The John E Fetzer Institute is a private foundation established in 1956 and based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity designated for religious, educational, and charitable purposes. The Institute operates with the vision of building the spiritual foundation for a loving world by applying spiritual solutions to social problems.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$12.4M
+17.8% YoY
Grant Count
248
-20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$50K
+47.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Institute's stated purpose is "helping build the spiritual foundation for a loving world" through a new vision informed by both spiritual and scientific ways of knowing.
Primary funding focus areas include:
Faith & Spirituality: Supporting spiritual care providers, spiritual innovators, and researchers working to understand and contribute to a culture of love rooted in spirituality. The Institute supports religious leaders, scholars, practitioners, and faith-based organizations in embodying and sharing narratives of love within their distinct traditions.
Violence Prevention: Applying spiritual solutions to address violence in communities.
Economy: Supporting work that integrates spiritual perspectives into economic systems and practices.
Media & the Arts: Funding creative and artistic expressions that advance spiritual solutions to social problems.
Partnership Development: Working with philanthropic allies to support sacred-rooted work toward shared flourishing.
The Institute emphasizes that strong spirituality is highly correlated with preventing isolation and despair, and supports research demonstrating how Americans articulate and embody religion, faith, and spirituality in diverse ways.
Grantmaking
The Institute distributed $12,365,238 in total giving in its most recent fiscal year. Grant activity shows:
Grant Range
**: $52 to $2.4 million
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Institute's grantmaking focuses primarily on Michigan, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (Most Recent Fiscal Year):
- Total Assets: $829.6 million to $830 million
- Total Giving: $12,365,238
- Total Revenue: $46.8 million to $66.1 million
- Total Expenses: $34 million to $42.4 million
- Total Liabilities: $16.9 million
The Institute ranks in the top 1% of foundations by asset size (Rank #222 of 159,550 foundations nationally).
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Pvblic Foundation ($2,000,000), On Being Project ($500,000), Inner-city Muslim Action Network ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ARAWAKA INC RIBERA, NM | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| BE RECOVERED FOUNDATION COTTNWOOD, AZ | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| BLACK RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS GROUP INC NASHVILLE, TN | IN SUPPORT OF THE 2025 WOMANISTS AT THE INKWELL RETREAT | $10,000 |
| BOGLIASCO FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| BREAD FOR THE CITY WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| COMMUNITY PARTNERS LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| DIGNITY INC MALDEN, MA | SUPPORTING GLOBAL NETWORK OF RAINBOW CATHOLICS GLOBAL GATHERING IN MADRID, SPAIN | $10,000 |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL CAMBRIDGE, MA | SUPPORTING THE WOMEN'S STUDY IN RELIGION PROGRAM IN HONER OF DIRECTOR ANN BRAUDE | $10,000 |
| HOLY TRINITY CHURCH WASHINGTON, DC | IN SUPPORT OF IGNATION SPIRITUALITY PROGAM | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Executive Leadership:
- Daniel J. Cardinali - Chairperson of Board (20 hours/week, $272K compensation)
- Robert A. Boisture - President & CEO & Trustee (40 hours/week, $678K compensation)
- Jonathan A. Lever - Executive Vice President & COO (40 hours/week, $475K compensation)
- Bradley S. Miller - Treasurer & Director of Finance (40 hours/week, $269K compensation)
Trustees:
- Jennifer Bailey Helderman (8 hours/week, $98K compensation)
- Carolyn T. Brown (8 hours/week, $98K compensation)
- Lynne Twist (8 hours/week, $98K compensation)
- Anna Sun (8 hours/week, $98K compensation)
Additional Leadership:
- William F. Vendley - Vice President World (40 hours/week, $295K compensation)
- Rodney McKenzie - Vice President Ally (40 hours/week, $277K compensation)
- Sara Critchfield - Vice President Global (40 hours/week, $262K compensation)
The organization employs approximately 65 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT A BOISTURE - RETIRED 63025 | PRESIDENT & CEO & TRUSTEE | 40 | $678,192 |
| JONATHAN A LEVER | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & COO | 40 | $474,688 |
| JENNIFER BAILEY HELDERMAN | TRUSTEE | 8 | $97,944 |
| BRADLEY S MILLER | TREASURER & DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 40 | $269,000 |
| CAROLYN T BROWN | TRUSTEE | 8 | $97,944 |
| DANIEL J CARDINALI | CHAIRPERSON OF BOARD | 20 | $272,172 |
| LYNNE TWIST | TRUSTEE | 8 | $97,944 |
| ANNA SUN | TRUSTEE | 8 | $97,944 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Institute has launched a $9 million cross-sector initiative to advance spiritually grounded transformation. Recent grantmaking has focused on promoting sacred-centered care across multiple sectors.
Multiple Grants Awarded by the Fetzer Institute to Promote Sacred-CenteredThe organization has partnered with philanthropic allies including the New Venture Fund to support AAPI civic engagement and voter justice projects, and has collaborated with organizations such as Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to provide general operating support.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does John E Fetzer Institute Inc fund?
The Institute's stated purpose is "helping build the spiritual foundation for a loving world" through a new vision informed by both spiritual and scientific ways of knowing. Primary funding focus areas include: • **Faith & Spirituality**: Supporting spiritual care providers, spiritual innovators, and researchers working to understand and contribute to a culture of love rooted in spirituality. The Institute supports religious leaders, scholars, practitioners, and faith-based organizations in emb…
How do I apply for a grant from John E Fetzer Institute Inc?
The Institute distributed $12,365,238 in total giving in its most recent fiscal year. Grant activity shows: • **Grant Range**: $52 to $2.4 million • **Median Grant Size**: $1,000 • **Number of Grants**: 248 grants in recent filings • **Grant Types**: General operating support, project-specific funding, and research support Recent grantmaking initiatives include a $9 million cross-sector initiative to advance spiritually grounded transformation and multiple grants awarded to promote sacred-cente…
Where does John E Fetzer Institute Inc make grants?
The Institute's grantmaking focuses primarily on Michigan, New York, and the District of Columbia.
What size grants does John E Fetzer Institute Inc award?
In 2025, John E Fetzer Institute Inc awarded 248 grants totaling $12.4M — an average of about $50K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is John E Fetzer Institute Inc's EIN?
John E Fetzer Institute Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-6052788. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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