Grant Policy
Every year since 2003, The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism has made grants to a variety of organizations that support the Foundation’s Mission and Vision. As meditation and mindfulness have become increasingly accepted in American society, we have been able to further expand the scope of our philanthropic activities.
The Lenz Foundation makes grants to United States – based IRS tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charities for programs in the United States. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals or for the acquisition of capital assets such as land, buildings and remodeling of facilities. The Foundation does not fund film projects or self-published books, nor does it fund programs that take place outside of the United States including transportation costs. In addition, the Foundation does not make grants to fiscally sponsored organizations.
Over the past two decades of grant-making, we have honed our focus and approach. We have primarily made grants in these categories:
• Buddhist Scholarship and Studies, including University and College programs
• Buddhist Media and Technology
• End of Life Care
• BIPOC, Underserved Communities
• Prisons, Law and the Justice System
• Meditation and Mindfulness – Buddhist
• Meditation and Mindfulness – Schools K-12
• Meditation and Mindfulness – Other, Secular
• Women in Buddhism
• Ecodharma
The Foundation favors innovative grant applications devoted to programs that have the potential to beneficially impact the broadest American audience and which in some manner rely on financing from other sources with potential for sustainability.
Grant-making, 2027
The Grant theme for 2027 is Youth in the Dharma. For more details, please see below.
The grant application window is now open. It closes on September 24, 2026.
To access the new, 2027 application, please use this link.
Recoverable grants up to $100,000 remain available for 2026, under the Pay it Forward Program.
We thank all applicants for their interest in The Lenz Foundation and for their work in American Buddhism.
Youth in the Dharma
“Whoever in youth practices the Dharma Illuminates the world like the moon freed from clouds.”
– The Dhammapada
Why focus on youth? Why now?
Demographic research indicates that Buddhist communities are aging, with Buddhists having the highest median age among major religious groups and declining population numbers in recent years. At the same time, interest in meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative practices among younger generations—particularly college students—continues to grow. Expanding access to authentic Dharma teachings for young adults therefore represents a timely opportunity to sustain and develop Buddhist-based wisdom traditions while helping a new generation cultivate compassion, ethical awareness, and mental well-being.
The Lenz Foundation grant theme for 2027 requests grant applicants create a program (if not already in place) that will engage young people in Buddhist-based teachings emphasizing meditation and mindfulness, and foster a path to leadership. We will favor proposals in which young people participate in the design of the program–not exclusively senior practitioners advising the younger ones how best to participate. We are open to programs for all age ranges, pre-school through college (age 3 to 35) but will prefer programs in the young adult age range. Grants will also be made for general organizational support where the group already has in place programs which serve to implement this grant cycle theme.
The grants provided will range from $3,500 to $25,000. Grants awarded will be announced in mid-November.
“There’s one pitfall of being a teacher as long as I have been involved — it’s easy to get entrenched, right? And particularly in the Buddhist world, there’s a lot of lack of youthful energy. A lot of denial of the fact that to really be able to transmit a tradition, you have to be able to give it away. You have to give support and protection and training to the newer generations. And each generation has a different world to deal with.”
– Judy Lief, Women Leaders in Buddhism, April 30, 2026