Search Through Grants for the Arts in Oklahoma in the U.S.

We care about the communities in which we live and work. Amcor Cares (formerly the Bemis Company Foundation) was founded as our principal tool in the United States to serve our Amcor Flexibles communities. From volunteer work to monetary donations and community support, Amcor Cares donates several million per year to charitable organizations.

Community Support Grants

Encourage

• Fighting Hunger & Homelessness
• Supporting Disaster Relief

Empower

• Expanding STEM Education
• Building Life Skills
• Improving Health & Wellness

Elevate

• Promoting Arts & Culture
• Funding Amcor Scholarships

Types of support:

• Non-profit Organization Programs
• Non-profit Organization Operating Support
• Capital Campaigns
• STEM Programs

American Electric Power Foundation

The AEP Foundation focuses on improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and by providing support to help meet basic needs such as emergency shelter, affordable housing and eliminating hunger.

The Foundation also supports organizations whose mission and/or programming is committed to positive social justice outcomes. Other Foundation support may be offered to protect the environment, promote healthcare and safety, and enrich life through art, music and cultural heritage.

Focus Areas

The following focus areas will be eligible for consideration by the Foundation:

• Improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education, with an emphasis in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
• Providing basic human services in the areas of hunger and housing to assure that people have the necessities to build successful lives.
• Embracing change and equity through sustainable programs that move social justice forward.

Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits 

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides a variety of grants related to our art collections for individuals and nonprofits. Through these programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect: Art of the Spanish Americas, Digital & Media Art, Japanese Bamboo, and Post-War Painting & Sculpture. We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest.

Grant Categories

The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

Exhibitions

As of Spring 2023, we are excited to learn about exhibitions that are slated to open in Spring 2024 through 2026. We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include:

• development,
• scholarship,
• construction,
• outreach,
• traveling costs,
• admissions subsidies, and more.

Convenings

To encourage scholarly debate and dialogue, we fund academic conferences and workshops that will significantly advance the fields of art scholarship related to our collections. We urge applicants to familiarize themselves with industry standards for honoraria and per diems in advance of creating a convening budget.

Academic

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article. For potential partners working in university settings, a letter stating our policy on funding indirect costs is available on our Grantee Resources page.

Exhibition Catalog Support

In conjunction with our exhibition support, we are pleased to support development, research, and publication costs associated with museum catalogs relating to artists in our collection.

• As of January 2022, our previous Publication Grant program is currently on hold while we reevaluate our strategic priorities. 

Before submitting your application, please read our Criteria for Collections-Related Nonprofit Grants and FAQ page.

Welcome to the Fred Jones Family Foundation, a nonprofit and charitable foundation dedicated to support the 501(c)(3) organizations that increase the quality of life in central Oklahoma through projects dedicated to cultural growth and beautification.

Mission

We are a nonprofit and charitable foundation dedicated to supporting the 501(c)(3) organizations that increase the quality of life in central Oklahoma.

Our foundation embraces the words of our founder, Fred Jones, who remarked regularly,

“Keep in mind, all our work is for the future. Let us spare not, nor look back, but go forward unlimited with all our powers!”

Vision

We want Central Oklahoma to be known for its high quality of life that is enhanced and enriched by creativity and innovation, bringing the best and the brightest talent to our state.

Areas of Interest

The areas of interest we fund include;

• Education
• Central Oklahoma
• Arts
• Beautification

George Kaiser Family Foundation  Areas of Focus

The Foundation’s mission of providing every child with an equal opportunity is reflected throughout the work that we do in our community. Our four focus areas give us the opportunity to address community issues at a deeper level.

Parent Engagement & Early Education

GKFF supports early childhood education initiatives, as well as continued support for children and families, to ensure each child reaches his or her full potential.

Initiatives

Early Childhood Education

• Children are born learning. What they learn from life’s earliest moments will dramatically impact their later success.

Pre-K - 12 Education

• Students with a strong educational foundation have a greater chance of success throughout their academic career.

Parent Engagement

• To encourage parent-child engagement, we take a holistic approach to providing support and resources to Tulsa families.

Health & Family Well-Being

GKFF works to bridge existing healthcare and service gaps in our community by ensuring that families receive the basic services they need to raise healthy and thriving children.

Initiatives

Community Health

• In a state with some of the country’s worst health outcomes, GKFF has sought best practices to combat Tulsa’s significant health challenges.

Maternal Child Health

• GKFF recognizes that the best way for young children to have a level playing field in school is through a strong and healthy beginning in life.

Cycle of Incarceration

• Oklahoma has the highest rate of female incarceration in the nation. The consequences of incarceration are devastating for both mothers and their children.

Social Services

• In order to sustain a stable safety net, GKFF provides financial support to a wide variety of local nonprofit agencies.

Civic Enhancement

GKFF invests in a culturally vibrant and economically robust Tulsa to ensure a thriving community that affords opportunities for all of its citizens to enjoy a high quality of life.

Initiatives

Arts & Culture

• GKFF’s grant-making and initiatives in the arts support efforts to make Tulsa a creative and interesting place to live and work.

Economic Development

• To create a civic culture that supports equal opportunity for all children, Tulsa must be in a strong state of economic health.

Neighborhood Development

• Focusing neighborhood investments on a few geographic areas enables GKFF to affect and measure progress.

Birth Through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (Best)

The Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST) represents an exciting opportunity for Tulsa. BEST is a comprehensive, continuous, and integrated approach that focuses on families to help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. This strategy knits together programs and services to create a seamless continuum of support. Programs, services, community agencies, and philanthropies are partnering with Tulsa’s families to build a cycle of opportunity.

GKFF Accelerator Grants 

The Accelerator Grant at George Kaiser Family Foundation aims to increase access to funding and ensure historically disadvantaged and underfunded nonprofits have the financial and technical support to fulfill their missions within the Tulsa community.

The Accelerator Grant is designed to empower historically disadvantaged leaders who are proximate to the community with the resources to lead solutions. Eligible grantees will also be aligned with GKFF’s larger mission of creating an environment where every Tulsan, no matter their background, has an opportunity to succeed.

Grants are accepted on a rolling basis, with grant reviews happening quarterly. Grant reviews occur within the following months each year: February, May, August, and November.

Funding Areas

John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick created the Kirkpatrick Foundation in 1955 with a check for $10,000. Today, our mission is to support arts, culture, education, animal wellbeing, environmental conservation, and historic preservation, primarily in Central Oklahoma. The foundation gives $3 million annually in grants and charitable activities. 

Arts & Culture

John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick’s early investments in the arts and culture of Oklahoma City continue to live strong. Noteworthy arts and cultural organizations, large and small, contribute to the very fabric of a thriving, vibrant city. The key component of Kirkpatrick Foundation giving reflects tangible quality-of-life issues for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. From theater and dance to museums, film festivals, and exhibits, we strive to support a variety of cultural and arts programs for all of central Oklahoma’s citizens and visitors to enjoy. 

Education

Kirkpatrick Foundation has long supported education in Oklahoma City, making efforts to sustain the stakeholders of pre-K-12, university-level, and out-of-school programming. Kirkpatrick Foundation’s investment in the future of Oklahoma is made clear in our grants to educational programs that impact countless lives throughout the city. Whether arts programs in summer camps, or continuing education for teachers, our reach in Oklahoma’s educational environment is diverse and strong. 

Animal Wellbeing

From its earliest years, Kirkpatrick Foundation has been concerned with the wellbeing of animals. That concern has grown into a major commitment to ensure animals in Oklahoma are treated well wherever they live. Support has been provided for state-of-the-art veterinary equipment and supplies, medical care for search dogs and zoo animals, and emergency and disaster preparedness. The vision of Kirkpatrick Foundation is to make Oklahoma the safest and most humane place to be an animal by the year 2032. 

Environmental Conservation

The foundation has supported programs designed to build awareness about the natural environment including soil health and freshwater protection. Programs also supported have been for conservation education for teachers and landowners, strategies to protect fauna, and making natural habitats more accessible for all citizens. The health of every community is directly tied to the quality of the environment in which we live, and the foundation seeks to support efforts to ensure that quality.

Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation is an area of foundation interest that is a tradition of several generations. Foundation efforts have included partnerships that allowed Oklahoma nonprofit property owners to have feasibility studies done for sites of historic significance. These studies outline architectural improvements and detailed structural repairs and restoration strategies needed to maintain a historic designation. Conferences and workshops to educate the public on recognized standards of practice that preserve the history of Oklahoma’s built environment are also supported.

About the Oklahoma Arts Council

In 1965, Oklahoma Governor Henry Bellmon and the Oklahoma State Legislature established the Oklahoma Arts Council in response to a national movement to make the arts accessible to all Americans. Establishing the Oklahoma Arts Council enabled the State of Oklahoma to receive federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to support arts activities across the state. For more than 50 years, this system of federal, state, and private support has given Oklahomans in communities statewide access to the transforming power of the arts.

Our Mission

The Oklahoma Arts Council leads, cultivates, and amplifies the transformative power of the arts for all Oklahomans and their communities.

Our Vision

The Oklahoma Arts Council envisions a future where:

• All communities are celebrated and enriched through creative expression
• Artists, arts organizations, and arts education thrive through robust public support
• The arts are recognized as essential to education and economic vitality
• Oklahoma is the leader for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the arts

Community Arts Grants

Festivals, exhibits and performances are significant contributors to Oklahoma's economy, culture, and quality of life. Community Arts Grants from the Oklahoma Arts Council help eligible organizations provide the festivals*, exhibits and performances that impact their communities. (*Festivals must feature the arts as a central component).

Small Grant Support 

• All new applicants must apply in this category.
• Applicants are eligible for three grants each fiscal year. Each grant requires a 1:1 cash match (half of the match may be in-kind support).
• Applications must be submitted at least 60 days before the start of a project.

Bring touring artists to your state

The Regional Touring Program (RTP) provides support for projects by organizations showcasing the work of artists from elsewhere in the M-AAA region.

• Organizations that book an artist listed on a state touring roster may be awarded up to 50 percent of the artist’s fee.
• Organizations that book an artist that lives in the region, but is not listed on a touring roster, may be awarded up to 25 percent of the artist’s fee.
• Organizations located in rural communities may receive an additional 10 percent of the artist’s fee.

Funding

• This grant will disburse matching funds of up to $5,000.
• Organizations may submit a maximum of three (3) applications and receive awards for up to three (3) different projects in a single fiscal year (July 1–June 30). Each applicant is eligible for an aggregate amount of $15,000 in a single fiscal year; and
• Similarly, an artist, ensemble, or scholar/educator can be the recipient of an aggregate of $15,000 through successful RTP grant applications submitted to M-AAA in a single fiscal year.

Since its inception, the Foundation, which is still led by Lester T. Sunderland's descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company. 

 The Foundation prefers to make grants for construction and special interest projects rather than for annual operating expenses. 

Grants for planning, design, construction, renovation, repairs and restoration of facilities are considered. Areas of interest include higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects sponsored by qualified tax-exempt organizations. 

Funding Areas

In recent grant cycles, the Board of Trustees has awarded the majority of grants in four broadly defined areas:

Higher Education

In 2022, the Foundation awarded $49 million to more than 35 educational organizations. Grantees included community colleges, private colleges, and public universities.

Human Services

The Foundation awarded $30 million to human service nonprofits in 2022, and many grants in this area went to groups that provide essential services to youth and families. Grantees included a range of youth-focused groups, including Reconciliation Services, the Nebraska Youth Justice Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska and the Sno-Valley Senior Center in Carnation, Washington. 

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture projects received $23 million in 2022, including grants to the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri, the Omaha Zoo and the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Washington. Health Care and Hospitals.

Health Care and Hospitals

This is a growing area of need in many communities the Foundation serves. In 2022, $65 million was awarded to hospitals and health-care groups to build and improve their facilities.

Inspired to make contributions with a wide-ranging yet personal impact, Carl and Marilynn Thoma founded the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation in 2014 to distinguish their initiatives in and support of the visual arts. In 2021, the Foundation was renamed the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation to more broadly reflect its expanded philanthropic efforts and initiatives, including the Thoma Scholars Program, which aims to strengthen community, leadership, and education initiatives in under-resourced and rural areas.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation recognizes that the arts and education enhance lives and communities. We make art collection-related grants, as well as lending and exhibiting our own collection. We focus our education funding on the rural Southwest, primarily offering scholarships to students in the greater Texas panhandle. Through these giving programs, we strive to foster leadership, innovation, and equal opportunity.

Nonprofit Organizations

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will advance scholarship in our collection areas. We accept Letters of Inquiry on a rolling basis for bold proposals that provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect:

• Art of the Spanish Americas

The Foundation’s Art of the Spanish Americas collection numbers more than 200 works from the 17th to 19th centuries—principally paintings from South America. The collection includes works on religious themes and portraits from the Viceroyalty of Peru (and the smaller entities such as the Kingdom of Nueva Granada into which it was divided in the eighteenth century), as well as a small selection of portraits from the Spanish Caribbean.

•  Digital & Media Art

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation began supporting the field of Digital Art in 2009. Our collection has grown to include over 400 artworks by more than 138 artists, representing a global history of the medium from 1959 to the present. The Thoma Foundation’s core collection of Digital Art highlights the specific achievements of modern computers—their processing speed, infinite data capacity, imaging precision, and virtual networking—to aid artists. Media Art signifies our support of art created with both pioneering and emerging time-based technologies, especially in relation to electronic mass media—the news and photojournalism, film and television, video games, social media, and other cultural experiences produced by communications technology.

• Japanese Bamboo

The Japanese Bamboo collection includes contemporary Japanese Bamboo baskets representing both independent artists and bamboo artists from the two professional associations devoted to the field, Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) and the Nihon Kogeikai (Japan Craft Arts Association).

• Post-War Painting & Sculpture

The Foundation’s collection of mid-century global abstract art is centered around the years 1950–79 and the major movements of that period including Color Field, Hard Edge, Op, Washington Color School, Light & Space, and shaped canvas.

We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest. The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

• Exhibitions

We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include development, scholarship, construction, outreach, traveling costs, admissions subsidies, and more. The Thoma Foundation also loans pieces from its collections in support of exhibitions.

• Convenings

To encourage scholarly debate and dialogue, we fund academic conferences and workshops that will significantly advance the fields of art scholarship related to our collections. We urge applicants to familiarize themselves with industry standards for honoraria and per diems in advance of creating a convening budget.

• Academic 

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article.

Individual Fellowships and Awards

In addition to our nonprofit grants, the Foundation runs several fellowship programs for individuals related to our Art of the Spanish Americas collections. This includes two annual fellowship programs geared towards postdoctoral scholars and Ph.D. candidates: the Marilynn Thoma Fellowship in Art of the Spanish Americas and the Thoma Foundation Research and Travel Awards in Art of the Spanish Americas. Biannually, we offer the Exploratory Travel Award to early career Ph.D. students. 

Thoma Foundation Special Project Funding

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation offers a Special Project Funding Grant as part of its broader grant programs described above. Through the above programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history. For the Special Project Funding, the Foundation takes a proactive and personal approach to giving. Rather than making grants based on a call for applications, we work collaboratively to make challenging projects happen. We support people and their bright futures instead of endowments or capital improvements. Our interests here include:

• Significant art exhibitions and programs supporting artists and the areas of our collection.
• Innovative high school projects and college scholarships that build leaders and communities in the greater Texas Panhandle.

If you have a project you would like to partner with us on, we are interested. We value long-term relationships with grantees and encourage you to connect with us at any stage of the application process. 

About the Foundation

The history of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund is closely aligned with the Kirkpatrick Foundation and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. These philanthropies all benefit from the foresight and generosity of John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick; their daughter, Joan Kirkpatrick; and their grandson, Christian Keesee. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund is committed to improving quality of life, and over the years its founders and family members have provided leadership to establish cultural institutions including the Science Museum of Oklahoma at the Kirkpatrick Center, the Oklahoma Arts Center, which preceded the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. 

Endowment

John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick believed building endowments was crucial to ensuring the financial sustainability of not-for-profit organizations in central Oklahoma. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund provides matching grants to endowment funds established at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for organizations engaging numerous donors through an endowment campaign.

Grant Categories

Qualified organizations may apply in one of two categories:

New Nonprofit Endowment Fund

• Organizations who have approval to establish a new nonprofit endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation may request a grant of $15,000 to be matched with $25,000 raised by the organization to establish the fund. 

Established Nonprofit Endowment Fund

• To apply, organizations must have an existing nonprofit endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.
• The Kirkpatrick Family Fund will contribute $1 for every $3 an organization raises. 
• Organizations considering submitting a match request greater than $20,000 should contact Kirkpatrick Family Fund staff prior to submission. 

Program Areas of Interest

Arts & Humanities 

Our investments in the Arts and Humanities center on active learning and imagination, encourage the creative process, and enrich the vibrancy of our community.

Children, Youth, & Families

Our investments in Children, Youth and Families focus on prevention and creating environments that help children, caregivers, and families become more resilient.

Community Enhencement

Our investments in Community Enhancement focus on improving the quality of life for all in our community through beautification, building strong neighborhoods, and advancing economic opportunity. 

Education

Our investments in Education primarily focus on arts education and active learning programs that help children and youth become confident, caring, and contributing adults. 

Environment 

We believe the appearance and treatment of the built environment reflects the values and priorities of the community. We support projects that stimulate beautification and provide pleasing aesthetics. These projects seek to improve quality of life in the community.

Health & Human Services

Our investments in Health and Human Services emphasize prevention, breaking dependencies, ending cycles of abuse, and improving equitable access to health services.

Animal Well-Being

We support the efforts of our affiliate organization, the Kirkpatrick Foundation, to make our communities safe and a humane space for all animals. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund will consider a grant request for endowment support from Oklahoma nonprofits. All other requests for support should be directed to the Kirkpatrick Foundation.

About the Foundation

The history of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund is closely aligned with the Kirkpatrick Foundation and the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. These philanthropies all benefit from the foresight and generosity of John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick; their daughter, Joan Kirkpatrick; and their grandson, Christian Keesee. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund is committed to improving quality of life, and over the years its founders and family members have provided leadership to establish cultural institutions including the Science Museum of Oklahoma at the Kirkpatrick Center, the Oklahoma Arts Center, which preceded the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. The family is also responsible for improving the health and well-being of animals through its support of the Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital at the Oklahoma City Zoo and its focus on the humane treatment of the farm animals in our care at the Mollie Spencer Farm, the original Kirkpatrick Homestead. Always looking forward, the Kirkpatrick Family provided leadership for the establishment of endowments for nonprofits at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Because of their foresight, many nonprofit organizations benefit from distributions from their endowments that will continue. Because of their generosity, the Kirkpatricks established a legacy of philanthropy that will benefit the quality of life for future generations in central Oklahoma and the communities we serve. 

Project Support

• Requests for individual projects and programs will be considered in this category.
• Requests in this category must span a specific time period, achieve measurable results, and fulfill the organization’s mission.
• Requests for ongoing programs requiring year-after-year support or general administration are not included in this category.
• We do not accept unsolicited requests for capital projects.
• Project grants fall into two categories: small projects ($15,000 and below) and large projects (above $15,000).Program Areas of Interest

Arts & Humanities 

We believe access to fine arts and humanities experiences enriches the quality of life for all members of our community. We support programs that nurture learning, encourage the creative process and demonstrate a commitment to excellence.

Children, Youth, & Families

It is our belief that healthy families raise healthy children. We support organizations that work to foster a beneficial environment for families through essential services and prevention programs that ensure healthy development for children in vulnerable situations.

Community Development

We believe that social and economic transformation is within the reach of all communities. We support organizations committed to inclusion, impact and innovation in addressing neighborhood and community needs.

Education 

An investment in education from early childhood to graduate school is an investment in students, families, teachers and schools. We support educational programs and institutions that help children and youth become confident, caring and contributing adults.

Environment 

We believe the appearance and treatment of the built environment reflects the values and priorities of the community. We support projects that stimulate beautification and provide pleasing aesthetics. These projects seek to improve quality of life in the community.

Health 

We place a priority on organizations that improve access to health services and promote wellness.

Human Services 

We value the desire of individuals and families to achieve self reliance. We support organizations and programs designed to provide a temporary safety net, break dependencies and change family cycles of abuse.

Communities Foundation of Oklahoma

By connecting the passions of individuals with the purposes of nonprofits, the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma helps communities in Oklahoma prosper. From the environment to well-being, from arts to education, we help philanthropists like you connect their passions to enhance and strengthen their communities.

At the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, we believe in the power of connecting individuals, nonprofits,\ businesses, and communities. Because when passionate people are paired with purposes they care about most, positive change happens.

Oklahoma Initiative Fund

The Oklahoma Initiative Fund is a statewide grantmaking initiative that seeks to provide support that will positively impact and strengthen rural communities across our state.

Grants of up to $15,000 will be available to organizations working in the areas of Literacy and Strengthening Rural Libraries; Health and Mental Health Services; Food Insecurity and Other (organizations in other focus areas may apply).

About Us

Kirkpatrick Foundation, founded by John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick, is a private foundation located in Oklahoma City. Since 1955, the foundation has funded a wide range of endeavors, primarily in the arts, culture, education, animal wellbeing, environmental conservation, and historic preservation.

Kirkpatrick Foundation Large Grants

Arts & Culture

John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick’s early investments in the arts and culture of Oklahoma City continue to live strong. Noteworthy arts and cultural organizations, large and small, contribute to the very fabric of a thriving, vibrant city. The key component of Kirkpatrick Foundation giving reflects tangible quality-of-life issues for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. From theater and dance to museums, film festivals, and exhibits, we strive to support a variety of cultural and arts programs for all of central Oklahoma’s citizens and visitors to enjoy.

Education

Kirkpatrick Foundation has long supported education in Oklahoma City, making efforts to sustain the stakeholders of pre-K-12, university-level, and out-of-school programming. Kirkpatrick Foundation’s investment in the future of Oklahoma is made clear in our grants to educational programs that impact countless lives throughout the city. Whether arts programs in summer camps, or continuing education for teachers, our reach in Oklahoma’s educational environment is diverse and strong.

Animal Wellbeing

From its earliest years, Kirkpatrick Foundation has been concerned with the wellbeing of animals. That concern has grown into a major commitment to ensure animals in Oklahoma are treated well wherever they live. Support has been provided for state-of-the-art veterinary equipment and supplies, medical care for search dogs and zoo animals, and emergency and disaster preparedness. The vision of Kirkpatrick Foundation is to make Oklahoma the safest and most humane place to be an animal by the year 2032. 

Environmental Conservation

The foundation has supported programs designed to build awareness about the natural environment including soil health and freshwater protection. Programs also supported have been for conservation education for teachers and landowners, strategies to protect fauna, and making natural habitats more accessible for all citizens. The health of every community is directly tied to the quality of the environment in which we live, and the foundation seeks to support efforts to ensure that quality.

Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation is an area of foundation interest that is a tradition of several generations. Foundation efforts have included partnerships that allowed Oklahoma nonprofit property owners to have feasibility studies done for sites of historic significance. These studies outline architectural improvements and detailed structural repairs and restoration strategies needed to maintain a historic designation. Conferences and workshops to educate the public on recognized standards of practice that preserve the history of Oklahoma’s built environment are also supported.

Our Mission

The Kerr Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit charitable and educational Oklahoma corporation, established to identify and support 501(c)3 organizations, programs and institutions that provide new or enhanced opportunities for those within the granting areas, particularly the young.

Program Categories

Education - Institutions of elementary, junior high, pre-collegiate, along with institutions of higher learning to include health science centers and medical research done by educational institutions

Arts and Culture - Organizations in the visual arts and performing arts areas, museums and libraries

Health - Institutions providing health care, doing medical research, or outreach organizations employing primarily professionals from the allied health area

Human Services - Organizations providing services in diverse areas to the public, and specifically to the disadvantaged, people with special needs and the elderly

Project Categories

Capital - Bricks and mortar projects, including equipment

Program - Programs having an objective and specified time span

Operating - Funds to be used to cover basic ongoing administrative and personnel expenses

About the Foundation

The Kirkpatrick Family Fund continues to honor John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick’s legacy through its support of programs and initiatives that contribute to the cultural landscape and quality of life in central Oklahoma and the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund provides support to nonprofit organizations for specific projects, general operations, and endowments.

Program Areas of Interest

The Kirkpatrick Family Fund accomplishes its mission through the support of organizations with bold, capable leadership and programs that are effective in addressing community needs. We seek to make investments with partners who value innovative programming, broad community access, active participation, and quality learning opportunities for youth and adults. 

Arts & Humanities: Our investments in the Arts and Humanities center on active learning and imagination, encourage the creative process, and enrich the vibrancy of our community.

Children, Youth & Family: Our investments in Children, Youth and Families focus on prevention and creating environments that help children, caregivers, and families become more resilient.

Community Enhancement: Our investments in Community Enhancement focus on improving the quality of life for all in our community through beautification, building strong neighborhoods, and advancing economic opportunity. 

Education: Our investments in Education primarily focus on arts education and active learning programs that help children and youth become confident, caring, and contributing adults. 

Endowment: John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick believed building endowments was crucial to ensuring the financial sustainability of not-for-profit organizations in central Oklahoma. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund provides matching grants to endowment funds established at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for organizations engaging numerous donors through an endowment campaign.

Health & Human Services: Our investments in Health and Human Services emphasize prevention, breaking dependencies, ending cycles of abuse, and improving equitable access to health services.

Animal Well-Being: We support the efforts of our affiliate organization, the Kirkpatrick Foundation, to make our communities safe and a humane space for all animals. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund will consider a grant request for endowment support from Oklahoma nonprofits. All other requests for support should be directed to the Kirkpatrick Foundation.

Our Mission

The Priddy Foundation is dedicated to the support of programs in human services, education, the arts, and health, which offer significant potential for individual development and community improvement.

Types of Grants

Within the categories listed above, the foundation makes the following types of grants:

Program Grants

The Priddy Foundation has significant interest in requests which create or expand program services. Program requests should deal effectively with identified problems and opportunities. In most cases, programs should be sustainable beyond the grant period and realistically match the requesting organization’s mission and capacity. Organizations should be able to evaluate results against defined standards of measurement.

Operating Grants  

The Priddy Foundation considers general operating requests, but is wary of fostering annual budget dependency. Operating grants typically require a grantee organization to present a practicable plan to achieve self-sufficiency and may require the organization to enter into a formal consulting arrangement with a Nonprofit Management Service Organization (MSO) to improve organizational capacity.

Capital Grants 

The Priddy Foundation considers capital projects for buildings and major items of equipment. Approval is more likely if the project has existing, broad support from organizations and individuals. Rarely will The Priddy Foundation’s contribution exceed 20% of the total project budget; often it will be much less. Organizations must attain their project fundraising goal and document that raised funds are sufficient to complete the project as presented in the grant application before a capital grant is funded.

Organizational Development Support Grants

The Priddy Foundation has an interest in increasing the capacity of an organization to serve more effectively in a complex and changing world. Requests for leadership development/capacity of board and staff, planning initiatives, technical assistance, and technology enhancements are considered. Organizational development grants must include a comprehensive plan supported by the organization’s board, outside professional assistance, if appropriate, and linkage between the leadership development plan and the ability of the organization to achieve and sustain its mission more effectively.

The Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation was established in 1995 by Carolyn Watson, the CEO and chairman of Shamrock Bank N.A. To date, the foundation has distributed more than $3 million to support nonprofit organizations in their efforts to enhance the quality of life in rural Oklahoma communities. The foundation’s grant programs are administered by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Focus Areas

Examples of the types of projects/programs we seek to support are provided under each focus area below.

Arts/Culture/History

• Projects that enhance or preserve a community’s culture, history and heritage. Examples include public exhibitions, educational programming and historic preservation planning.
• Public art projects that enhance public spaces for community use and interaction.
• Educational programming that increases public access to arts/culture/history.

Libraries/Literacy

• Projects that seek to strengthen the role of rural libraries as a community resource and public knowledge center.
• Programming designed to increase public access to libraries and other literary services for citizens. This can include increasing access for specific target groups such as citizens with disabilities or ESL students.
• Projects designed to improve literacy skills including basic reading, writing, math, GED preparation, and workplace literacy.
• Programs that promote early literacy and reading activities to families, parents and childcare providers.

Health & Safety

• Programs that provide direct services to underserved and/or uninsured citizens in their local communities. Preference will be given to programs delivering services that are not covered by general health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.
• Programs that improve the safety and security of community members.

Economic Development

• Projects that contribute to a community’s economic growth and stability.
• Projects that provide access to resources that can stimulate employment opportunities.

Our History

Inasmuch Foundation was established in 1982 by Edith Kinney Gaylord for charitable, scientific and educational purposes.

Edith Kinney Gaylord was known as Oklahoma’s quiet philanthropist, Ms. Gaylord often made anonymous donations to help those in need. After a lifetime of giving, she formally created two foundations that allowed her contributions to do the most good, for the most people. Recently, these two foundations merged to become one. In doing so, Ms. Gaylord created foundations that would stand the test of time and continue giving long after her death in 2001.

Focus Areas Inasmuch Foundation administers an open request cycle each spring and fall for all focus areas: Community & Civic Engagement, Education, Human Services, and Journalism. The following grants will be considered:

• Human Services - Inasmuch Foundation strengthens individuals, families, and the Oklahoma City community by increasing access to social services and basic human needs.
• Community Enhancement - Inasmuch Foundation improves quality of life in Oklahoma City by promoting cultural experiences, the arts, and community engagement.
• Education  - Inasmuch Foundation increases access to high quality educational experiences in Oklahoma City, that provide learners with the ability to become engaged, informed, and productive members of the community.
• Journalism - Inasmuch Foundation improves news and information ecosystems through direct support to nonprofit newsrooms and collaborative organizations committed to strengthening communities through an engaged citizenry.
• Colorado Springs - Improving the Quality of Life in Colorado Springs

Grant Requests

General Operating Support Grants:

• To increase transparency and consistency for the Foundation’s General Operating Support grants, organizations will be able to apply for one of two levels:
  • $50,000
  • $100,000
• The level of General Operating funding granted will be based on several factors:
  • Alignment with the Foundation’s funding priorities
  • Organization size, scope, and financial stability
  • Inasmuch Foundation Board and Staff discretion
• Organizations should not apply for more than 10% of the annual operating budget.
  • Only organizations with an annual operating budget greater than $1,000,000 will be eligible to receive $100,000 in General Operating Support.
  • Investigative Journalism organizations should apply for $50,000.
• Inasmuch Foundation will fund General Operating up to five consecutive years.
  • Grant decisions are still made on an annual basis, and organizations are not guaranteed five consecutive years of funding.
  • If funded for five years, all organizations are required to take at least a one-year funding hiatus.

One-time Funding Grants:

• Organizations applying for a specific project that will be transformational to the organization should apply for a One-time Funding Grant.
• There are no standardized amounts for One-time Funding Grant requests.
• Organizations interested in applying for one of these grants are encouraged to speak with a Program Officer about the specifics of the request.

Capital Campaign Grants:

• The Foundation will review a capital campaign request once 50-75% of the total campaign goal has been raised.
• Organizations interested in applying for one of these grants are encouraged to speak with a Program Officer about the specifics of the request.

Sponsorships

• ALL sponsorship requests MUST be submitted via the online grants portal.
  • Sponsorship information received through any other means (traditional mail, email, etc.) will be discarded.
• Requests should be submitted a minimum of three months in advance of the event.
• Once the request is submitted, it typically takes two to four weeks for the review process to be completed.
• Please note:
• Sponsorship requests and grant requests must be submitted via separate applications through the online grants portal.
• Organizations are eligible to submit one sponsorship request per year.
• The Foundation has a limited sponsorship budget and is thus unable to fund all sponsorship requests.

Program Areas Funded

The Following organization program areas are eligible for consideration:

• Arts & Culture
• Performing Arts
• Visual Arts
• Music

• Civic & Community
• Parks, Trails and Community beautification efforts
• Civic enhancement
• Adult and Youth leadership

• Education
• K-12 (Public, Private and Charter)
• Early Childhood Education
• Special Education
• Colleges and Universities

• Healthcare
• Direct service
• Health access

• Medical Research (by invitation only)

• Nature & Wildlife
• Land and Wildlife Conservation & Protection
• Restoration

• Social Services
• Housing
• Mental Health
• Feeding programs and Food Access
• Basic Needs provision

Type of Funding Provided

The Chapman Trusts currently provide funding for general operations, projects and programs, capital needs (brick and mortar, equipment purchases, etc.), and organization capacity building. 

Grants

Oklahoma Humanities accepts funding requests for projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life. Projects should engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. Oklahoma Humanities funding supports projects in three program categories: Public Programs, Preservation and Access Projects, and Education Projects.

Grants for Public Humanities Projects

The Public Humanities Projects category supports projects that bring the ideas of the humanities to life for general audiences through public programming. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. Awards support projects that are intended to reach broad and diverse public audiences in non-classroom settings in Oklahoma. Projects should engage with ideas that are accessible to the general public and employ appealing interpretive formats. We likewise welcome humanities projects tailored to particular groups, such as tribal communities, seniors, veterans, and underserved communities.

Grants for Exhibits:

The Exhibits category supports the creation, development, or implementation of a permanent, temporary, or traveling exhibit.

Grants for Humanities Discussions:

The Humanities Discussions category supports living history programs, conferences, community conversations, symposia, lectures or lecture series, reading and discussion programs, analytical discussions of museum collections or theater/musical performances.

Grants for Cultural Experiences:

The Cultural Experiences category supports formats that explore local history or cultural heritage such as historic walking tours, cultural trips, festivals, guided tours, or Chautauquas.

Grants for Media Projects:

The Media Projects category supports the development and production of radio programs, podcasts, print and digital publications, educational video(s), or other digital projects that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways.

Grants for Preservation and Access Projects

The Preservation and Access category supports projects that focus on ensuring the long-term and wide availability of primary resources in the humanities. Projects preserve and create access to collections and cultural heritage resources of importance for research, education, and public programming in the humanities. Project formats include language revitalization and preservation, oral history projects, and the digitization of collections.

Grants for Language Preservation

The Language Preservation category supports the preservation of endangered human languages.

Grants for Oral History Projects

The Oral History category supports community-based efforts to safeguard cultural resources through identifying, documenting, and/or collecting cultural heritage and community experiences through oral histories.

Grants for Preservation or Digitization of Collections

The Collections Preservation or Digitization category supports the digitization, maintenance, modernization, and sustainability of existing humanities collections.

Grants for Education Projects

The Education Projects category supports humanities education through educational experiences, curriculum development, and professional development opportunities for either public K-12 students or Humanities Educators.

Grants for Educator-Serving Projects

Projects for full- or part-time K-12 educators who teach in Oklahoma public schools. Projects may include teacher institutes or workshops, the creation and dissemination of curriculum guides, or other educator-serving projects.

Grants for Student-Serving Projects

Projects for K-12 Oklahoma public school students. Projects may include in-person learning events or field trips, virtual learning events or online programs, or hybrid virtual learning experiences.

The Artistic Innovations Grant Program encourages the spirit of experimentation and exploration, exclusively engaging in-region artists and organizations in the creation of new, original works for audiences in the M-AAA six-state region of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

This grant program offers up to $15,000 in support of expenses incurred in the art-making process and premiere of these endeavors. Through generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, M-AAA supports individual artists and arts-based nonprofit 501c3 organizations in our region for projects that meet the eligibility requirements listed below.

Cresap Family Foundation Grant

The Cresap family owned and operated Anheuser-Busch distributorships from 1968 through 2011. The family has a desire to give back to the communities that supported their business for 44 years, resulting in the formation of The Cresap Family Foundation. The intent of the Foundation is to support worthy charities in Central and Northeast Oklahoma.

Mission

The mission of the Cresap Family Foundation is to further the philanthropic legacy of the Cresap Family by improving the quality of life of Oklahoman’s and beyond. The Foundation’s areas of emphasis are youth and families, health and wellness, education, arts and humanities and animal welfare.

Focus Areas

• Arts & Humanities
• Community Development
• Education
• Health & Wellness
• Human Services

About Us

Founded in 1951, The Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation is a private, family foundation established in Oklahoma. ​Our purpose is to support charitable organizations in the United States, both large & small, with a preference on education & the state of Oklahoma. Our mission is to provide resources to Religious, Charitable, Scientific, Literary & Educational organizations & programs that traditional philanthropic sources might avoid.

Funding Areas

• Education: Organizations & projects supporting educational endeavors from pre-K to 12 & higher education, including but not limited to, endowments, scholarship funds and vocational technical programs.
• Construction: Brick & mortar projects including equipment to support renovations & new construction.
• Health & Wellness: Institutions supporting health & wellness through scientific research, health care & quality of life projects.
• Religion: Organizations & projects supporting faith-based & humanitarian endeavors.
• Literacy: Organizations & projects supporting innovative programs & increased literacy outcomes.
• Arts & Culture: Institutions & projects supporting the arts aimed at enriching the quality of life for the community. 

Foundation History

The Merrick Foundation was established in 1948 by Ward S. Merrick, Sr., as a memorial to his father F.W. Merrick and at the request of F.W.’s wife, Mrs. Elizabeth B. Merrick. The Declaration of Trust was recorded December 13, 1944 with the help of original trustees Ward S. Merrick, Sr., Robert Batis and Lester Dennis.

Mission 

The mission of The Merrick Foundation is to enhance the quality of life and the improvement of health for our fellow Oklahomans and their communities with a primary emphasis on South Central Oklahoma. With this goal in mind, the Merrick Foundation Directors are committed to furthering the philanthropic vision of Ward S. Merrick, Sr., by awarding grants to charitable organizations that foster independence and achievement, and that stimulate educational, economic, and cultural growth.

Areas of Support

• Arts and Humanities
• Education
• Health and Wellness
• Human Services

Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation

The mission of The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation is to lift our neighbors out of poverty by supporting housing and shelter resources, social services and basic human needs, mental health and indigent healthcare initiatives, and programs that empower and inspire community members to improve their lives.Our philanthropy reflects the faith, vision and values that guided our founders, Anne and Henry Zarrow, who believed in building communities where marginalized populations are elevated in ways that uplift us all.We fund nonprofit organizations working to improve the physical and intellectual lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people primarily in the metropolitan area of Tulsa, and in special cases statewide in Oklahoma and in Israel. Grants from the Foundation may be made in the form of operating, program or capital support.Funding PrioritiesThe Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation primarily focuses grantmaking on these priority areas: Alleviating & Preventing Homelessness

• The Foundation supports nonprofits that provide shelter, transitional housing, wraparound services, and eviction prevention.
• The Foundation also supports efforts to expand affordable housing in Tulsa.

Improving Access to Health Care & Mental Health Services

• The Foundation supports programs that improve access and quality to health and mental health services, especially for those living in poverty.

Supporting Social Services

• It is a cornerstone belief at the Foundation that providing annual, unrestricted operating support to social service providers is critical to their mission and to ours.
• Accordingly, the Foundation awards $7 million annually in general operating grants across more than 200 nonprofits.
• The Foundation also awards grants for piloting new initiatives, organizational planning, and capital projects.

Reducing Hunger & Supporting Basic Needs

• The Foundation believes that food insecurity and hunger are solvable, unnecessary, unjust, and impact everyone living in Oklahoma.

Secondary Areas of Interest The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation focuses on four additional areas of interest:Supporting Education 

• For The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, lifting neighbors out of poverty also means expanding access to higher education and improvement of K-12 programs likely to increase a disadvantaged child’s chance of entering college.
• The Foundation considers capital and operations grants to organizations that support education, and also provides ongoing scholarship support for programs at seven area universities including Langston University, Northeastern State University, Oklahoma State University, Rogers State University, Tulsa Community College, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Tulsa. For information on scholarships, please contact the universities directly.

Legacy Gifts

• From time to time the Foundation will fund special projects, which go beyond target areas of interest, especially where there is an opportunity to honor the strongest interests of our founders.

Supporting Jewish Life

• The trustees of The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation are committed to supporting Jewish communities, especially where projects can improve the lives of the disadvantaged.
• The Foundation’s strategy for Jewish Giving centers largely on support for social services and vulnerable populations, primarily in Israel. There will continue to be a preference for these types of projects located in the rural regions of Israel, such as the Galilee and the Negev.
  • Please see the grant page for Israel grants here. 

Enriching Local Culture & Quality of Life

• The trustees of The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation envision a community where people from all walks of life can interact, gain insight, engage with beauty, and be inspired to reach their full potential.
• Grants to cultural institutions, civic improvement, arts organizations, and advocacy projects build on a longstanding commitment made by Anne and Henry Zarrow to invest in the community where they built their company and raised their family.

Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation

The mission of The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation is to lift our neighbors out of poverty by supporting housing and shelter resources, social services and basic human needs, mental health and indigent healthcare initiatives, and programs that empower and inspire community members to improve their lives.Our philanthropy reflects the faith, vision and values that guided our founders, Anne and Henry Zarrow, who believed in building communities where marginalized populations are elevated in ways that uplift us all.We fund nonprofit organizations working to improve the physical and intellectual lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people primarily in the metropolitan area of Tulsa, and in special cases statewide in Oklahoma and in Israel. Grants from the Foundation may be made in the form of operating, program or capital support.Funding PrioritiesThe Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation primarily focuses grantmaking on these priority areas: Alleviating & Preventing Homelessness

• The Foundation supports nonprofits that provide shelter, transitional housing, wraparound services, and eviction prevention.
• The Foundation also supports efforts to expand affordable housing in Tulsa.

Improving Access to Health Care & Mental Health Services

• The Foundation supports programs that improve access and quality to health and mental health services, especially for those living in poverty.

Supporting Social Services

• It is a cornerstone belief at the Foundation that providing annual, unrestricted operating support to social service providers is critical to their mission and to ours.
• Accordingly, the Foundation awards $7 million annually in general operating grants across more than 200 nonprofits.
• The Foundation also awards grants for piloting new initiatives, organizational planning, and capital projects.

Reducing Hunger & Supporting Basic Needs

• The Foundation believes that food insecurity and hunger are solvable, unnecessary, unjust, and impact everyone living in Oklahoma.

Secondary Areas of Interest The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation focuses on four additional areas of interest:Supporting Education 

• For The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, lifting neighbors out of poverty also means expanding access to higher education and improvement of K-12 programs likely to increase a disadvantaged child’s chance of entering college.
• The Foundation considers capital and operations grants to organizations that support education, and also provides ongoing scholarship support for programs at seven area universities including Langston University, Northeastern State University, Oklahoma State University, Rogers State University, Tulsa Community College, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Tulsa. For information on scholarships, please contact the universities directly.

Legacy Gifts

• From time to time the Foundation will fund special projects, which go beyond target areas of interest, especially where there is an opportunity to honor the strongest interests of our founders.

Supporting Jewish Life

• The trustees of The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation are committed to supporting Jewish communities, especially where projects can improve the lives of the disadvantaged.
• The Foundation’s strategy for Jewish Giving centers largely on support for social services and vulnerable populations, primarily in Israel. There will continue to be a preference for these types of projects located in the rural regions of Israel, such as the Galilee and the Negev.
  • Please see the grant page for Israel grants here. 

Enriching Local Culture & Quality of Life

• The trustees of The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation envision a community where people from all walks of life can interact, gain insight, engage with beauty, and be inspired to reach their full potential.
• Grants to cultural institutions, civic improvement, arts organizations, and advocacy projects build on a longstanding commitment made by Anne and Henry Zarrow to invest in the community where they built their company and raised their family.