Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America funds institutional and educational initiatives that advance Buddhist scholarship and sustain Buddhist communities in the United States. Their support is concentrated in large, targeted grants to university Buddhist studies programs and to organizations that build and endow American Buddhist institutions, with occasional direct support to local temples.
Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants focused on repeat institutional grantees and endowment-type support rather than many small awards; emphasis on sustaining academic programs and long-term institutional capacity.
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc. centers its giving on Buddhist scholarship and the institutions that sustain Buddhist life in the United States. A defining example is its $1,030,000 grant to the University of Chicago Divinity School for general support, followed by major support for the BCA Endowment Foundation in Berkeley. The pattern points to a funder that backs academic Buddhist studies, long-term institutional capacity, and selected temple-based community work rather than a broad open-call portfolio. Its active programs also show a structured commitment to Buddhist education: study-abroad scholarships for Japanese and non-Japanese research students, Numata programs at universities in North America and Europe, and the Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism. Alongside these academic efforts, the foundation supports organizations that preserve and expand American Buddhist institutions, including recurring general support for the BCA Endowment Foundation and grants to Buddhist temples such as Ekoji Buddhist Temple. The mix of university grants, endowment-building, and religious-community support makes the foundation’s funding profile unusually centered on Buddhist scholarship and institutional continuity.
In academic Buddhist studies, the foundation has backed university-based programs and scholarship infrastructure. It gave $65,000 in 2025 to Uchicago Divinity School for general support and $50,000 in 2025 to Yale University for general support, while its active Numata program supports Buddhist Studies as an academic discipline at universities and academic institutions in North America and Europe. For institutional capacity, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc. awarded $375,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2025 to Bca Endowment Foundation for general support, reinforcing American Buddhist endowment work. The grants also include temple support: Ekoji Buddist Temple received $91,080 in 2023, $32,790 in 2024, and $30,000 in 2025 for general support. Publication and scholarship are present too, through the Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism and support for Buddhist book distribution.
Typical grants cluster around a wide middle band, with a p25 of $1,625, a median of $20,146, and a p75 of $40,000. The distribution is highly skewed by a few very large awards, but the grant list also shows many smaller general-support gifts. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Bca Endowment Foundation, Open Mind Foundation, Uc Berkeley Foundation, Ekoji Buddist Temple, Institute of Buddhist Studies, and Japan Society of Northern CA, suggesting recurring relationships rather than one-off transactions. The organization is a private foundation with program-related investments, and its active scholarship and book-award programs are structured rather than open-ended. One program explicitly accepts unsolicited requests: free copies of The Teaching of Buddha and other BDK books for institutions.
$539K
$11.7M
$2.1M
$2M
Most grants fall between $2K and $40K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$40K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: University of Chicago Divinity School, BCA Endowment Foundation, Ekoji Buddhist Temple
Grantmaking is national, but California receives the largest share of awards, accounting for 56% of grants. Recent recipients there include Berkeley, San Francisco, Fresno, and Los Angeles, along with university and temple partners in Berkeley. Outside California, the foundation has supported Chicago, New Haven, Fairfax, New York, Denver, Honolulu, and Wittman. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 29 grants in the United States and no non-U.S. recipient countries in the recent-grants data.
It funds Buddhist scholarship and institutions that support Buddhist life in the United States. The recent grants include a $1,030,000 award to the University of Chicago Divinity School, repeated support for Bca Endowment Foundation, and grants to Buddhist temples and academic centers such as Institute of Buddhist Studies and Yale University.
Its active programs include study-abroad scholarship programs for Japanese and non-Japanese research students, Numata Programs in Buddhist Studies at universities in North America and Europe, the Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism, and free distribution of The Teaching of Buddha and other BDK books to approved institutions in the United States.
No. Universities are a major part of the portfolio, but the grant list also includes temples and Buddhist institutions. Recent examples include Ekoji Buddist Temple in Fairfax, VA; Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple in Fresno, CA; Berkeley Buddhist Temple in Berkeley, CA; and American Buddhist Study Center in New York, NY.
Typical grant size is $1,625 at the 25th percentile, $20,146 at the median, and $40,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also shows a small number of very large awards, including seven-figure and six-figure general-support grants.
Yes. The foundation’s book-distribution program provides complimentary copies of The Teaching of Buddha and other BDK publications to approved institutions in the United States, including temples, hotels, hospitals, prisons, military units, and schools. That program accepts unsolicited requests.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCA ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UCHICAGO DIVINITY SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $65,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES | BERKEREY, CA | $33,143 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EKOJI BUDDIST TEMPLE | FAIRFAX, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OPEN MIND FOUNDATION | WITTMAN, MD | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN BUDDHIST STUDY CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| IASBS | BERKEREY, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAPAN SOCIETY OF NORTHERN CA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| REV DAVID MATSUMOTO | BERKEREY, CA | $300 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STEPHANIE BALKWILL | LOS ANGELES, CA | $200 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PUBLISHING PROFESSIONAL NETWORK | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $100 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BCA ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $375,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EKOJI BUDDIST TEMPLE | FAIRFAX, VA | $32,790 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES | BERKEREY, CA | $32,512 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OPEN MIND FOUNDATION | WITTMAN, MD | $12,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PRESS | HONOLULU, HI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY BUDDHIST TEMPLE | BERKELEY, CA | $500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAPAN SOCIETY OF NORTHERN CA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PUBLISHING PROFESSIONAL NETWORK | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $100 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVINITY | CHICAGO, IL | $1,030,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EKOJI BUDDIST TEMPLE | FAIRFAX, VA | $91,080 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $40,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES | BERKEREY, CA | $28,292 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OPEN MIND FOUNDATION | WITTMAN, MD | $12,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRESNO BETSUIN BUDDHIST TEMPLE | FRESNO, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DENVER BUDDHIST TEMPLE | DENVER, CO | $300 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
BCA ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UCHICAGO DIVINITY SCHOOL
$65,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YALE UNIVERSITY
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES
$33,143GENERAL SUPPORT
EKOJI BUDDIST TEMPLE
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Current and upcoming funding from Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Institutions located in the United States (including APO/FPO). Requests must include a brief description of the organization, number of copies requested, and desired language version.
Track these deadlines, get reminders, and see how well your nonprofit fits — free with a Kindora account.
Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
OPEN MIND FOUNDATION
GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN BUDDHIST STUDY CENTER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
IASBS
$3,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JAPAN SOCIETY OF NORTHERN CA
$500GENERAL SUPPORT
REV DAVID MATSUMOTO
$300GENERAL SUPPORT
STEPHANIE BALKWILL
$200GENERAL SUPPORT
PUBLISHING PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
$100GENERAL SUPPORT
BCA ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION
$375,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EKOJI BUDDIST TEMPLE
$32,790GENERAL SUPPORT
INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES
$32,512GENERAL SUPPORT
OPEN MIND FOUNDATION
$12,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PRESS
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERKELEY BUDDHIST TEMPLE
$500GENERAL SUPPORT
JAPAN SOCIETY OF NORTHERN CA
$500GENERAL SUPPORT
PUBLISHING PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
$100GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIVINITY
$1,030,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EKOJI BUDDIST TEMPLE
$91,080GENERAL SUPPORT
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES
$28,292GENERAL SUPPORT
OPEN MIND FOUNDATION
$12,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FRESNO BETSUIN BUDDHIST TEMPLE
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DENVER BUDDHIST TEMPLE
$300GENERAL SUPPORT
