Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Programs
Acton University
Education:The Programs and Education Department of the Acton Institute equips current and future leaders in education, religion and business through quality educational programming by articulating the moral basis for a free economy that creates an environment in which all have the opportunity to flourish. These programs are open to all who are interested, but special consideration is given to those with a proven track record of effectuating change and influencing those in their institutions, communities, and denominations both nationally and internationally.The Institute's educational programming includes both large and small conferences. Acton's flagship event, Acton University, an annual four-day conference that explores the foundations of a free society, draws over 800 participants from nearly 90 countries. Many of those who attend Acton Institute conferences, including Acton University, receive financial support to cover expenses such as room and board, conference fees, and travel in cases of need. The staff of the Education Department also invests considerable time in cultivating ecumenical networks of religious leaders, students, educators, and businesspeople in order to expand the Institute's reach, develop strategic partnerships, and remain connected to the needs and demands of the Institute's constituencies.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$4.9MActon Research Programs
Research:The Institute's academic investigations are conducted by its Research Department. The work produced at Acton Research includes the disciplines of philosophy, economics, theology, and history, among others, and it includes the contributions of both in-house research fellows and of invited scholars. Additionally, the materials and research produced at the Acton Institute are delivered locally in Grand Rapids as well as at national and international conferences with the goal of reaching the scholarly community at large.The Research Department publishes books, journals, monographs, and occasional papers, along with essays at respected and scholarly online outlets. The Journal of Markets & Morality is a semi-annual refereed journal that provides a forum for scholars from many disciplines to engage issues concerning the morality of the marketplace. The Christian Social Thought Series examines, in each volume, a key economic issue facing Christians. Non-Christians have also written articles and books addressing relevant themes of interest to the Acton Institute, such as liberty, religious freedom, and the free economy.The Research Department also manages Acton's academic scholarship programs. Fellowships are awarded to provide financial assistance to promising doctoral candidates, graduate students, and seminarians who are advancing an understanding of the connection between economic liberty and religious values. Free Market Mini-Grants help fund university course development and faculty research in market economics at colleges, universities, and seminaries in the United States and Canada. The Freedom and Prosperity Grant promotes research by scholars internationally into the relationship between freedom and prosperity using the Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Indexes. The annual Novak Award recipient is presented with a prize to acknowledge and reward new research on the relationship between religion, economic freedom, and the free and virtuous society.Lastly, the Research Department manages a number of programs, including (1) small specific conferences for scholars and graduate students that mostly are held in Grand Rapids, (2) larger conferences for scholars, graduate students, public intellectuals and leading religious figures, and (3) an academic colloquium held annually in Grand Rapids, (4) helps oversee the scholarly and programmatic outreach of Acton's Rome office.Internationally, we have held conferences on various topics such as economic liberty, economic history, poverty and development, Catholic social teaching, war and peace, Protestant social thought, Judaism and the economy, property rights, monetary policy, and limited government.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2MGeneral Education and Communications
General Education and Communications:The Institute reaches out to business leaders, policymakers, students, and religious and community leadership groups through lectures, media products, web and social media, and various writings. The 2022 annual dinner celebrating 32 years of the Acton Institute was held in Grand Rapids to promote outreach and to thank supporters for their partnership. The dinner and program festivities included discourse with prominent public speakers and Institute supporters. Over 500 participated, representing many states and several foreign countries. We host a busy slate of activities and events in our local facility for discussions of a variety of topics related to our work, including our flagship Acton Lecture Series. Acton Institute also operates a bookstore to promote and sell its own publications, in addition to outside publications, related to our mission and program outreach areas. These educational materials were sold, distributed and exhibited at a variety of events throughout the world.Our rich and robust web presence centers on the Acton website (www.acton.org), and includes other Acton sites such as Religion and Liberty Online as well as a great deal of current and historical Acton-produced content. The Institute has a broad and growing presence in social media. This platform has steadily increased the scope and frequency of Acton's outreach to the general public.The Communications Department manages the growing family of Acton websites, blog, podcasts, and social media which use leading technology to integrate text, audio, and video content in easily accessible formats and venues to promote Acton's message to web users. It publishes the print and digital editions of the redesigned Religion & Liberty. The Communications Department also connects Acton experts with print and broadcast journalists covering faith and policy issues.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.8M
Copyright 2026. All rights reserved to Chario Inc. (d.b.a. Impala)