How to Apply
Grantmaking Service Area
The T.L.L. Temple Foundation works alongside communities to build a thriving rural East Texas.
- Northeast
- Deep East
- Southeast
The foundation supports residents of the 24 Texas counties below in our service area:
- Anderson
- Angelina
- Bowie
- Cass
- Cherokee
- Hardin
- Harrison
- Houston
- Jasper
- Jefferson
- Liberty
- Marion
- Nacogdoches
- Newton
- Orange
- Panola
- Polk
- Rusk
- Sabine
- San Augustine
- San Jacinto
- Shelby
- Trinity
- Tyler
Types of Support
The foundation makes grants across all areas that support thriving communities in our service area. We work in alignment with the needs and opportunities of the communities we serve. We have funded across every area and will continue to support the following:
General operating support
Project support
Capital improvements
Organizational development and capacity building
During our operational planning through spring 2027, specific priorities within our service area will be informed by our communities, which will further shape our giving lens.
Scope of Grants
The size and duration of grants:
- is matched to the applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities
- is typically one year for initial grants
- rarely exceeds 30% of a project or organizational budget
During our operational planning through spring 2027, we are less likely to engage in larger new or multi-year requests until our planning and new structure are complete.
Application Process
- Step 1
Letter of Inquiry (a pre-application form)
Applicants are required to complete the online Letter of Inquiry (LOI), which will be reviewed by foundation staff. Once you begin the LOI process, you have up to 60 days to submit the LOI or it will be removed from our system.
- Step 2
Application
Applicants who are invited to complete a full proposal based on their LOI will receive a link to the online application. This request will be included on the agenda for the next board meeting.
- LOI deadline is October 16, 2026 for the February board meeting
- LOI deadline is January 22, 2027 for the April board meeting
- LOI deadline is April 16, 2027 for the July board meeting
- LOI deadline is July 16, 2027 for the October board meeting
If you have questions about a fit for our giving, please email impact@tlltemple.foundation.