T.L.L. Temple Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 75-6037406 · since 1964tlltemple.foundation·Anderson County, Angelina County, Bowie County, Cass County, Cherokee County, Hardin County, Harris …·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$19.9M

Annual giving, 2023 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

T.L.L. Temple Foundation, based in Lufkin, TX, funds within its stated 24-county service area (Anderson, Angelina, Bowie and 21 more counties), so any request must show how it benefits residents there, whatever county the applicant is based in.
It welcomes work across six themes — education, economic opportunity, health, human services, arts and culture, and environment and conservation — with a particular interest in programmes tackling the causes and effects of persistent poverty, and those serving low-income populations and rural communities.
Funding can be general operating, project, capital-improvement, organisational-development or capacity-building support, with initial grants made for one year; it says grant size and duration are matched to the applicant's scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities, and grants rarely exceed 30 per cent of a project or organisational budget, so applicants should size their request accordingly and expect to cover the rest from elsewhere.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be submitted online, which suggests a reasonably open, non-deadline-driven process rather than one tied to a single annual round.
It does not fund requests that fall outside the service area or individuals seeking scholarships or research support, so those should not apply.

Overview

T.L.L. Temple Foundation is a US private foundation based in Lufkin, TX.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation welcomes applications from organisations working to build a thriving East Texas and alleviate poverty, creating access and opportunities for all. Its six stated grant areas are education, economic opportunity, health, human services, arts and culture, and environment and conservation. Across its funding, it prioritises programmes addressing the causes and effects of persistent poverty and those working with low-income populations and in rural communities. Grants must benefit residents of its 24-county service area, regardless of where the grantee is headquartered. Support can take the form of general operating, project, capital-improvement, organisational-development or capacity-building funding. Initial grants are for one year; grant size and duration are matched to each applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities, and grants rarely exceed 30 per cent of a project or organisational budget.

Themes

Education
Economic Opportunity
Health
Human Services
Arts and Culture
Environment and Conservation

Geographic Focus

The service area: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie and 21 more counties.

What They Don't Fund

Requests that do not benefit the service area
Individuals for scholarships, research

How to apply

All grant applications must be submitted online.

Application success factors

What the foundation says:

Grant size and duration are matched to the applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities.
It prioritises programmes addressing causes and effects of persistent poverty and those working with low-income populations and in rural communities.
It rarely makes grants exceeding 30% of a project or organisational budget.

Officers and directors

John Calahan — Director Of
James Henry Russell — Trustee
Kathy Zelazny — Trustee
David F Webber — Trustee
Charlotte Ann Temple — Trustee
W Temple Webber III — Chair
Hilliard J Shands III — Secretary-Treasurer
Hannah Temple — Vice-Chair
Ellen Temple — Trustee
Jack Sweeny — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

2 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$25,613,031	$19,709,822	$503,609,543	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$26,205,244	$19,854,604	$572,735,425	Filing for 2023 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.