The Eugene McDermott Foundation
The Eugene McDermott Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its filing describes support primarily for Texas organizations, including cultural institutions, healthcare organizations, and community service organizations in the Dallas area.
The Eugene McDermott Foundation at a glance
In short: The Eugene McDermott Foundation gave $55.5M across 140 grants in 2025 (avg $396K), mostly in Texas. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $55,464,000
- -8.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 140
- +30.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $396,171
- -30.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $130,982,643
- -20.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (51 of 125, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Eugene McDermott Foundation
- How to Apply
-
No prescribed form is required. The 2024 filing lists no deadlines or restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Mary Mcdermott Cook
Mailing address: 1937 Malone Cliff View, Dallas, TX 75208
Phone: (214) 369-9222
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Eugene McDermott Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Dallas Opera ($7.7M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $32.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
544 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 239 grants of 544 (44%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in Texas. In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 2% to recipients in New Mexico, and 1% to recipients in California; reported shares for Connecticut and Virginia were 0%. The filing describes significant giving to cultural, healthcare, and community service organizations in the Dallas area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 140 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Eugene McDermott Foundation open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 51 of 125 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $373K; repeat grants $493K. How we count
Medians: $75K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 240% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 540% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $15.3M (2021) to $60.8M (2024). In 2025 it made 140 grants totaling $55.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Dallas Opera Dallas, TX | To help Meet ODonnell Foundation Matching Grant | $7,000,000 |
| Southern Gateway Public Green Fnd Dallas, TX | For Construction of Park | $5,000,000 |
| Health Equity Foundation of Greater Dallas, TX | For Operations | $5,000,000 |
| North Texas Public Broadcasting Dallas, TX | For The Future of KERA | $5,000,000 |
| Resource Center of Dallas Inc Dallas, TX | To Change Landscape ofHealthcare for LGBTQIA | $3,000,000 |
| United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Dallas, TX | For Social Innovation Lab & DataCapacity Bldg | $2,000,000 |
| Compass School of Texas Dallas, TX | For Curriculum Development | $1,500,000 |
| Dallas Symphony Orchestra Dallas, TX | For Ring Cycle and Operations | $1,000,000 |
| Texas Tree Foundation Dallas, TX | For Cool Schools | $1,000,000 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX | For Liver Disease and Transplant Research | $1,000,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $130,982,643 | $21,345,393 | $56,627,094 | $55,464,000 | 140 | $55,559,509 | $20,543,447 | $10,291,509 |
| 2024 | $165,197,833 | $16,997,683 | $62,050,172 | $60,792,500 | 107 | $60,892,090 | $16,017,380 | $11,395,283 |
| 2023 | $210,882,052 | $12,213,061 | $21,859,397 | $20,532,900 | 115 | $20,645,832 | $11,142,115 | $13,167,842 |
| 2022 | $220,528,387 | $97,884,779 | $17,798,491 | $16,296,000 | 92 | $16,404,114 | $17,509,214 | $13,337,415 |
| 2021 | $140,442,099 | $7,070,570 | $16,370,337 | $15,288,500 | 90 | — | $6,098,414 | $9,436,364 |
| 2020 | $149,741,866 | $91,443,837 | $16,457,222 | $15,553,000 | 96 | — | $12,430,635 | $8,311,391 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Eugene McDermott Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose through its grantmaking rather than stating a separate mission. Its 2025 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations, health-related work, public media, community services, education, and environmental projects.
Grantee descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Dallas Opera says it connects local and global audiences through performances and combines entertainment, education, and artistry. The Health Equity Foundation of Greater Texas says it raises funds for nonprofits supporting reproductive and complementary health services, education, and public policy. North Texas Public Broadcasting says it supports public television, radio, and multimedia resources that educate, engage, inspire, inform, and entertain. Resource Center of Dallas says it provides LGBTQIA+-affirming resources focused on health and wellness, families and communities, education, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 140 grants totaling $55,464,000. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $7,000,000, with a median of $75,000. Across the reported grant history, the foundation has paid $116.3 million across 247 grants, with a median grant size of $50,000.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $7 million to The Dallas Opera, $5 million each to Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, Health Equity Foundation of Greater Texas, and North Texas Public Broadcasting, and $3 million to Resource Center of Dallas. Other grants included $2 million to United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and $1 million each to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Texas Tree Foundation, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Communities Foundation of Texas, and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. No prescribed form is required, there are no deadlines, and the filing lists no restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary McDermott Cook as president and trustee. The listed trustees are J H Cullum Clark, Sam Self, Liza Lee, Joe Hubach, and Grace Cook. Patricia Brown is listed as assistant secretary.
The Eugene McDermott Foundation is led by Mary McDermott Cook, President Trustee on every filing since 2020; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary McDermott Cook
President Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Grace Cook
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J H Cullum Clark
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Hubach
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liza Lee
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sam Self
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Brown
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$34K (2020) → $34K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $34K, to Patricia Brown (Assistant Sec).
Frequently asked questions about The Eugene McDermott Foundation
How much does The Eugene McDermott Foundation give each year?
The Eugene McDermott Foundation gave $55.5M across 140 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $60.8M across 107 grants.
What is The Eugene McDermott Foundation's typical grant size?
The Eugene McDermott Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $75,000, and its average grant was $396,171, across 140 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Eugene McDermott Foundation that year got $373K on average.
Where does The Eugene McDermott Foundation give grants?
The Eugene McDermott Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (118 grants) and Plano, TX (3 grants).
Does The Eugene McDermott Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of The Eugene McDermott Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 140) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "For Operations" (29 grants), "For Programs" (11 grants) and "For Capital Campaign" (4 grants).
Who are The Eugene McDermott Foundation's largest grantees?
The Eugene McDermott Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Dallas Opera ($7,700,000 across 2 grants), North Texas Public Broadcasting ($5,500,000 across 2 grants) and Southern Gateway Public Green Fnd ($5,000,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Eugene McDermott Foundation?
The Eugene McDermott Foundation reported $131.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $55.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Eugene McDermott Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose through its grantmaking rather than stating a separate mission. Its 2025 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations, health-related work, public media, community services, education, and environmental projects. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Eugene McDermott Foundation?
No prescribed form is required. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Eugene McDermott Foundation's EIN?
The Eugene McDermott Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7237919. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Eugene McDermott Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Eugene McDermott Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-eugene-mcdermott-foundation-morg_7d89f5d4a0b74eef8aabc8d7275df2aa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237237919_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Eugene McDermott Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-eugene-mcdermott-foundation-morg_7d89f5d4a0b74eef8aabc8d7275df2aa},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Eugene McDermott Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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