NOTE: Small grant applications have no specific deadline, but please allow 30-45 days for consideration. 

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. 

The Kirkpatrick Foundation has identified the following to be areas of acute or ongoing need (read more about them here): 

• Community
• Education & Outreach
• Farm & Industry
• Public Safety
• Shelter Administration 
• Socio-Economic Issues
• Wildlife & Conservation

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
• Arts Learning in Communities Grants

Arts Learning in Communities Grants

Arts Learning in Communities grants provide support for projects that involve arts instruction, classes and/or workshops for people of all ages and abilities. From children to older adults to individuals with disabilities, community-based arts learning programs benefit Oklahomans throughout the state.

Small Grant Support

• All new applicants must apply in this category.
• Applicants are eligible for two grants of up to $2500 each fiscal year. Grantees must provide a 1:1 cash match (half of the match may be in-kind support).
• Applications must be submitted at least 30 days before the start of a project.

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 30 days before the start of a project.

Guidelines

Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector.

A small grant at the right time can go a long way and is often the catalyst that inspires a community to take action on a preservation project. Grants generally start at $2,500 and range up to $5,000. The selection process is very competitive.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning: Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach: Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and ForestryThe Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry exists to protect, promote and regulate the agricultural resources of the state of Oklahoma. Under the guidance of the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture, the department ensures food safety, protects herd health, fosters new markets for Oklahoma’s agricultural and natural products, manages licensing and regulation and represents the agriculture industry on the Governor’s Cabinet.Healthy Food Financing ProgramThe Oklahoma Healthy Food Financing Program provides financing for food retailers to provide heathy food in underserved communities that primarily serve low or moderate income communities.FundingProposals may be submitted as either a loan or a grant. Loan proposals are not limited to a specific dollar amount. Grants shall be limited to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00)

Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits 

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.

Criteria

Alignment

Does the project align with the goals, mission, and collecting fields of the Thoma Foundation?

Alignment is the first metric by which we evaluate all applications. The Foundation funds projects that substantively engage with our fields of interest. We most frequently fund projects that are directly related to a specific artist in our collection or to a particular subfield within our collections. As a reminder, the Foundation loans all of the objects in our collections to AAM accredited facilities.

Does the project enhance our target regions?

We fund projects from across the United States and abroad; however, we are particularly interested in receiving proposals for projects based in or serving our target U.S. regions: Arizona, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. International projects are restricted to the Art of the Spanish Americas, with a preference for organizations located in South America.

Why do you want to partner with the Thoma Foundation?

We are a small, personable team that hand-selects our granting partners in an effort to build a stronger network of specialists. In your application, we welcome you to directly address why you want to engage our singular Foundation.

Leadership

Who are the leaders behind this project? Do they have the drive to carry the project to fruition?

In all of our grantmaking, we seek to back leaders who can make a difference. Rather than thinking of our grants as going to organizations or institutions, we value direct, personal relationships with individual leaders. When we evaluate LOIs or initiate conversations with museums or other cultural institutions, we are looking for engagement and buy-in from the executive leadership. We prefer to receive LOIs where the executive director or other senior leadership had not only endorsed but helped shape the project.

Does the project drive the field forward? Does it disrupt conventional thinking around the topic?

We are inspired by people who invent solutions in pursuit of progress, and we want to hear about your ingenious “big idea.” The Thoma Foundation funds projects that advance scholarship in our specialized fields. We require programs to be accessible and public-facing. Whether it’s an overdue monograph on an artist in our collection, an exhibition that re-envisions a historic grouping of works, or a conservation project that uses new imaging technology to spur art historical insights, the Thoma Foundation wants to help your organization realize its cutting-edge vision.

Timing

Will the Thoma Foundation be an “early funder” on this project? 

We like to be “seed funders” of major projects, entering partnerships as early and/or lead funders on the ground floor. We require 12-month advance notice to consider support of major projects. We do not provide emergency funding for late-stage projects.

Feasibility

Does the project have realistic outcomes?

We expect projects to produce tangible deliverables with calculable metrics. We determine if your project goals and outcomes are feasible and realistic based on our knowledge of your organization and its leadership. We welcome direct contact from your organization’s executive director, president, and/or thought-leaders to discuss their investment in the proposed project’s success.

Reach

Do you have audience impact?

We prefer to support projects that engage both mainstream and scholarly audiences from all walks of life. To us, accessibility means organizing an exhibition that travels to museums in multiple regions, publishing a printed book that includes a thoughtful digital component, or revamping K-12 curriculum for the digital era. We expect organizations to dedicate marketing, publicity, and education plans to their proposed project.

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 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 E. and Eleanor B. Kirkpatrick, their daughter Joan E. Kirkpatrick and her son Christian K. Keesee. The Kirkpatrick Family has established a legacy of giving that will continue to benefit future generations in central Oklahoma.

Founders John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick believed that a strong cultural and service community would benefit their hometown for generations to come. The Kirkpatrick family and trustees of the fund continue to honor this vision through their grant programs to support nonprofits that contribute to the cultural landscape, health and well-being of the community.

Project Support

Project support grants are available to assist with the direct expenses associated with specific projects or programs of an organization. These grants are restricted to projects that provide direct benefit to the organization’s constituents, in fulfillment of the organization’s mission. Project support grants may be used to pay for any costs directly related to the implementation of the project. Project support grants cannot be used for general administration of the organization.

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.

Social 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.

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.