposals
$1.1M
Lsst · Tucson, AZ · 2024
Establishing a templeton lsst early-career research fellowship
$1.1M
Lsst · Tucson, AZ · 2023
Establishing a templeton lsst early-career research fellowship
$1.0M
University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL · 2023
Catalyzing a cultural shift toward religious & spiritual competencies in mental health care
$1.0M
Queen'S University of Belfast · 2024
Explaining atheism: the causal origins of individual and societal non-belief
$1.0M
University of Bristol · 2022
Religious belief, health, and disease: a family perspective. Ii. The follow-up and analyses
$1.0M
Arizona Board of Regents On Behalf of Arizona State University · Tempe, AZ · 2023
Humility in inquiry: foundations and new directions
$1.0M
Arizona Board of Regents On Behalf of Arizona State University · Tempe, AZ · 2024
Humility in inquiry: foundations and new directions
$1.0M
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA · 2023
Examining poverty's roots within us communities
$1.0M
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty · Grand Rapids, MI · 2024
The povertycure center at the acton institute
$1.0M
University of Durham · 2022
Transforming the field of cultural evolution and its application to human futures
$1.0M
Baylor University · Waco, TX · 2022
Global flourishing study: piloting and waves 1-5
$1.0M
Human Rights Foundation · New York, NY · 2024
Defending individual freedoms and rights globally
$1.0M
Mercatus Center · Arlington, VA · 2023
Understand&teach the foundations of comm resilience & the benefits of freedom
$1.0M
Pew Charitable Trusts · Washington, DC · 2023
Pew-templeton global religious futures (grf) phase viii
$1.0M
Children'S Hospital Corporation · Boston, MA · 2022
One brain, many genomes: how the genomic individuality of cells defines human individuality
$999,467
Villanova University · Villanova, PA · 2023
Collaborative inquiries in christian theological anthropology
$996,729
Centre Pour La Recherche Sur L'Espace · 2024
The quantum information structure of spacetime (qiss), second phase
$991,750
Pew Charitable Trusts · Washington, DC · 2024
Pew-templeton global religious futures (grf) phase viii
$973,494
Trustees of Princeton University · Princeton, NJ · 2024
Concepts in dynamic assemblages: cultural evolution and the human way of being
$973,494
Trustees of Princeton University · Princeton, NJ · 2023
Concepts in dynamic assemblages: cultural evolution and the human way of being
$971,896
Chapman University · Orange, CA · 2024
Socal quantum foundations hub: knowledge and agency in quantum physics
$967,821
Centre Samy Maroun Pour La Recherche Sur L'Espace · 2023
The quantum information structure of spacetime (qiss), second phase
$947,322
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2022
The cognitive neuroscience of religious cognition
$947,319
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2022
The cognitive neuroscience of religious cognition
$939,228
Prosocial World · Austin, TX · 2024
Developing a field approach to cultural evolution
$939,228
Prosocial World · Austin, TX · 2023
Developing a field approach to cultural evolution
$918,748
George Washington University · Washington, DC · 2024
Advancing spiritual care: spiritual health in everyday clinical practice
$918,748
George Washington University · Ashburn, VA · 2023
Advancing spiritual care: spiritual health in everyday clinical practice
$916,093
Loyola University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · 2024
The indian country private sector project
$912,003
Lumen Christi Institute · Chicago, IL · 2024
In lumine: supporting the catholic intellectual tradition on campuses nationwide
$912,003
Lumen Christi Institute · Chicago, IL · 2023
In lumine: supporting the catholic intellectual tradition on campuses nationwide
$912,003
Lumen Christi Institute · Chicago, IL · 2022
In lumine: supporting the catholic intellectual tradition on campuses nationwide
$911,995
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2024
Helping parents and educators nurture the moral, civic, and spiritual development of children
$910,585
World Science Foundation · New York, NY · 2022
World science festival big ideas series
$895,059
University of Surrey · 2023
Life on the edge: quantum thermodynamics, quantum biology and the arrow of time
$895,059
University of Surrey · 2022
Life on the edge: quantum thermodynamics, quantum biology and the arrow of time
$889,413
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2023
Helping parents and educators nurture the moral, civic, and spiritual development of children
$888,005
University of California Riverside · Riverside, CA · 2022
Developing belief: the development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior: phase 1
$879,801
The University Court of the University of Glasgow · 2022
Smith@300: celebrating adam smith as scholar, educator, and citizen
$875,700
London School of Economics and Political Science · 2022
Womens empowerment, economic freedom, and the role of law in driving prosperity
$867,000
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty · Grand Rapids, MI · 2022
The povertycure center at the acton institute
$866,481
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · Palo Alto, CA · 2023
The boundaries of humanity: genetics, biotechnology, and the human future
$866,481
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · Palo Alto, CA · 2022
The boundaries of humanity: genetics, biotechnology, and the human future
$859,166
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC · 2024
Character development through adolescent brains, peers, & tech use
$852,340
Valerie Jane Goodall Bryceson · 2022
2021 templeton prize

View all 1,318 grants →

Grants already paid are the record; PaperOrbit reads your paper and finds the funders whose record matches it — then explains why.

Search funders like this one

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, Part XV, as filed by the foundation. These are grants already paid — a record of what this funder backs, not an open call.