Dear Applicants,

We hope that you are staying safe in the extraordinary circumstances caused by the global pandemic. In March, when the Foundation moved to remote work, we shared an update on our commitment to our grantees and the projects we currently support. Since then we have been working hard to help grantees refine their project timelines, offering flexibility wherever possible in light of the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

At that time we did not address the 2020 Online Funding Inquiry (OFI) submission cycle as we did not know the full extent of how the pandemic would impact our grantmaking. We now anticipate reducing our grants budget for next year, and so the Foundation is limiting the areas where it will accept OFIs for the current cycle.

For the upcoming August 14, 2020 OFI submission deadline, the Foundation will accept applications only in the following six areas:

1. Exceptional Cognitive Talent and Genius
2. Genetics
3. Individual Freedom and Free Markets
4. Math and Physical Sciences
5. Programs in Islam
6. Programs in Latin America

Applicants interested in another funding area should wait until the 2021 OFI cycle to submit an inquiry. Applicants who have already submitted OFIs outside of these six areas will receive a decline notice.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause you, and we encourage you to submit in the 2021 cycle, when all funding areas will again accept inquiries.

With gratitude,

Heather Templeton Dill
President, John Templeton Foundation