The Eugene McDermott Foundation makes very large, place-based investments in Dallas-area cultural institutions and biomedical research/education infrastructure. Its recent grants are dominated by major capital and transformational projects—reimagining the art museum, a new zoo exhibit, support for the symphony’s operations and endowment, and construction of a biomedical engineering building at two local universities. The foundation prioritizes flagship institutions that serve the Dallas community and combine capital needs with long-term institutional sustainability.
The Eugene McDermott Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by major capital commitments to Dallas institutions: $10 million for the Dallas Museum of Art’s Reimagining the DMA and $10 million for a new exhibit at the Dallas Zoological Society. Those two grants capture a broader pattern of place-based support for large civic projects that shape the city’s cultural life. The foundation also backed the Dallas Symphony Association with $9 million for annual fund operations and endowment support, showing that it funds both new initiatives and long-term institutional stability. Across the recent grant list, the foundation repeatedly supports organizations that combine public programming with major facility or endowment needs. It gave $7 million to The Dallas Opera to help meet an O’Donnell Foundation matching grant, $5 million to North Texas Public Broadcasting for The Future of KERA, and $4 million each to UT Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Texas at Dallas for the TI Biomedical Engineering & Science Building. The pattern points to a funder that invests in high-profile Dallas institutions with significant infrastructure, audience, and research ambitions.
In arts and culture, the foundation has made large awards for museums, symphony, opera, broadcasting, and human-rights programming. It gave $5 million to North Texas Public Broadcasting for The Future of KERA and $1 million to Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights for endowment support. Its biomedical and higher-education giving centers on research facilities and campus infrastructure. UT Southwestern Medical Center received $4 million for the TI Biomedical Engineering & Science Building, and the University of Texas at Dallas received the same amount for that building. The foundation also gave $1.2 million to University of Texas at Dallas for the McDermott Suite Renovation. Public-space and civic projects appear as another clear theme. Southern Gateway Public Green received $5 million for construction of a park, while Fair Park First received $1.5 million for the Rebirth of Magnolia Lounge. Those grants sit alongside support for zoo and museum development, showing a strong interest in spaces used by the Dallas public.
Typical grant size is $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $200,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent list also includes several multi-million-dollar awards. The foundation’s giving is highly recurring in Dallas-area institutions: Dallas Symphony Association appears in both 2024 and 2025, Dallas Zoological Society appears in 2023 and 2025, Southern Gateway Public Green appears in 2023 and 2025, and University of Texas at Dallas appears in 2025 more than once. The foundation is a private foundation rather than a program-initiated grantmaker, and it also funds individuals. No application process is shown in the provided data.
$55.5M
$131M
$21.3M
$56.6M
Most grants fall between $20K and $200K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$200K
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Very concentrated, high-dollar capital and endowment grants to a small set of local flagship institutions; few grants overall but large in size and focused on transformational projects in the Dallas metro.
Notable grantees: Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Zoological Society (Dallas Zoo), Dallas Symphony Association, UT Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas at Dallas
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Texas, with 96% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Dallas is the clearest center of activity, including awards to the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Association, Dallas Zoological Society, North Texas Public Broadcasting, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and UT Southwestern Medical Center. Outside Dallas, the recent list includes Austin recipients such as Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, plus a smaller number of grants to Santa Fe, Washington, and Fort Worth.
The foundation supports Dallas-area cultural institutions, biomedical engineering and research infrastructure, parks and green space, and selected public health and social service organizations. Recent grants include museums, symphony and opera groups, universities, a zoo, and community-serving nonprofits such as United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and Resource Center of Dallas Inc.
The typical grant size is $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $200,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also shows much larger awards, including multiple grants of $5 million, $7 million, $9 million, and $10 million.
Yes. The geographic scope is local, and 96% of grants go to recipients in Texas. Dallas is the primary recipient city in the recent list, with additional grants in Austin, Fort Worth, Santa Fe, and Washington, DC.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Dallas Symphony Association, Dallas Zoological Society, Southern Gateway Public Green, University of Texas at Dallas, and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. That pattern suggests ongoing support for a core group of Dallas institutions.
It funds individuals as well as organizations. The provided foundation profile indicates that individuals are eligible recipients, alongside nonprofit and institutional grantees in the recent grant list.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dallas Opera | Dallas, TX | $7,000,000 | 2026 | To help Meet ODonnell Foundation Matching Grant |
| Southern Gateway Public Green Fnd | Dallas, TX | $5,000,000 | 2026 | For Construction of Park |
| North Texas Public Broadcasting | Dallas, TX | $5,000,000 | 2026 | For The Future of KERA |
| Health Equity Foundation of Greater | Dallas, TX | $5,000,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| Resource Center of Dallas Inc | Dallas, TX | $3,000,000 | 2026 | To Change Landscape ofHealthcare for LGBTQIA |
| United Way of Metropolitan Dallas | Dallas, TX | $2,000,000 | 2026 | For Social Innovation Lab & DataCapacity Bldg |
| Compass School of Texas | Dallas, TX | $1,500,000 | 2026 | For Curriculum Development |
| First Presbyterian Church | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For The Stewpots Acquisition of City Square |
| Metrocare Dallas | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For General Support |
| Georgia OKeeffe Museum | Santa Fe, NM | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Capital Campaign |
| Dallas Symphony Orchestra | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Ring Cycle and Operations |
| Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Endowment |
| Texas Tree Foundation | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Cool Schools |
| UTSW and Childrens Health | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For New Pediatric Campus |
| SPCA of Texas | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Capital Campaign |
| North Texas Food Bank | Plano, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Food Purchases |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Liver Disease and Transplant Research |
| Parkland Health Foundation | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Developmental Child Care for Patients and Staf |
| Communities Foundation of Texas | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | For Texas African American Museum Fund |
| Forest Forward | Dallas, TX | $750,000 | 2026 | For Restoration of Forest Theater |
| Dallas Arboretum and Botanical | Dallas, TX | $750,000 | 2026 | For Visitor Education Pavilion |
| The Dallas Opera | Dallas, TX | $700,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| TACA Inc | Dallas, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | For Core Programs |
| Volunteers of America | Euless, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | For The Fran Tynan Empowerment Endowment Programs |
| North Texas Public Broadcasting | Dallas, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | For Matching Grant |
| Josephine Torres Cultural | Dallas, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | For The Bataan Center |
| University of Texas at Dallas | Dallas, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | For Center for Brain Health |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $500,000 | 2026 | For operations |
| The Cedars Union | Dallas, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity | Dallas, TX | $500,000 | 2026 | For Purchase of Building |
| The Dallas 24 Hour Club | Dallas, TX | $400,000 | 2026 | For General Support |
| University of Texas at Dallas | Dallas, TX | $355,000 | 2026 | For Polycraft World Initiative |
| Baylor Scott White | Dallas, TX | $300,000 | 2026 | For Endowment |
| My Possibilities | Plano, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| American Red Cross - DFW Chapter | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For Disaster Relief in Dallas |
| Visiting Nurse Association | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| ATT Performing Arts Center | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For Programming and Events |
| Greenspace Dallas | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| Big Thought | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For General Support |
| Dallas Foundation | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For AURORA for Operations |
| The Kessler School | Dallas, TX | $250,000 | 2026 | For Capital Campaign |
| Dallas Zoological Society | Dallas, TX | $200,000 | 2026 | For Zoo to Do |
| ATT Performing Arts Center | Dallas, TX | $200,000 | 2026 | For Events and Programming |
| Teach for America Inc | Dallas, TX | $175,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| Uplift Education | Dallas, TX | $150,000 | 2026 | For Pre-K at Uplift |
| Builders of Hope | Dallas, TX | $150,000 | 2026 | For West Dallas Anti-Displacement Program |
| OutLoud Dallas | Dallas, TX | $150,000 | 2026 | For Programs |
| Nexus Recovery Center Incorporated | Dallas, TX | $150,000 | 2026 | For Operations |
| Broadway Dallas | Dallas, TX | $150,000 | 2026 | For Dallas Day School and 100th Anniversary |
| Skateparks for Dallas | Dallas, TX | $150,000 | 2026 | For Westmoreland Skate Park |
Health Equity Foundation of Greater
$5,000,000For Operations
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
$2,000,000For Social Innovation Lab & DataCapacity Bldg
First Presbyterian Church
$1,000,000For The Stewpots Acquisition of City Square
Metrocare Dallas
$1,000,000For General Support
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
$1,000,000For Ring Cycle and Operations
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights
$1,000,000For Endowment
UTSW and Childrens Health
$1,000,000For New Pediatric Campus
UT Southwestern Medical Center
$1,000,000For Liver Disease and Transplant Research
For Developmental Child Care for Patients and Staf
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical
$750,000For Visitor Education Pavilion
TACA Inc
$500,000For Core Programs
Volunteers of America
$500,000For The Fran Tynan Empowerment Endowment Programs
Josephine Torres Cultural
$500,000For The Bataan Center
University of Texas at Dallas
$500,000For Center for Brain Health
Stanford University
$500,000For operations
The Cedars Union
$500,000For Operations
University of Texas at Dallas
$355,000For Polycraft World Initiative
Baylor Scott White
$300,000For Endowment
American Red Cross - DFW Chapter
$250,000For Disaster Relief in Dallas
Visiting Nurse Association
$250,000For Operations
ATT Performing Arts Center
$250,000For Programming and Events
The Kessler School
$250,000For Capital Campaign
ATT Performing Arts Center
$200,000For Events and Programming
Teach for America Inc
$175,000For Operations
Builders of Hope
$150,000For West Dallas Anti-Displacement Program
Broadway Dallas
$150,000For Dallas Day School and 100th Anniversary
Skateparks for Dallas
$150,000For Westmoreland Skate Park