Best Grants for Religious Nonprofits in Puerto Rico

Religious congregations in Puerto Rico and nationwide that steward historic, community-serving houses of worship can seek capital project support, including urgent repairs, accessibility upgrades, and space renovations. Grants from Partners for Sacred Places help faith communities with significant, preservation-focused projects access US $50,000 - US $500,000 in matching funds plus training and technical assistance.

Doctoral-level scholars conducting noncommercial research, including religion and spirituality projects, can request up to US $6,500 for travel, fieldwork, or research materials through the Franklin Research Grants. With a mission to advance scholarly inquiry, American Philosophical Society provides Puerto Rico researchers and others with individual support for work in the U.S. or abroad.

The James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation focuses on enriching lives and making a positive impact in local communities. They prioritize funding for tax-exempt organizations that enhance education, health care, and support the under-served. The Foundation seeks to partner with those who demonstrate accountability and effective resource management, aligning with their mission for community enrichment and leadership development.

The Wilbur Awards, presented annually since 1949 by the Religion Communicators Council, celebrate excellence in communicating religious values and themes in secular media. Open to individuals and organizations, entries must have been published or broadcast in 2024. Categories include audio, audio-visual, images, and written works, allowing for both English and non-English submissions. The awards emphasize professionalism and respect in highlighting uplifting religious narratives within diverse media platforms.

The Chisholm Foundation offers grants to support arts, education, and religion projects across the United States. Applications for May and November grants should be submitted by March 1st and September 1st, respectively. The Foundation evaluates each application individually and encourages innovative projects that can attract additional funding. Grants may be awarded as lump sums or in installments, and applicants are advised to seek matching gifts to enhance their proposals.

Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations serving the Southern region with programs in areas like religious and spiritual endeavors, poverty relief, education, health, or disaster aid can seek support for single-year projects; awards do not cover capital needs. Grants from Robinson Foundation help faith-based and other service nonprofits, including those in Puerto Rico, relieve hardship and improve lives.

Junior humanities and humanistic social science faculty in the U.S. seeking sabbatical support for research and career development can receive up to US $35,000 plus travel and research funds through the Career Enhancement Fellowship. Grants from Institute for Citizens & Scholars help scholars, including those in religion and theology, advance diverse perspectives that may benefit religious institutions in Puerto Rico.

Doctoral candidates who are Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship alumni in eligible humanities, social science, or physical science fields can receive up to US $30,000 to spend a year completing their dissertation writing, including those based in Puerto Rico. Institute for Citizens & Scholars provides this support to candidates who have finished all pre-dissertation requirements.

Adjunct humanities and social science faculty who are Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship alumni and U.S. citizens or permanent residents can receive US $10,000 from the Institute for Citizens & Scholars to focus on research toward a tenure-track position. Religious and spirituality scholars in Puerto Rico may be eligible if they meet these criteria and fields of study.

Presbyterian women of color, clergywomen, college women, and other women seeking leadership and spiritual development opportunities in the U.S. can receive up to US $3,000 for events or college through the Katie Cannon Scholarship. With a mission to strengthen religious leadership, Presbyterian Mission Agency provides support that may benefit Puerto Rico faith-based women and ministries.

Puerto Rico religious and other 501(c)(3) nonprofits can access funding through the Andrew Burgin Charitable Trust for charitable, educational, scientific, health, human services, environmental, arts, or public benefit programs. Awards of US $5,000 - US $20,000 are available, with a practice of primarily supporting organizations in Alabama but eligibility open more broadly.

U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations, including religiously supported nonprofits in Puerto Rico, can apply for the Harry Kramer Memorial Fund’s grants of US $10,000 - US $25,000 to support their charitable work. Funding priorities include care for the sick or aged, South Florida education, Israel-focused aid, and organizations significantly supported by religious institutions.

501(c)(3) organizations working in religious, charitable, educational, scientific, literary, or related fields can seek US $3,000 - US $5,000 to support their programs, including those in Puerto Rico. With a mission to advance broad community benefit, Winter Clarence W Charitable Trust tends to favor organizations in Bucks County, PA but has no formal geographic restrictions.

Religious and spiritual 501(c)(3) organizations in Puerto Rico seeking support for faith-based work, basic human services, health care access, or cultural programs may be eligible for this opportunity, with awards from US $1,000 - US $250,000. Grants from Tuttleman Foundation help U.S. Religion & Spirituality nonprofits advance their missions and community impact.

Religious congregations in Puerto Rico seeking to build new sanctuary worship space can apply for capital support that helps fund construction projects. Focused on religion and spirituality, the John C Lasko Foundation Trust invites churches that own their land and can cover at least half of project costs to request assistance for sanctuary construction with broad community benefit.

Puerto Rico religious and spiritual 501(c)(3) nonprofits seeking general operating support can access funding through the Larry H Miller Family Foundation; awards up to US $10,000. Eligible requests must advance health, food and shelter, education, jobs, or cultural and spiritual enrichment, and organizations must be U.S.-registered charities.

Religious and faith-based 501(c)(3) organizations in Puerto Rico can seek support for programs, facilities, and humanitarian work through grants from the Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation, which funds projects across the U.S. Funding areas include religion, education, health and wellness, literacy, arts and culture, and construction, with an initial Letter of Inquiry required.

Puerto Rico religious and spiritual nonprofits serving or impacting Montanans can access funding through Gianforte Fam Charitable Tr to equip people to improve their lives sustainably. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations work in education, ministry-based family support, or relationship-focused programs and should contact the foundation for a consultation before applying and plan to reapply annually.

Puerto Rico religious and faith-based organizations supporting African American high school seniors may be eligible for the Michael Gregory Boyd Scholarship, which helps students pursue college or technical training. The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region uses a universal application so students can be considered for this and other academic scholarship opportunities.

Students pursuing higher education who value constitutionally based limited government and Judeo-Christian principles may be eligible for this scholarship, which supports academic success and enrichment. Grants from Hamilton County Community Foundation help students, including those connected to religious and spiritual communities, with college or university costs; applicants must reside in Indiana and have at least a 3.0 GPA.

The Huston Foundation Grants support both Protestant Evangelical Christian and secular needs, emphasizing humanitarian efforts since 1957. Applicants must demonstrate evangelism and provide a doctrinal statement of faith for Christian grants, while secular projects must show unique community needs and measurable goals. All applicants must also possess 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. This dual-focus ensures diverse community support, fostering personal development and innovative solutions to pressing issues.

The ACLS Graduate Internships on the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future program offers summer opportunities for current PhD students in the humanities and social sciences to engage with organizations addressing the evolving American religious landscape. This initiative aims to cultivate future leaders by providing practical experiences that demonstrate the value of doctoral training beyond academia. Supported by the Templeton Religion Trust, the internships encourage collaboration between fellows and community organizations, fostering a deeper understanding of spiritual infrastructures.

The American Bible Society (ABS) Research Grant invites Christian higher education scholars to explore ways to enhance Bible engagement among young adults aged 18-35. With $50,000 in funding, this grant encourages innovative proposals that promote meaningful interactions with Scripture, evaluate engagement strategies, and cater to diverse Christian traditions. Research teams or individual faculty members with expertise in spiritual formation and discipleship are encouraged to apply, aiming for scalable solutions that positively impact spiritual well-being.

Who We Are

Buiding a stronger, More Vibrant Community

For over 70 years, the Scranton Area Community Foundation has served Northeastern Pennsylvania as a steward of charitable resources, a grantmaker, and a catalyst for positive change. Guided by our core values of collaboration, trust, integrity, innovation, and inclusivity, we work to ensure that our communities thrive with opportunities for all.

This scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior from a high school in Luzerne County who demonstrates academic excellence, good citizenship, participation in athletics, and who is active in a faith or religious-based organization.

Who We Are

Buiding a stronger, More Vibrant Community

For over 70 years, the Scranton Area Community Foundation has served Northeastern Pennsylvania as a steward of charitable resources, a grantmaker, and a catalyst for positive change. Guided by our core values of collaboration, trust, integrity, innovation, and inclusivity, we work to ensure that our communities thrive with opportunities for all.

This scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior from a high school in Lackawanna County who demonstrates academic excellence, good citizenship, participation in athletics, and who is active in a faith or religious-based organization.

Who We Are

Buiding a stronger, More Vibrant Community

For over 70 years, the Scranton Area Community Foundation has served Northeastern Pennsylvania as a steward of charitable resources, a grantmaker, and a catalyst for positive change. Guided by our core values of collaboration, trust, integrity, innovation, and inclusivity, we work to ensure that our communities thrive with opportunities for all.

This scholarship is awarded to a student matriculating at a college, university, or business in the year of the scholarship.

Innovation in Religion and Spirituality Seed Grants Call for Proposals

The Religion and the Public Sphere program at the Social Science Research Council aims to foster research on the wider implications of new forms of religious and spiritual life. This program is offered with the support of the Luce Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

Overview

In recent years, scholars have noted that religious and spiritual life is being substantively reshaped. “Innovation” is one way of framing these changes, but it remains a partial and contested analytic lens, and is popularly associated with the sudden emergence of a “new” element introduced into an otherwise static tradition. Scholarship on religion and spirituality, however, points to a more complex set of processes. The essays in an ongoing forum for The Immanent Frame have set out some initial parameters of these dynamics: rather than invention ex nihilio, what we often see is the strategic recombination of existing elements within a broader context of social, political, and cultural change.

Research Themes

This request invites proposals that examine the dynamics of religious and spiritual change that fall within the frame of “innovation.” Possible topics include, but are not limited to: 

• Explorations of innovations within transnational or diasporic religious and/or spiritual communities within the United States, particularly related to the circulation of ideas and culture from or to the Global South.   
• Gendered knowledge of innovation. 
• Studies of the process by which an innovation attains—or does not attain—legitimacy, relevance, or authority within a given community or institution. 
• The relationship between contemporary economic conditions—poverty, economic insecurity, and competitive pressures for time and money—and innovations in religion and spirituality. 
• Historical studies of innovations in religion and spirituality; the creation, reception, transformation, and longevity of an innovation over time.  
• Civic participation and the social mobilization of new or innovative religious identities, as well as the reinterpretation of religious or spiritual traditions or ideas in the service of particular political or ideological projects.

Program Terms 

The program offers research support over a period of up to 6 months. The grant funds will be up to $10,000 per award.