Author
Dan G. Blazer
Dan G. Blazer is former dean of medical education and currently J.P. Gibbons Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. He is a professor of community and family medicine and also serves as adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Blazer received his M.D. degree from the University of Tennessee and his MPH and Ph.D degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Lilly Endowment Inc. announces Exploring Christian Practices Initiative
The Exploring Christian Practices Initiative aims to multiply opportunities and increase access to settings that help individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds explore and engage in Christian practices to address their spiritual interests and questions, find and build community with others, nourish their religious lives and grow in faith.
In this open and competitive initiative, the Endowment invites charitable organizations to submit proposals for grants of up to $2.5 million each that may be used for up to a five-year period to develop new and/or enhance existing programs that present promising strategies for advancing the aim of the initiative and provide compelling and thoughtful responses to its guiding questions. The Endowment anticipates awarding approximately 60 grants and announcing grant awards in December 2026.
The Endowment will host four virtual information sessions (February 17, 19, 24, and 25) to discuss the Exploring Christian Practices guidelines for submitting a proposal. An Interest Form and Letter of Interest are due March 25, 2026. Complete proposals are due May 18, 2026.
Learn More and register for information sessions