Trust for the Meditation Process
The Trust for the Meditation Process is a private foundation based in Edina, Minnesota, established in 1988. The organization supports meditation initiatives and contemplative practices across the United States and internationally, operating with a team of unpaid trustees and directors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$277K
+8.3% YoY
Grant Count
33
+32.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
-18.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Trust's mission is to provide giving to organizations that:
- Reclaim and teach Christian contemplative traditions
- Introduce meditation in the Christian community
- Further understanding of contemplative practice in all spiritual traditions
The foundation maintains a laser focus on silent, non-discursive meditation, where thoughts are allowed to come and go without judgment. The foundation emphasizes that awards for other forms of meditation are exceptionally rare.
Primary Program Areas
Contemplative Christianity Grants: Focus on introducing or expanding Christian contemplative practices, such as Christian Meditation or Centering Prayer. Projects should emphasize silent, non-discursive meditation within a Christian context and aim to reach underserved populations, including youth, BIPOC, LGBTQ communities, and individuals facing challenges like addiction or trauma.
Mindfulness Grants: Aimed at educational or human service nonprofits and government entities, these grants support the introduction or expansion of mindfulness meditation. Target audiences include K-12 public schools, colleges, correctional facilities, healthcare services, and more, with emphasis on reaching underserved populations.
Historical grant distribution shows approximately 29% supports Education, 28% supports Social & Human Services, and 23% supports Religion.
Grantmaking
Recent grants include:
Grant Range
** $48,000
Average Grant
** $48,000
Review Cycle
** April 1 annually for 2026 funds
How to Apply
**Application Deadline:** April 1 annually for 2026 funds
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds projects across the United States and Canada, including major cities such as:
- Houston, TX
- Phoenix, AZ
- Washington, DC
- And international locations such as London
Primary grantmaking reaches organizations in Minnesota, District of Columbia, and California, which account for 37% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 14 states.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,407,461 | $4,054,814 |
| Total Revenue | $3,728,169 | $218,447 |
| Total Expenses | $375,522 | $341,000 |
| Total Liabilities | — | $0 |
| Investment Income & Dividends | $150,448 | $126,554 |
Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $3.6 million in 2010 to $7.4 million in 2024.
Annual Distribution: The foundation has distributed between $239,000 and $547,000 annually from 2020 to 2023, with the highest grantmaking activity in 2022 at $547,000 distributed across grants.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Trust for the Meditation Process
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Georgetown University ($26,000), Bipoc Centering Prayer Retreat Group ($25,500), World Community for Christian Meditation Intl ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BIPOC CENTERING PRAYER RETREAT GROUP FRESNO, TX | VARIOUS | $25,500 |
| CIVITAN FOUNDATION PHOENIX, AZ | VARIOUS | $5,000 |
| CONTEMPLATE LINCOLN LINCOLN, NE | VARIOUS | $15,680 |
| CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH WEST HARTFORD, NJ | VARIOUS | $15,000 |
| FRIENDS OF MERCY FOUNDATION BAKERSFIELD, CA | VARIOUS | $2,362 |
| GENESIS SPIRITUAL LIFE AND CONFERENCE CNETER WASTFIELD, MA | VARIOUS | $5,000 |
| GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON, DC | VARIOUS | $26,000 |
| INNER EXPLORER FRANKLIN, MA | VARIOUS | $10,000 |
| INWARD BOUND MINDFULNESS EDUCATION CONCORD, MA | VARIOUS | $8,000 |
| LAUDATO SI MOVEMENT WASHINGTON, DC | VARIOUS | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is managed by a team of trustees and directors, including:
- Martha Bolinger
- Donelle Polling
- Michael Lilja
The foundation is governed by 8 officers and trustees who serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DONELLE POLLING | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| MARTHA BOLINGER | DIRECTOR | 10 | $52,725 |
| PAUL TAYLOR | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| DEBORAH CHERNICK | INVESTMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR | — | — |
| MICHAEL LILJA | TRUST CHAIR INV COM MEMBER | — | — |
| ANTHONY NELSON COFFEE | TRUSTEE CONVENOR | — | — |
| THOMAS J BUSHLACK PHD | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| ADAM GORDON | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| GREG SICHENEDER | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Contact Information
- Website: www.trustformeditation.org
- Phone: (612) 554-7253
- Address: 5832 Lincoln Dr # 299, Edina, MN 55436-1616
- EIN: 41-6286503
- Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3), tax-exempt since May 1988
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Trust for the Meditation Process fund?
The Trust's mission is to provide giving to organizations that: • Reclaim and teach Christian contemplative traditions • Introduce meditation in the Christian community • Further understanding of contemplative practice in all spiritual traditions The foundation maintains a laser focus on **silent, non-discursive meditation**, where thoughts are allowed to come and go without judgment. The foundation emphasizes that awards for other forms of meditation are exceptionally rare. **Contemplative Chr…
How do I apply for a grant from Trust for the Meditation Process?
• **Total Assets (2024):** $7.4 million • **Total Assets (2023):** $4.05 million • **Annual Giving:** $256,312 (2023) • **Total Expenses (2024):** $375,522 • **Average Grant Size:** $48,000 • **Median Grant:** $9,000 • **Grant Range:** Individual grants have ranged from $3,000 to $273,000 • **Total Grants Made:** 30 grants totaling $1.5 million across supported organizations • **Number of Grantees:** 28 unique organizations supported Recent grants include: • Georgetown University: $26,000 (2024)
Where does Trust for the Meditation Process make grants?
The foundation funds projects across the United States and Canada, including major cities such as: • Houston, TX • Phoenix, AZ • Washington, DC • And international locations such as London Primary grantmaking reaches organizations in Minnesota, District of Columbia, and California, which account for 37% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 14 states.
What size grants does Trust for the Meditation Process award?
In 2024, Trust for the Meditation Process awarded 33 grants totaling $277K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Trust for the Meditation Process's EIN?
Trust for the Meditation Process's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-6286503. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Trust for the Meditation Process's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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