Eugene McDermott Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $61 million (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $5,000 - $10,000,000
Median Grant: $50,000
Geographic Focus: Dallas, Texas area (with some state and national reach)
Total Grants (2024): 107 awards

Contact Details

Address: 1937 Malone Cliff View, Dallas, TX 75208-1730
Phone: (214) 369-9222
Website: Not publicly available
Email: Not publicly available
Contact Person: Mary McDermott Cook, President

Overview

The Eugene McDermott Foundation was established in 1955 by Eugene McDermott, co-founder of Geophysical Services, Incorporated (which later became Texas Instruments), and achieved tax-exempt status in 1972. With assets exceeding $250 million and annual giving of approximately $61 million (2023), the foundation represents one of the most significant private philanthropic organizations in Dallas. The foundation supports educational, cultural, social-service, and civic ventures, with a strong emphasis on major cultural institutions and universities in the Dallas area. Led by Eugene McDermott's daughter, Mary McDermott Cook, the foundation continues a multi-generational legacy of transformative community investment. Recent major gifts include $10 million each to the Dallas Museum of Art and Dallas Zoological Society, $9 million to the Dallas Symphony Association, and $5 million to United Way of Metropolitan Dallas in 2024. The foundation is known for strategic, relationship-based grantmaking focused on bold vision and measurable community impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates without formal grant programs, instead making strategic grants across several key areas. Grant amounts range significantly from $5,000 to $10,000,000, with a median grant of $50,000. No prescribed application form is required, and there are no published deadlines.

Priority Areas

Arts & Culture

Major support for Dallas cultural institutions including Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Opera, and Dallas Arboretum
Specific examples: Purchase of a circa-1782 Nicolo Gagliano cello for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Principal Cello, naming of the concert hall at Meyerson Symphony Center
Support for TACA (The Arts Community Alliance) for arts resiliency initiatives

Higher Education

University of Texas at Dallas (including the $32 million Eugene McDermott Scholars Program)
UT Southwestern Medical Center (including multiple named facilities: Eugene McDermott Academic Administration Building, Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Eugene McDermott Center for Pain Management)
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Stanford University
University of Dallas

Secondary Education

Support for preparatory schools and secondary education initiatives

Health & Medical Research

UT Southwestern Medical School
Center for BrainHealth collaborative research
Medical research and pain management initiatives

Community & Social Services

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas ($5 million in 2024)
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas
Social innovation and community transformation projects

Public Policy & Education Reform

Center for Public Policy Priorities
Teach for America
George W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, the foundation's grantmaking pattern suggests focus on established institutions and organizations in the Dallas area, with limited support for national organizations outside their core mission areas.

Governance and Leadership

President/Trustee: Mary McDermott Cook
Trustees: J.H. Cullum Clark, Sam Self, Liza Lee, Joe Hubach, Grace Cook
Assistant Secretary: Patricia Brown (part-time, compensated)

Mary McDermott Cook has led the foundation since 1972, when she assumed the presidency from her father. She is Eugene McDermott's only daughter and continues the family's philanthropic legacy alongside her daughter Grace Cook, representing three generations of community investment. Mary Cook stated about her father's legacy: "My father had great respect – as do I – for the fine minds at work throughout the medical center, so he took great pleasure in the friendships he formed there and was proud to be a part of its growth. He was an incredibly smart man, so he did very well for our family. Giving back was part of his life, and he encouraged me to make it part of mine."

Regarding the foundation's approach, Mary McDermott Cook emphasized: "Together with my daughter Grace, we continue my parents' legacy of empowering communities and elevating Dallas as a beacon of creativity and progress."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Eugene McDermott Foundation does not have a public application process. Grant records indicate "no prescribed form required," but the foundation operates primarily through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships with organizations. The foundation identifies and supports organizations that align with its mission through strategic decisions made by the board of trustees, led by Mary McDermott Cook.

Major grants appear to result from long-standing relationships with Dallas-area institutions and organizations that have demonstrated sustained impact in areas aligned with the foundation's priorities. The foundation's largest grants consistently go to established cultural, educational, and medical institutions in Dallas that the McDermott family has supported for decades.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's largest grants consistently support institutions with which the McDermott family has longstanding relationships, particularly major Dallas cultural and educational organizations. The concert hall at the Meyerson Symphony Center is named for Eugene McDermott, and the family has endowed multiple facilities at UT Southwestern Medical Center, demonstrating deep institutional partnerships.

Organizations seeking foundation support should focus on:

Establishing presence in Dallas: The vast majority of grants support Dallas-based organizations or programs with direct Dallas impact
Building relationships with Dallas civic leadership: The McDermott family is deeply embedded in Dallas philanthropic and civic circles, including connections with major cultural institutions, universities, and community organizations
Demonstrating transformational impact: The foundation's grantmaking philosophy centers on "bold vision" and "measurable community progress," favoring large, catalytic gifts over smaller operational support
Alignment with multi-generational vision: The foundation emphasizes inspiring the next generation of donors and creating lasting legacy through strategic partnerships

The foundation is known to work with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, which may provide a pathway for smaller organizations to connect with the foundation's priorities through collaborative initiatives.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Given the foundation's relationship-based approach and trustee discretion model, timeline likely varies significantly by grant size and organizational relationship.

Success Rates

Success rates for unsolicited applications are not available, as the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals through a public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the lack of public application process. Organizations that have received grants and maintained strong relationships with the foundation have received multiple grants over time, as evidenced by recurring support to major institutions.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation does not accept public applications, the pattern of successful grants reveals key factors:

Institutional Relationships Matter Most

Top recipients receive multi-million dollar grants repeatedly: Dallas Museum of Art ($10M), Dallas Zoological Society ($10M), Dallas Symphony Association ($9M), UT Dallas ($4M), UT Southwestern ($4M)
The foundation demonstrates sustained commitment to core institutions rather than spreading funding widely

Geographic Focus is Paramount

Overwhelming majority of grants support Dallas-based organizations
The foundation views its mission as "elevating Dallas as a beacon of creativity and progress"

Scale and Impact Drive Decisions

Grant amounts range dramatically ($5,000 to $10M), but the foundation makes a relatively small number of grants (107 in 2024) with high median value ($50,000)
Recent major gifts suggest preference for transformational investments rather than incremental support

Strategic Alignment with Community Goals

The $5 million United Way gift specifically accelerates United Way's Aspire United 2030 goals around education, income, and health access
Foundation seeks to "model philanthropic leadership to inspire the next generation of donors"

Multi-Generational Vision

Mary McDermott Cook emphasizes continuing her parents' legacy while working alongside her daughter Grace
Foundation values sustained, long-term partnerships over one-time transactions

Areas of Demonstrated Success Based on documented grants, organizations succeeding with the foundation operate in:

Major cultural institutions (museums, symphony orchestras, zoos)
Higher education and medical research (particularly UT Dallas and UT Southwestern)
Community-wide initiatives (United Way, TACA arts alliance)
Education reform and youth development (Teach for America, Eugene McDermott Scholars Program)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This is not a grantmaker for unsolicited applications: The foundation operates through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships. Traditional grant writing and proposal submission is not the pathway to funding.
Dallas connection is essential: The foundation's mission centers on elevating Dallas as a community. Organizations outside the Dallas area are unlikely to receive support unless they have significant Dallas impact or connection.
Think transformational, not transactional: The foundation makes relatively few grants but at significant scale (median $50,000, with major grants in the millions). Small operational requests are not aligned with their approach.
Institutional relationships span decades: The foundation's largest beneficiaries are organizations with long-standing McDermott family connections. Building this type of relationship requires sustained engagement in Dallas civic life.
Multi-generational perspective matters: With three generations now involved (Eugene and Margaret McDermott through Mary McDermott Cook and Grace Cook), the foundation values legacy-building and inspiring future philanthropists.
Strategic community impact drives decisions: Recent grants align with specific community goals (United Way's Aspire United 2030, TACA arts resiliency, institution-building at major cultural organizations). The foundation seeks measurable progress on community priorities.
Consider indirect pathways: Organizations seeking support might explore partnerships with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas or other established foundation beneficiaries that could create connection points to the foundation's priorities.

References

All sources accessed December 2024.