On August 18, 2023 the John Templeton Foundation closed the first stage of its 2023 Funding Cycle and received a record number of initial requests. The 3,109 requests for $2.3 billion in funding was the largest number of applications the Foundation had ever received for a single cycle, up 6 percent from 2022. In total, these requests came from applicants located in 120 different countries.

“We are grateful for the growing interest reflected in this trend,” said Matthew Walhout, Chief Programs Officer. “While nearly thirty percent of the total requests were simply outside the priorities set forth by our founder, Sir John Templeton, we had a large number of competitive applications to consider and had to make many hard decisions. We place great importance on carefully reviewing every inquiry, and we regret not being able to provide customized feedback on each one, owing to the sheer number of requests.”

The Foundation has issued invitations to submit a full proposal to 125 applicants this year.

The 2024 Funding Cycle will open in early 2024. To learn more about the Foundation’s grantmaking process, including key dates, please visit our Apply for a Grant page.