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.

53 grants matching “spiritual” · $16.0M

$918,748
George Washington University · Washington, DC · 2024
Advancing spiritual care: spiritual health in everyday clinical practice
$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
$632,240
University of Birmingham · 2024
Global philosophy of religion: fundamental spiritual reality, human purpose, and living well
$605,975
University of Leeds · 2024
God, language, & diversity: spiritual flourishing in neurodiverse multilingual comm
$518,880
University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL · 2024
Catalyzing a cultural shift: integrating religious & spiritual comp in mental health
$344,138
University of Florida Board of Trustees · Gainesville, FL · 2024
Spiritual yearning and the problem of spiritual alienation
$341,807
North of England Commissioning Support · 2024
Sharp- spiritual health assessment and referral in primary care
$311,535
Cooperatives for a Better World · Manchester, NH · 2024
The nearness: spiritual formation for parents and caregivers
$278,175
Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY · 2024
Spirituality & prosocial values in the absence of religion among millennials
$246,415
Northeastern University · Boston, MA · 2024
Spirituality and the ethics of religious borrowing: a sacred writes working group
$233,931
University of Notre Dame Du Lac · Notre Dame, IN · 2024
Spiritual first aid in humanitarian crisis interventions: a randomized evaluation in ukraine
$230,292
The University of Notre Dame Australia · 2024
Self-enhancement, biohacking and spiritual yearning
$227,529
Trinity Western University · 2024
Objects of spiritual yearning among the spiritual but not religious
$210,828
University Court of the University of St Andrews · 2024
Godless religion: a spiritual yearning research initiative project
$208,030
Catholic University of America · Washington, DC · 2024
Spiritual yearning in science
$179,975
Boston College Trustees · Chestnut Hill, MA · 2024
Spiritual naturalism: nature spiritualities and ecological action among the "spiritual but not religious"
$167,527
Richmont Graduate University · Chattanooga, TN · 2024
Mental health first responders for spiritual yearning among "religious dones"
$161,976
Brunel University London · 2024
Spirits and sources: how spiritual yearners seek and build community
$152,887
Hope College · Holland, MI · 2024
Spiritual yearning as psychological construct: spiritual struggles & existential growth
$133,731
Oxford Brookes University · 2024
Awe-some spirituality: a theological & psychological cross-disciplinary exploration of awe
$127,629
The University of Queensland · 2024
Eating disorders & christian spirituality: prevention, whole person care & recovery
$125,000
American Psychological Association · Washington, DC · 2024
To support division 36 society for the psychology of religion and spirituality
$110,727
University of Notre Dame Du Lac · Notre Dame, IN · 2024
Ethical substance: psychedelic medicine in times of social and spiritual crisis
$23,280
The Oasis Initiative Foundation · Chicago, IL · 2024
The muslim worldview, creating tools for spiritual development and renewal in the secular age
$1.0M
University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL · 2023
Catalyzing a cultural shift toward religious & spiritual competencies in mental health care
$918,748
George Washington University · Ashburn, VA · 2023
Advancing spiritual care: spiritual health in everyday clinical practice
$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
$629,530
The General Hospital Corporation Dba Massachusetts General Hospital · Somerville, MA · 2023
Impact of multiple dimensions of rel & spirituality on risk of cvd across diverse communities
$278,359
University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA · 2023
Spiritual exemplars: a global project on engaged spirituality
$234,000
Brandeis University · Waltham, MA · 2023
Mainstreaming spiritual care in health care org: supporting next generation of leaders
$233,999
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2023
Religion&spirituality matter for public health: a stakeholder fdn catalyzing needed integration
$233,991
Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO · 2023
Expanding models of delivery for online spiritual care
$208,976
Trustees of Boston University · Boston, MA · 2023
Devotion as an expression of spiritual yearning: conceptual & empirical investigations
$208,031
The Catholic University of America · Washington, DC · 2023
Spiritual yearning in science
$152,887
Hope College · Holland, MI · 2023
Spiritual yearning as a psychological construct: spiritual struggles and existential growth
$135,000
Duke University · Durham, NC · 2023
To support the center for spirituality, theology and health
$23,465
Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford · 2023
God-concepts and spiritual wellbeing: support for the nolloth professorship at oxford
$23,000
The Relevate Group · Franklin, TN · 2023
Launching the q podcast network to advance spiritual formation & big ideas among evangelicals
$20,000
Institute for Spirituality and Health · Houston, TX · 2023
To support the conference on medicine and religion
$718,880
University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL · 2022
Catalyzing a cultural shift to integrating religious & spiritual competencies in mental health
$518,880
University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL · 2022
Catalyzing a cultural shift to integrating religious & spiritual competencies in mental health
$459,378
George Washington University · Ashburn, VA · 2022
Advancing spiritual care: spiritual health in everyday clinical practice
$459,374
George Washington University · Ashburn, VA · 2022
Advancing spiritual care: spiritual health in everyday clinical practice
$437,160
Regents of the University of California at Berkeley · Berkeley, CA · 2022
Helping parents and educators nurture the moral, civic, and spiritual development of children
$314,765
The General Hospital Corporation Dba Massachusetts General Hospital · Somerville, MA · 2022
Investigating the impact of multiple dimensions of religion and spirituality on risk of cvd
$184,022
Biola University · La Mirada, CA · 2022
Asmt of character & spiritual formation: an empirical, longitudinal & ecumenical project
$75,000
Synergos Institute · New York, NY · 2022
For synergos spiritual civilization group
$68,214
University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL · 2022
Landmark spirituality & health survey follow-up: prediction to mortality, mental, & physical health
$50,000
McLean Hospital Corporation · Belmont, MA · 2022
For the spirituality and mental health program
$23,255
Synergos Institute · New York, NY · 2022
Synergos spiritual civilization group
$21,439
University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT · 2022
Transforming the study of religion and spirituality by promoting the use of field experiments
$10,846
National Academy of Sciences · Washington, DC · 2022
Advancing public understanding of science & spirituality through entertainment media
$10,000
Institute for Spirituality and Health · Houston, TX · 2022
For general support

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.