Grants for Nonprofits Serving Disabled in Oklahoma

NOTE: The Foundation may award Challenge Grants from time to time to give you a tool to increase your donor base and/or your total contributions.

About Us

Fully funded in 2003 through the will bequests of Carl C. Anderson Sr. and Marie Jo Anderson, the Foundation funds non-profit organizations in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The Foundation gratefully recognizes the efforts and counsel of the family’s long-time attorney, R. Russell Rager, and accountant, Charles R. Batte III, in helping create the Foundation in 1963.

Since inception, the Foundation has invested more than $50 million in nonprofit organizations to assist them in serving the most vulnerable with a focus on children and youth, seniors and people with disabilities.

Challenge Grants

Mission Areas

The Foundation funds nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services supporting these program areas for low-income and vulnerable populations or individuals:

• Programs that provide basic and essential needs of children and youth;
• Programs that improve or enhance the quality of life for seniors;
• Programs that improve or enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities; and
• Funding for medical research (funding is limited and by invitation only).

Examples of Program Funding

• Home delivered/congregant meals and supplemental food for food-insecure individuals
• Emergency and transitional housing and shelter
• Medical and dental care
• Therapeutic services
• Transportation
• Day services for seniors and people with disabilities
• Respite care for caregivers and respite care for seniors/people with disabilities
• Early Childhood Intervention
• Early childhood development

Mission Areas

The Foundation funds nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services supporting these program areas for low-income and vulnerable populations or individuals:

• Programs that provide basic and essential needs of children and youth;
• Programs that improve or enhance the quality of life for seniors;
• Programs that improve or enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities; and
• Funding for medical research (funding is limited and by invitation only).

Examples of Program Funding

• Home delivered/congregant meals and supplemental food for food-insecure individuals
• Emergency and transitional housing and shelter
• Medical and dental care
• Therapeutic services
• Transportation
• Day services for seniors and people with disabilities
• Respite care for caregivers and respite care for seniors/people with disabilities
• Early Childhood Intervention
• Early childhood development

NOTE: Pre proposal deadline above is the deadline for publishing your GiveSmartOKC profile and the LOI deadline is for email requests to apply.

Opportunities for Children

Grants are awarded to charitable organizations that provide direct services for children from birth to age 14 and offer access to opportunities.

Funding Areas

Eligible programs include:

Preschool children: Programming/services that are focused on building school readiness.

• Examples: early education programs, early literacy programs, and/or family engagement programming.

Foster children: Programming/services that support foster children.

• Examples: housing, mental health, mentoring, basic needs, resource centers, education, therapy, life/job skills, recreational/social/cultural opportunities, and re-unification programs.

Underserved children: Programming/services that provide recreational, social, and cultural activities for children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to participate due to socioeconomic or geographic barriers, developmental disabilities (physical and/or intellectual), or chronic health conditions. 

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

The Donna Nigh Foundation was established to serve as a bridge between the public and private sectors to help with programs that government agencies are unable to provide. The Donna Nigh Foundation works closely with state agencies to provide a network of support. The Donna Nigh Foundation provides adaptive equipment that allows Oklahomans with developmental disabilities to push their boundaries and gain independence. Eligible for Funding

• Environmental and Recreational Adaptations
• Classroom Cognition & Developmental Equipment
• Sheltered Workshop Equipment and Activities

Anne & Henry Zarrow FoundationThe 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 PrioritiesAlleviating & Preventing Homelessness

• The Foundation supports programs that work to end homelessness as well as lessen the struggle of homelessness, including Built for Zero, a housing-first campaign focused on housing all of Tulsa’s chronically homeless and homeless veterans.
• The Foundation supports nonprofits that provide shelter, utility assistance, and basic needs as well as sustainable models of supportive housing, such as those advanced by the Mental Health Association Oklahoma, with its 1500 affordable rental units as well as therapeutic housing and programs. The Foundation also funds housing efforts targeting young adults and seniors.
• In 2017, the Foundation was awarded the HUD Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships for its innovative and impactful cross-sector housing initiatives.

Improving Access to Health Care & Mental Health Services

• The Foundation supports programs that improve health and mental health, especially for those living in poverty. Additionally, the foundation supports collaborative efforts to improve mental health care and delivery systems to positively impact disadvantaged individuals and families.
• In 2017, the Foundation funded a comprehensive assessment of Tulsa’s mental health services in partnership with the Urban Institute and The University of Tulsa.
• Early results from the study encouraged the foundation to make a leadership investment toward planning and construction of a new 114,000 square-foot Parkside Psychiatric Hospital. The project will nearly double the hospital’s capacity, serve 136 patients daily with 80 new single-occupancy rooms, a new mental health emergency room, and 16 new substance abuse rehabilitation beds.

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. The Foundation also awards grants for piloting new initiatives, organizational planning, and capital projects.
• One capital investment that aims to supports our vibrant nonprofits is Legacy Plaza.
• In 2015, the Foundation purchased the 3-facility campus to be remodeled and owned by five Tulsa nonprofits which were in need of expanding service and headquarter spaces.
• Legacy Plaza owners include Assistance League of Tulsa, Mental Health Association Oklahoma, LIFE Senior Services, Community Action Project, and the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits.

Reducing Hunger & Supporting Basic Needs

• We believe that food insecurity and hunger are solvable, unnecessary, unjust and impact everyone living in Oklahoma. The Foundation has long supported the state’s food bank efforts to improve nutrition with expanded produce offerings and broader rural outreach.
• In 2016, the Foundation funded a statewide hunger assessment which identified millions of available federal funds for children’s meal and supplemental nutrition programs that were being left on the table annually. In response, the Foundation launched Hunger Free Oklahoma, an organization dedicated to leveraging partnerships to secure these funds for children’s hunger and other programs in Oklahoma.

Areas of InterestTo a lesser degree, 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.

Special Projects

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

Jewish & Israel Giving

• 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. In addition, local and national grants will be considered along with other special projects internationally.
  • 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.

The mission of the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation is to improve the oral health of all Oklahomans by funding and facilitating dental related programs. Based on that mission, we award grants to organizations in four areas: benevolent dentistry/access to dental care, oral health education for the public, education for dental professionals, and oral health related research.

Intention of Funds

All funds provided by the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation grant program are intended to serve the public interest and fulfill the Foundation’s mission to improve the oral health of all Oklahomans by funding and facilitating dental health and education programs. All funds must be used in accordance with the purposes specified on the grantee’s grant application and in accordance with IRS Code 501(c)(3). 

Roberta and Phil married in 1954 and, together, the couple became quiet philanthropists, focusing much of their charitable giving on nonprofit organizations in and around the Muskogee area. After Phil’s death in 1981, five charitable trusts were established to ensure their legacy would live on. After Roberta's death in 1985, her daughter, Miriam Freedman, continued administering the trusts.

In 2013, after overseeing the family’s foundation for more than 30 years, Miriam transferred the Kirschner Trusts to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Today, the Kirschner Trusts award grants to charitable organizations that support causes important to the family.

Funding areas

Jewish Education, Culture & Heritage

Goal:  To support Jewish organizations that provide:

• Social services, counseling and education specifically targeted to children and young adults (ages 0 - 24) of Jewish heritage.
• Public understanding related to Jewish religion and cultural heritage.

Educational & Vocational Opportunities for Children & Young Adults with Disabilities

Goal: To support organizations that provide children and young adults living with disabilities (ages 0 - 24) educational and vocational opportunities that contribute to their independence and self-sustainability.

If you plan to apply under this funding category, please note the following:

• Social services are beyond the scope of this grant program unless they specifically contribute to independent living.
• Applicants may only request program/project-based support. Requests for General Operating Support will not be considered.

Eastern Oklahoma Charitable Organizations

Goal: To support organizations that are meeting the social, economic and educational needs of their communities.

NOTE: Deadline to request access is at the pre proposal deadline above.

The Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation was established in 1995 to improve the quality of life in designated rural communities in southern Oklahoma. A grant program was adopted by the Trustees to support programs and projects in designated communities that will improve the quality of life and provide opportunities for citizens to improve themselves and their communities.

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.