OVERVIEW: The Amsterdam-based Turing Foundation’s specific areas of giving include sustainble food systems, marine conservation, leprosy research, music education and visual arts.
IP TAKE: The Netherlands’ based Turing Foundation tends to refine its focus areas every few years, resulting in niche areas of giving like “protein transition” and music education for primary schools in the Netherlands. It has barely supported any U.S. based organizations or initiatives recently, although its marine conservation work is global in scope. Still, U.S. groups shouldn’t dismiss Turing outright: The San Francisco-based Coral Reef Alliance is a current grantee for work in Honduras. Still, funding for projects in the U.S. appears rare.
The priorities shift over time, so old program descriptions can age rapidly. Today, climate work reaches beyond the protein transition into financial systems, true-cost accounting and public engagement, while marine grants span conservation, restoration, enforcement and policy around the world. Nature funding is more closed than other areas. Despite some welcoming language on its website, Turing’s detailed guidelines say climate and marine applicants are selected and invited by the foundation.
In spite of its narrow and frequently changing areas of interest, this is an accessible funder. It accepts applications and welcomes contact via email. If your work aligns closely, this funder may be worth a try.
PROFILE: Established in 2006, the Turing Foundation honors the memory of British scientist Alan Turing, but was founded by a Dutch couple, Pieter and Françoise Geleen. Pieter Geleen is a co-founder of the Netherlands-based Turing Machine Company, a consumer electronics endeavor which was later renamed TomTom. At the time of TomTom’s IPO, the Geleens established the foundation with €100 million from the sale. Based in Amsterdam, the Turing Foundation focuses its grantmaking on nature, art, and leprosy.
Access varies sharply across programs and subprograms:
- Visual arts: applications possible, but Dutch museums must contact Turing before applying.
- Music education: applications possible, but applicants are likewise asked to contact Turing first.
- Leprosy research: direct applications are accepted.
- Climate and marine biodiversity: the detailed nature application page says there is no open application process; management identifies and invites prospective applicants. Organizations may send brief information, but Turing explicitly says there is “no use” submitting an application unsolicited and reserves the right not to respond.
Grants for the Environment
The Turing Foundation makes grants for climate change, environmental conservation and marine conservation through it’s nature program, which currently names climate and marine biodiversity as its main priorities.
Grants for Climate Change
Current climate giving is focused on accelerating sustainable food systems by transitioning protein consumption in the Netherlands to a greater proportion of plant-based foods.
- Grants have supported the Fair Finance Guide, Hortus Amsterdam, Netherlands’ Week without Meat campaign, ProVeg International and Questionmark, a think tank that works to advances “a healthy, sustainable, fair and animal-friendly food system.”
- Elsewhere, the Foundation also cover true-price accounting, climate education and climate-resilient plants.
Grants for Marine and Freshwater Conservation
The current theme of the foundation’s biodiversity subprogram is Nurseries of the Sea, and the focus is protection of endangered species and ecosystems. Grants tend to provide project support in specific locations around the world.
- Work involving coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves are currently prioritized.
- Work may fund funds protected areas, community-based conservation, law enforcement, litigation/regulatory work, sustainable financing, ecosystem restoration and local livelihoods.
- Grantees include Sea Shepherd Global, the Wildlife Justice Commission, Blue Ventures, Advocaat van der Aarde and the Coral Reef Alliance, which received funding for its work “to promote resilient reefs and communities” in Honduras.
Grants for Disease Research
The Turing Foundation awards grants for research, treatment and prevention of leprosy with the overarching goal of eliminating the disease.
- Grantees include the Leprosy Research Initiative, Netherlands Leprosy Relief, Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, and Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which received funding to conduct research on genomic signature and neutrophil interventions for the disease through 2028.
- Additionally, Turing has long co-financed leprosy research through the Leprosy Research Initiative (LRI) and also contributes toward Netherlands Leprosy Relief’s costs associated with participating in that international research-funding partnership.
- In 2026, Turing set a €20,000 contribution toward those overhead costs.
- This represents a second prospecting route for researchers.
Grants for Arts and Culture, Arts Education
Turing’s arts funding supports the visual and performing arts in the Netherlands.
- Recent visual arts projects that have received support include Amsterdam Imagined in the 17th Century, an exhibit at the City Archives of Amsterdam, and Shapeshifters, a permanent museum installation at Natuurmuseum Brabant in Tilburg.
- Only Dutch museums may apply.
- Applicants should approach Turing before filing a full application and ideally apply at least a year before opening.
- The foundation also occasionally supports art acquisitions, particularly alongside the Vereniging Rembrandt.
On the Music Education front, Turing supports music education for children and young people ages 8 to 15 in the Netherlands, particularly sustained, active music-making in collaboration with schools.
- Preferences include reaching children who do not normally encounter classical or other noncommercial music, school-based programming, underserved geographic areas and expansion of proven initiatives.
- Music projects include the Music at School program with the Biblioteek Zuid, Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam and the Cadenza Music Association’s “structural in-school music education programme at primary schools.”
Important Grant Details:
In a recent year, this funder made about €2.6 million a year. Recent awards vary enormously from €10,000–€50,000 arts grants to €100,000–€245,000 marine awards and six-figure leprosy research commitments.
- For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s recent annual reports.
The Turing Foundation accepts applications for each of its funding programs, except education, and links separate guidelines and instructions for each program on its applications page.
This funder’s past giving has focused on the Netherlands and Africa, but recent marine conservation has reached further afield. Grantmaking for projects located in the United States is rare, but U.S.-based nonprofits working internationally can receive funding.
- General inquiries may be directed to foundation staff via email at info@turingfoundation.org. The foundation’s phone number is +31 (0)20 – 52 000 10.
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