JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION
Annual Giving
$134.4M+6% YoY
Grants
426
Median Grant
$217K
Organizations Funded
282
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Foundation Overview
Mission
The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the deepest and most perplexing questions facing humankind. We support research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and emergence to creativity, forgiveness, and free will. We encourage civil, informed dialogue among scientists, philosophers, theologians, and the public at large to spur curiosity and accelerate discovery.
Focus Areas
Grant Types
Funded Initiatives
$3.34B endowment, $151M+ annual grants (2016), $325M strategic priorities investment 2019-2023, 12 strategic priorities including cultural evolution, religious change, health religion spirituality, intellectual humility, mathematics physical sciences, programs in Islam and Latin America, grants $5K-$15M range averaging $450K
How to Apply
Two-stage process: Stage 1 Online Funding Inquiry (OFI) required first. Small grants (<$234,800) deadlines Feb/May/Aug/Nov. Large grants (>$234,800) deadline August 31. Stage 2 Full Proposal by invitation only. Review process takes up to 4.5 months with external reviewers.
Does Not Fund
No grants to individuals, no buildings/renovations/capital campaigns, no direct-service programs, no college/graduate school scholarships, no general operating support for organizations, no disaster relief, projects limited to 3 years (rare exceptions to 5 years), large grants require 50% co-funding for renewals
Based on publicly available information from the foundation's 990 filings and website.
Giving History
$134.4M
Grants
426
Median
$217K
States
29
$126.8M
Grants
402
Median
$191K
States
31
$176.8M
Grants
510
Median
$211K
States
33
Grant Size Distribution
$217K
Typical Grant (Median)
$250
Smallest
$58K
25th Pctile
$417K
75th Pctile
$3.4M
Largest
Excludes grants ≤ $5K. Half fall between $58K and $417K.
Largest Recent Grants
$3.4M
2024
CENTRE POUR LA RECHERCHE SUR L'ESPACE
ENRICO FERMI FELLOWSHIPS: CROSS-TRAINING IN THEORETICAL & EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE
$2.2M
2024
ATLAS ECONOMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION
VA · EASE OF EMPLOYMENT, LIVELIHOOD, AND FORMALITY
$2.0M
2024
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
TX · GLOBAL FLOURISHING STUDY: PILOTING AND WAVES 1-5
$1.9M
2024
REHABILITATION INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
IL · THE COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF RELIGIOUS COGNITION
$1.8M
2024
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
CA · DEVELOPING BELIEF: THE DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY OF RELIGIOUS COGNITION AND BEHAVIOR: PHASE 1
Geographic Focus
Top states by total grant dollars. Based on IRS filing data.
Financial Overview
Grants paid shown as percentage of total assets
Data sourced from IRS 990 and 990-PF filings and publicly available foundation websites. Grant data, financial figures, and organizational details reflect historical filings and may not represent current operations or funding priorities. Verify directly with the foundation before applying. See an issue? Let us know.