The T.L.L. Temple Foundation welcomes applications from organizations working to build a thriving East Texas and to alleviate poverty, creating access and opportunities for all.

Our Program Areas

The foundation makes grants in six areas: Education, Economic Opportunity, Health, Human Services, Arts and Culture, and Environment and Conservation.  See What We Fund for additional information about priorities in these areas. In all of its funding, the foundation prioritizes support for programs addressing the causes and effects of persistent poverty and for those working with low-income populations and in rural communities.

Our Geographic Focus

The foundation makes grants to benefit residents of the 24 counties outlined in our governing documents, the service area, regardless of where the grantee organization is headquartered.   The foundation will not consider requests that do not benefit the service area.

Under the terms of its governing documents, the service area is the following Texas Counties:  Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Cass, Cherokee, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, and Miller County, Arkansas.

Type of Support

The foundation awards funding for multiple purposes, including: general operating support, project support, capital improvements, and organizational development and capacity building.  The foundation typically only funds organizations in Harris County when there is a direct benefit to residents of our rural counties.

Size and Duration of Grants

The size and duration of grants is matched to the applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities, and typically follow these guidelines:

● We provide one-year funding for initial grants

● We rarely make grants that exceed 30% of a project or organizational budget