Contemplative Changemaking Grants

The Contemplative Changemaking Grants fund small-scale, impact-oriented work undertaken by individuals, community workers, and non-profit organizations that ground themselves in contemplative practices to achieve real impact in people’s everyday lives.

Given the unprecedented challenges of the time, the Contemplative Changemaking Grants are a critical component of Mind & Life’s work to “inspire action toward flourishing.” The impact of the grants—and the stories that will emerge from these projects—will help to generate visibility for and momentum around the role of contemplative practices in generating positive social change.

Through these grants, they seek to encourage the expansion of contemplative practices and their benefits beyond the individual and into the community. Proposals will be encouraged across broad domains, including civic engagement, climate action, economic empowerment, education, physical and mental health, and social inclusion.

Funding Information

• Grants of up to $10,000 (USD) will be awarded through a competitive application and selection process. The proposed project should be completed within a two-year period, and periodic progress reports will need to be presented as required by Mind & Life.

Project Eligibility

• For the purpose of this grant program, they define Contemplative Changemaking Projects as:
  • Projects that use contemplative wisdom to help alleviate the suffering of others and promote healing and positively transform the lives of multiple others
• They are particularly interested in projects that support relationship building and that will continue to serve the communities in which they are established.
• Projects must be:
  • Anchored in one or more contemplative wisdom practices
  • Activity based and impact oriented
  • Reach beyond the individual well-being of grantees to serve a larger community

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a Mind & Life Contemplative Changemaking Grant:

• Applicants must be individuals applying in their own name, or on behalf of a local community-based nonprofit organization (including universities) and social enterprises. For-profit ventures or businesses are not eligible.
• Mind & Life firmly believes in bringing together diverse disciplines and perspectives to ground the application of contemplative practices for real world impact. Towards this end, selected grantees who have not attended the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute within the last ten years will be requested to attend the 2025 Summer Research Institute.
• Priority will be given to projects led by emerging leaders (18-30 years of age) and those who identify as belonging to marginalized groups (e.g. BIPOC in the US, BAME in the UK), for projects that serve traditionally underserved and underrepresented groups in contexts and spaces where the projects are going to be implemented.
• Priority will also be given to proposed projects that are based in countries and communities where funding has historically been less available for activities and scholarship grounded in contemplative practices.

For more information, visit Mind & Life Institute.