Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
ActivePublic CharityCivil Rights & Advocacy
Grand Rapids, MIWebsite
About Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
The Acton Institute is a think tank whose mission is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.
Focus Areas
Free enterprise and economic libertyReligion and public lifeEducation and leadership developmentScholarly research in theology, philosophy, economics, and historyPublishing (Religion & Liberty, Journal of Markets & Morality, Spire)
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizationscivil society organizations
Funding Style
general operating supportunrestricted supportcapacity building
About Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty’s recent grantmaking is marked by large organization-support grants alongside smaller awards tied to scholarship, teaching, and leadership development. In 2023, the institute gave $154,960 to Sacred Heart Academy Education Foundation in Grand Rapids and $150,000 to Donor's Trust Inc in Alexandria, showing that it moves significant resources through operating support. Other grants connect more closely to its mission of religion and liberty: the institute funds academic work, publishes journals, and supports programs that cultivate students and early-career scholars. Its own grant programs include mini-grants for free-market economics teaching and research, a leadership internship, and awards for new scholarship on religion and economic freedom. That mix suggests a funder that supports both institutional stability and intellectual formation. The recipient list also shows national reach, with grants to organizations in Michigan, Virginia, New York, Ohio, and Alabama. Across these awards, the institute appears to back civil society organizations that work in education, research, and public life.
What Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty Funds
The institute’s cause areas connect economics, religion, and education. In free-market economics, it offers Mini-Grants on Free-Market Economics: Research & Teaching for faculty at colleges, universities, and seminaries across the United States and Canada, with support for course development and faculty research. In scholarly research, the Novak Award provides $20,000 for new work on the relationship between religion, economic freedom, theology, human dignity, rule of law, limited government, and religious liberty. Leadership development is another clear thread: the Emerging Leaders Program is an 8-week internship in Grand Rapids for undergraduate and graduate students and includes a stipend and housing for domestic participants. The institute also supports scholarship programs and research fellow support across theology, philosophy, history, economics, and law.
How Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty Gives
Typical grant size is $9,750 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $103,388 at the 75th percentile, which shows a spread from smaller programmatic awards to large operating grants. The recent grants list is from 2023, and the available data shows organization support as the stated purpose for each listed award. The foundation is a public charity, funds organizations rather than individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Its grant programs include both unsolicited and non-unsolicited tracks: Mini-Grants on Free-Market Economics, the Novak Award, Emerging Leaders Program, and Semester Internship accept unsolicited applications, while Acton Grants & Awards and Acton Research do not.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$413K
Total Assets
$29.5M
Total Revenue
$13.2M
Total Expenses
$11.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $103K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$103K
Geographic Reach
National5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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