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Richard & Mary Templeton Foundation

Annual Giving
$20.5M
Grant Range
Up to $51.0M00
00

Richard & Mary Templeton Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $20.5 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $109.3 million (2024)
  • Geographic Focus: National (primarily higher education institutions)
  • Foundation Type: Private family foundation
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly (multi-million dollar commitments to major institutions)
  • Application Process: No public application process

Contact Details

Mailing Address: C/O Ayco Company
PO Box 15201
Albany, NY 12212-5201

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries. The foundation operates through trustee discretion.

Overview

The Richard & Mary Templeton Foundation was established in January 2004 as a private family foundation (EIN: 20-0321164). With assets of $109.3 million as of 2024, the foundation distributed $20.5 million in charitable grants that year. Founded by Richard Templeton, former chairman and CEO of Texas Instruments, and his wife Mary Templeton, a former computer scientist, the foundation focuses its grantmaking primarily on higher education, particularly in engineering and computer science. The foundation has shown remarkable growth, expanding from $9.2 million in assets in 2011 to over $109 million by 2024. The Templetons are 1980 graduates of Union College in Schenectady, New York, where they both studied STEM fields (electrical engineering and computer science respectively), which has significantly influenced their philanthropic priorities. The foundation made 34 grants in 2023 and 15 grants in 2024, indicating selective but substantial grantmaking activity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, grants appear to be made at the discretion of the trustees based on their philanthropic interests and institutional relationships.

Known Major Grant Recipients:

  • Union College (Schenectady, NY): $91 million in cumulative giving, including a $51 million gift in 2020 (the largest in the college's 225-year history) and $40 million in 2024 to create the Templeton Institute for Engineering and Computer Science
  • Southern Methodist University (SMU): $20 million gift in 2023 to the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering ($15 million for engineering education and research, $5 million to endow the dean position)
  • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: Recipient of major gifts
  • University of Texas at Dallas: Endowed the Mary and Richard Templeton Fellowship for engineering and computer science graduate students
  • United Way of Metropolitan Dallas: $25 million gift (largest single donation in the organization's history)

Priority Areas

Based on documented giving patterns:

  1. Higher Education in STEM Fields

    • Engineering and computer science programs
    • Scholarships for women in engineering and computer science
    • Faculty support and research initiatives
    • Infrastructure and facilities development

  2. Access and Diversity in STEM

    • Programs targeting women and underrepresented populations in engineering
    • Scholarship support to reduce financial barriers
    • K-12 STEM education initiatives (through TI Foundation connections)

  3. Institutions with Personal Connections

    • Alma mater institutions (Union College)
    • Dallas-area organizations (where the Templetons reside)
    • Organizations aligned with Texas Instruments' corporate citizenship

What They Don't Fund

Given the foundation's focused giving pattern:

  • Organizations outside higher education and community development sectors
  • General operating support for organizations without established relationships
  • Projects unrelated to STEM education or community welfare

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Richard K. Templeton: Founder and Trustee. Former Chairman, President, and CEO of Texas Instruments (joined TI in 1980, served as CEO 2004-2018, Chairman 2008-2024). B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Union College (1980). Known for leading TI's transformation and growth. No compensation reported from the foundation.

  • Mary (Haanen) Templeton: Founder and Trustee. Former computer scientist at General Electric. B.S. in Computer Science from Union College (1980). President of the foundation and active philanthropist. Co-chaired the 2018-19 United Way of Metropolitan Dallas campaign. No compensation reported from the foundation.

Foundation Structure: The foundation operates with minimal overhead, dedicating 98.8% of expenses to charitable disbursements in 2024. Neither trustee receives compensation from the foundation. The foundation's administrative address is through the Ayco Company in Albany, NY, likely utilizing professional fiduciary services.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, the Richard & Mary Templeton Foundation makes grants based on trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships with beneficiary organizations. Grants are not awarded through competitive application processes or published grant cycles.

The foundation's Form 990-PF filings indicate that it exists "to support, by contributions, other charitable organizations exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(C)(3)" but does not accept unsolicited applications.

Getting on Their Radar

The Templetons' documented giving pattern reveals specific relationship-building pathways:

Alumni Networks: The Templetons have given $91 million to their alma mater, Union College, demonstrating loyalty to institutions with which they have personal connections. Organizations seeking to connect with the foundation should consider Union College alumni networks, particularly engineering and computer science departments.

Dallas-Area Connections: Based in Dallas, Texas, the Templetons are deeply engaged with the Dallas philanthropic community. They co-chaired the 2018-19 United Way of Metropolitan Dallas campaign and have made major gifts to Dallas-area institutions including SMU. Engagement with Dallas-area civic and educational organizations may provide networking opportunities.

Texas Instruments Corporate Network: Richard Templeton's 44-year career at Texas Instruments (1980-2024) provides another connection point. The separate TI Foundation has invested over $150 million in STEM education programs in recent years. Organizations that partner with TI or the TI Foundation on STEM initiatives may have indirect pathways to the Templetons' attention.

STEM Education Focus: All documented major gifts support engineering, computer science, and STEM education, particularly programs that increase access for women and underrepresented populations. Organizations working in this space that achieve significant impact and recognition in the field may come to the foundation's attention through sector networks and conferences.

Specific Known Approaches:

  • Union College's relationship demonstrates the value of sustained engagement with donors who have personal connections to the institution
  • SMU's $20 million gift followed Richard Templeton's involvement with the university's engineering school
  • The Templetons respond to organizations where they can see transformational impact (note the naming opportunities and major initiatives attached to their gifts)

Application Success Factors

What the Templetons Value

Transformational Impact: The Templetons' giving pattern shows preference for large, transformational gifts rather than many small grants. Their $51 million gift to Union College was described as transformational for engineering and computer science education. Similarly, the $20 million SMU gift was characterized as a "landmark" investment. Organizations should present opportunities for significant, lasting impact.

Women and Diversity in STEM: Multiple gifts specifically support recruitment and retention of women in engineering and computer science. The $1.4 million Union College scholarship fund provides up to $27,000 per student with "the hope that these scholarships will help students graduate debt-free." At SMU, funding explicitly supports "financial assistance for doctoral students and undergraduate scholarships for women and students from underrepresented populations."

Integration of Liberal Arts and Engineering: The Union College gift created the Templeton Institute for Engineering and Computer Science "dedicated to promoting the integration of engineering and computer science and the liberal arts." This reflects the Templetons' Union College experience and their belief in broad-based STEM education.

Infrastructure and Capacity Building: Major gifts support "faculty support and capital to further develop spaces and facilities," "postdoctoral fellowships and research," and endowed positions like the named dean position at SMU. The Templetons invest in institutional capacity, not just programmatic support.

Institutional Quality and Reputation: All documented major beneficiaries are established, respected institutions (Union College, SMU, UT Southwestern, UT Dallas). The foundation supports organizations with proven track records and strong reputations.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this foundation makes grants through trustee discretion based on personal relationships and philanthropic interests
  • STEM education is the core focus - virtually all documented grants support engineering, computer science, and related fields in higher education
  • Personal connections matter significantly - the foundation's largest gifts have gone to the Templetons' alma mater and institutions in their home community of Dallas
  • Transformational giving model - the foundation makes relatively few grants (15-34 per year) but many appear to be substantial, multi-million dollar commitments
  • Diversity and access are priorities - multiple gifts specifically target women and underrepresented populations in STEM fields, with scholarship support designed to reduce financial barriers
  • Long-term capacity building - grants support endowments, faculty positions, infrastructure, and institutional transformation rather than short-term projects
  • Alumni engagement and institutional loyalty are powerful - $91 million to Union College demonstrates the value the Templetons place on giving back to institutions that shaped their careers

References

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