Awards

Third Space Foundation

Oklahoma Hispanic Institute's 2024 OKC Area Top 40 Hispanic Leadership Awards Luncheon

April 30, 2024

Awarded: $15,000

Third Space Foundation provides fiscal sponsorship to small organizations fighting for equity for marginalized individuals and other services to community members and serves as the fiscal sponsor for this project. The Oklahoma Hispanic Institute creates, supports and sponsors initiatives for public and private engagement, resource development in education, cultural arts and community leadership. The 2024 OKC Area Top 40 Hispanic Leadership Awards Luncheon brings together Oklahoma City area Hispanic community leaders to be recognized for their current and past roles as role models and leadership development advocates.

HeartLine

Festival of Hope

April 25, 2024

Awarded: $5,000

HeartLine connects Oklahomans to help, hope, and information – 24 hours a day through services that include the 211 Community Resource Line, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Disaster Distress Helpline, Housing and Homeless Prevention Services, among others. Through their call center, HeartLine brings resources and compassionate, nonjudgmental support to those in need, as well as support to prevent suicide in our communities. Their work focuses on compassionate listening, connecting those in need to important resources, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention. These objectives lead individuals and families to improve their quality of life. HeartLine’s annual Festival of Hope Gala is a celebration of the organization’s programs and services.

Mid-Del Public Schools Foundation

Mid-Del Swim 2024-2025 Season

April 1, 2024

Awarded: $1,700

Mid-Del Public Schools Foundation provides essential funding to teachers, school sites and district programs which focus on impactful, innovative and creative teaching. The Mid-Del Swim Program uses competitive swimming to teach water safety and create opportunities for young people who aspire to earn degrees while competing in athletics. They are also huge advocates of water proficiency and drowning prevention within the community.

A Chance to Change

2024 Celebrations Event

April 1, 2024

Awarded: $10,000

A Chance to Change provides a wide cross-section of our community – adults, children, families of nearly every age, income level, and ethnicity. ACTC helps with a wide range of needs including mental health, substance use, family issues, anxiety, depression, parenting, grief, trauma, alcoholism, opioid addiction, gambling, domestic violence, and more. The annual Celebrations Event honors impactful advocates and raises essential funds to provide low- and no-cost mental health support for all.

Wings Special Needs Community

Wings Serves OK - Hygiene Kits for OCDC

March 25, 2024

Awarded: $15,000

Wings provides an educational Day Program and Social Club for adults with developmental disabilities. Wings empowers its members to reach their fullest potential through meaningful work, education, and enrichment opportunities that promote independence. Wings Serves OK (WSOK) is an innovative component of the Day Program curriculum that utilizes Wings Members to assemble hygiene kits and household essential packs. These packs are distributed through Wings’ partner network, which includes homeless shelters, correctional facilities, schools, and nonprofits, including Palomar Family Justice Center, Catholic Charities, HOPE Center of Edmond, Angels Foster Family Network, Project 66, and Diversion Hub. Its biggest consumer of hygiene kits is the Oklahoma County Detention Center (OCDC).

University of Tulsa

2024 Justice and Dreams Law Gala

March 5, 2024

Awarded: $10,000

The University of Tulsa fosters a diverse campus life that gives students close connections with faculty who are leaders in their fields. The Justice and Dreams Law Gala celebrates community champions who have used the letter of the law to make lasting and meaningful impact on the lives of others. This contribution will allow The University of Tulsa College of Law to provide crucial support to the next generation of legal champions, laying the groundwork for a brighter and better future.

Allied Arts of Oklahoma

Annual Allied Arts Campaign

March 5, 2024

Awarded: $5,000

Allied Arts is central Oklahoma's only united arts fund, raising critical funds through its annual campaign and providing grant awards and other resources to the cultural nonprofit sector. The annual fundraising campaign is a community-wide effort to generate vital support. Arts groups enrich our quality of life and economic development with world-class exhibits and performances that draw new businesses and retain local talent, inspire our youth with life-changing arts experiences, and bring our community together through free and accessible festivals. Campaign funds are invested in the Allied Arts grantmaking program which enables recipients to invest the funds where they are most needed to advance their missions.

Library Endowment Trust

Literary Voices 2024

February 29, 2024

Awarded: $25,000

The Library Endowment Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds in support of the Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County. Our current focus is long-term sustainable funding for early childhood literacy outreach and programming in Oklahoma County, including the expansion and sustainability of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library book gifting program. This grant covers sponsorship for the 2024 Literary Voices author series featuring Kevin Kwan, Kwame Alexander, and James Patterson. The sponsorship provides funding for free community access to Kwame Alexander and underwriting to help develop the endowment support for early childhood literacy in Oklahoma County.

Angels Foster Family Network

General Operations 2024

February 28, 2024

Awarded: $10,000

Angels Foster Family Network’s vision is to be the leading source of support and hope for children and families in the foster care system. They surround their highly trained foster families with wraparound services and great partnering agencies that provide additional services. Angels collaborates with agencies statewide and creates streamlined pathways for children and families in the foster care system. Their beyond foster care program provides additional support for its adoptive families.

Third Space Foundation

Juneteenth on the East

January 31, 2024

Awarded: $15,000

Juneteenth on the East is a celebration for all people to come together and peacefully rejoice in freedom, exchange in culture, and uplift the community. Activities include live music, a 5k race, interactive murals, dance performances, spoken word, food trucks, educational tents and vendors, featuring local small businesses, who are the backbone of the Eastside community. The Third Space Foundation serves as an administrative and financial umbrella for projects and efforts that do not have the resources to form a 501(c)(3) and helps them raise awareness around their work.

Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation

T-Up for OKCPS

January 24, 2024

Awarded: $2,500

The mission of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation is to advance excellence, advocate for equity and build strong community support for Oklahoma City Public Schools. T-Up for OKCPS is a day for the community to show their support and solidarity for OKCPS simply by purchasing a T-shirt and wearing it on the same day. This campaign raises funds and awareness for the needs of Oklahoma City Public Schools by supporting the impactful work of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation.

NonDoc Media

Sustainable Journalism Endowment

December 20, 2023

Awarded: $150,000

NonDoc is an independent online journalism publication that is committed to responsible reporting of local news and investigating important topics. Coverage areas predominantly involve the civic and cultural spheres, including award-winning coverage of the Oklahoma State Capitol, education system, criminal justice & more. Its team regularly produces articles regarding elections, voter guides, election results and stories on candidates at the national, state, tribal, county, and municipal levels. The Sustainable Journalism Endowment’s express purpose is to further the mission and vision of NonDoc Media by creating long-term funding for journalism jobs in Oklahoma and helping ensure NonDoc’s independence and sustainability for years to come.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Operations

November 30, 2023

Awarded: $20,000

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is the state’s preeminent provider of management and capacity building resources for Oklahoma nonprofits. Its programs ensure the more than 5,200 registered Oklahoma nonprofits (970+ Center member organizations) have access to the training and resources needed to ensure efficient operations, maximum program capacity, top-tier leadership, and sound finances. Its goal is to provide world-class training, custom-tailored consultations, networking, shared financial services and advocacy to help strengthen nonprofit organizations statewide and bolster the sector.

Frontier Media Group

Operations

October 19, 2023

Awarded: $25,000

Frontier Media Group is an investigative journalism nonprofit that focuses on accountability reporting in the areas of politics, health, education, criminal justice, diversity, equity and inclusion, mental health, housing and the environment, as well as some tribal reporting. Their goal is to create a platform for change in Oklahoma by identifying important, untold stories, and informing citizens how they can get involved.

Oklahoma Watch

Operations

October 18, 2023

Awarded: $15,000

Oklahoma Watch produces in-depth and investigative journalism as a public service for the benefit of all Oklahomans. Through investigative, fact-driven journalism, they dig deep and examine significant issues facing the state. Their work engages all Oklahomans, amplifies the discussion of important issues and leads to change. Oklahoma Watch is focused in these core areas: Criminal Justice, Democracy, State Government, Race & Equity, Vulnerable Populations and Education. They publish work statewide through their own platforms (website, newsletters, podcast, events) and their work is available at no charge to any news organization that wishes to use it, so it can often be found in the state's newspapers, on radio and on television as well as websites. This grant, while unrestricted, will enable Oklahoma Watch to raise further funds through programs like News Match, a national, annual fundraising event for nonprofit news organizations, which pays a bonus based on local matching grants secured by participating news organizations.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

Annual Fundraising Campaign

October 3, 2023

Awarded: $25,000

Since 1923, United Way of Central Oklahoma has worked with businesses, organizations, and foundations to raise funds for the annual campaign. United Way of Central Oklahoma invests in proven, high-quality programs, including counseling, crisis intervention, mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, medical examinations, treatments, screenings, referrals, and medications.

Jazz in June

2024 Jazz in June Festival

September 20, 2023

Awarded: $2,500

The mission of Jazz In June is to educate the public regarding jazz, as a unique American musical art form, by serving as a showcase for the many diverse forms of jazz. To achieve this, they produce a 3-day music festival, provide educational workshops, and present a “Best of Jazz in June” radio program. This funding will help Jazz in June plan, produce and stage the 41st Annual Jazz in June festival to begin the firth decade of presenting some of the best in jazz and blues to Oklahoma audiences.

Thomas N Lynn Institute for Healthcare Research

Legacy Luncheon

September 7, 2023

Awarded: $2,500

The Lynn Institute focuses on impacting vulnerable and under-resourced communities and neighborhoods. The organization conducts research to determine needs in the areas in which we work to ensure efforts are focused on what will most benefit communities. Programs and services include fresh produce food distributions for families, seniors and the homeless in NE OKC, South OKC, and zip code 73114. It also offers health/wellness programs and screenings, community events to connect residents with services and benefits, a garden program geared to youth in the Juvenile Court system, walking clubs, a Youth Leadership Academy for at-risk teens, and the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program that builds connection, offers small home repair assistance, teaches financial and workforce ready content, and introduces the Science of Hope. The Legacy Luncheon is an annual event that raises operational dollars, explains the work of the organization, recognizes community champions and introduces new Lynn projects.

NonDoc Media

Writers' Fund 2023

July 28, 2023

Awarded: $25,000

NonDoc’s mission is to produce and distribute quality journalism with context that enables civic involvement. NonDoc’s vision is to sustain reporting on under-covered civic issues while increasing public knowledge and encouraging public dialogue. Philanthropic support is vital to support NonDoc's general reporting, including on topics like the Oklahoma Legislature, local civics, tribal affairs, education, criminal justice and elections.

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition

Scrabble Showdown

July 17, 2023

Awarded: $5,000

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition’s (OKCMLC) mission is to lead a collaboration of literacy providers and supporters to strengthen services and present a united voice for literacy in Metropolitan Oklahoma City. The Scrabble Showdown is OKCMLC’s annual fundraiser that features an amateur Scrabble tournament where teams of two compete at one of three skill levels — Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced. The event includes food, drink, a silent auction, and plenty of “word cheats” that can be purchased, all for a good cause.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Capital Campaign Endowment

June 29, 2023

Awarded: $250,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is a nonprofit organization equipping and strengthening the Oklahoma nonprofit sector through training, consulting, advocacy, membership, networking and awards. It is the state’s preeminent provider of management and capacity building resources for Oklahoma nonprofits. OKCNP is in the process of renovating a 31,000 square-foot building to be its new Oklahoma City headquarters. This new home for OKCNP will provide increased space, improved amenities and essential offerings ensuring Members have access to a space that not only meets their needs, but fosters self-improvement, certification, continued learning and enhanced governance/leadership. The funds from this grant will go towards supporting OKCNP’s endowment challenge grant. The endowment will help ensure OKCNP has the resources it needs to operate a larger facility and expand its support to the nonprofit community.

Midwest City Fraternal Order of Police

Bethany Memoli Fundraiser

June 28, 2023

Awarded: $5,000

The Midwest City Fraternal Order of Police consists of law enforcement officers and police department employees in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Their mission is to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual helpfulness among our members and the people they serve. Bethany Memoli is the Administrative Assistant for Chief Porter at the Midwest City police department. She is currently battling breast cancer that requires multiple procedures that have put her out of work. As a city, they have organized multiple fundraisers to raise funds to cover some of the expenses as she faces this battle.

HeartLine

Festival of Hope

May 31, 2023

Awarded: $5,000

HeartLine connects Oklahomans to help, hope, and information – 24 hours a day through services that include the 211 Community Resource Line, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Disaster Distress Helpline, Housing and Homeless Prevention Services, among others. Through their call center, HeartLine brings resources and compassionate, nonjudgmental support to those in need, as well as support to prevent suicide in our communities. Their work focuses on compassionate listening, connecting those in need to important resources, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention. These objectives lead individuals and families to improve their quality of life. HeartLine’s 21st annual Festival of Hope Gala is a celebration of the organization’s programs and services.

Oklahoma Watch

Operations

May 23, 2023

Awarded: $10,000

Oklahoma Watch produces in-depth and investigative journalism as a public service for the benefit of all Oklahomans. Through investigative, fact-driven journalism, they dig deep and examine significant issues facing the state. Their work engages all Oklahomans, amplifies the discussion of important issues and leads to change. Oklahoma Watch helps to develop the journalists and journalism of the future. Their work is focused in these core areas: Criminal Justice, Democracy, State Government, Race & Equity, Vulnerable Populations and Education. This grant, while unrestricted, will enable Oklahoma Watch to raise further funds through programs like News Match, a national, annual fundraising event for nonprofit news organizations, which pays a bonus based on local matching grants secured by participating news organizations.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains

Increase Regional Access to Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

May 8, 2023

Awarded: $200,000

Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) specializes in providing care to communities who have historically experienced medical disenfranchisement, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and uninsured individuals. This systemic lack of access to healthcare has heavily impacted the lives of these communities, who bear a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes. This not only impacts the overall health of these individuals, but can contribute to lower life expectancy, decreased quality of life, and loss of economic opportunity. Financial barriers to healthcare access are also an all-too-common reality for many, particularly as economic challenges related to the pandemic and inflation continue to rise.

Oklahoma City Pride Alliance

2023 OKC Pridefest

April 27, 2023

Awarded: $5,000

The OKC Pride Alliance is devoted to Oklahoma's 2SLGBTQIA+ community through fostering inclusive, all ages, affirming programming. OKC PrideFest is an annual 3-day festival and parade that takes place in downtown Oklahoma City to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. There are community resources, youth programming, entertainment, family activities, sport events, health resources, and community development. This event is a time for joy for the queer community and helps bring a sense of pride and love for all. Youth Pride Prom is a program that provides a space for queer youth to experience a prom/dance event as their authentic selves. PrideFest is a monumental event to have in Downtown OKC, as it signifies a new generation of activism and visibility in Oklahoma.

Third Space Foundation

Juneteenth on the East

March 30, 2023

Awarded: $15,000

Juneteenth on the East is a celebration for all people to come together and peacefully rejoice in freedom, exchange in culture, and uplift the community. Features live music, a 5k race, interactive murals, dance performances, spoken word, food trucks, educational tents and vendors, featuring local small businesses, who are the backbone of the Eastside community. The Third Space Foundation serves as an administrative and financial umbrella for projects and efforts that do not have the resources to form a 501(c)(3) and helps them raise awareness around their work.

Oklahoma Black Caucus Foundation

AC Hamlin Banquet

March 28, 2023

Awarded: $10,000

The Oklahoma Black Caucus Foundation (OBCF) is a nonprofit organization that continues to zealously serve as a strong advocate of education. Biennially, the OBCF requests the presence of many distinguished citizens at the A. C. Hamlin Awards Banquet. The banquet is named in honor of Oklahoma’s first African American legislator. The proceeds from the banquet are used to provide scholarships to deserving college students at Langston University. Langston University is the only historically black college or university (HBCU) in the state of Oklahoma.

A Chance to Change

2023 Celebrations Event

March 27, 2023

Awarded: $5,000

A Chance to Change offers education classes, workshops and prevention programs to those suffering from addictions, behavioral disorders and those whose families have been affected. The agency provides support for a multitude of mental health and substance use issues in the community and honors every client through Celebrations by honoring their individual journey, no matter the cause. This special evening extends far beyond the event itself. All donations received for the event help facilitate free or low-cost programs and services throughout the year for those who cannot afford treatment.

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation

General Operations

February 28, 2023

Awarded: $5,000

The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation is a nonprofit fostering excellence in K-12 science and mathematics education throughout Oklahoma by supporting OSSM’s outreach projects, programs, development, students, staff, and faculty. Together with caring, concerned individuals and organizations, they are strengthening Oklahoma’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) resources through the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics.

Allied Arts of Oklahoma

Annual Allied Arts Campaign

February 21, 2023

Awarded: $10,000

The Allied Arts annual campaign is a community-wide drive to raise vital funds to ensure quality cultural programming; arts education in classrooms, after school sites, and neighborhood centers; outreach into underserved communities; and healing arts initiatives for the sick and disabled. Allied Arts member agencies use allocated funds to not only meet administrative line items but also to underwrite performances and exhibits, keep admission prices affordable, provide free arts events and programming, and bring arts experiences to school children statewide.

NonDoc Media

Sustainable Journalism Endowment

January 31, 2023

Awarded: $7,000

NonDoc is a responsible public forum for news and commentary based in Oklahoma that provides support for the pursuit of important stories and civic oversight. Their mission is to produce and distribute quality journalism with context that enables civic involvement. NonDoc has established the Sustainable Journalism Endowment with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. The express purpose of this endowment is to further NonDoc’s mission and vision in a meaningful and sustainable way that decreases their reliance on year-to-year fundraising.

YWCA Oklahoma City

2023 Fundraising Events

January 31, 2023

Awarded: $20,000

YWCA Oklahoma City is an emergency crisis-intervention services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This grant will support the Purple Sash, Reduce the Odds, and Engaging Men events. The Purple Sash gala features dinner, live and silent auctions, a New York-style fashion show, and is one key component of raising money to provide critical services to those in need. Reduce the Odds raises support for survivors and reduce the odds of sexual assault. The Engaging Men breakfast raises critical funding for the agency’s mission and helps raise awareness around domestic violence in our community.

Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation

T-Up for OKCPS

January 4, 2023

Awarded: $2,500

The mission of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation is to advance excellence, advocate for equity and build strong community support for Oklahoma City Public Schools. T-Up for OKCPS is a day for the community to show their support and solidarity for OKCPS simply by purchasing a T-shirt and wearing it on the same day. This campaign raises funds and awareness for the needs of Oklahoma City Public Schools by supporting the impactful work of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Professional Fundraising Certification Program

December 12, 2022

Awarded: $20,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is a nonprofit organization equipping and strengthening the Oklahoma nonprofit sector through training, consulting, advocacy, membership, networking and awards. Focused on enhancing Oklahoma’s nonprofit development professionals, OKCNP has engaged the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University to launch a five-month, four-part Fundraising Certification Program crafted for Oklahoma nonprofits. This program is designed to nurture and cultivate a cohort of 30 development professionals while also significantly reducing tuition for the inaugural class.

Oklahoma Israel Exchange

OKIE's 30th Anniversary Gala

November 25, 2022

Awarded: $3600

Since 1992, the Oklahoma Israel Exchange (OKIE) has energized the relationship between Oklahoma and Israel creating fruitful outcomes. OKIE has delivered agricultural, cultural, and educational programs as well as explored commercial endeavors for more than 30 years. OKIE’s annual gala draws supporters to a fine evening meal and a series of award presentations.

NorthCare

EMDR Training in OKC

November 14, 2022

Awarded: $17,932.76

NorthCare is a leading provider of integrated behavioral health services for Oklahomans living with mental illness, trauma, and addiction. They provide more than 20 trauma-informed programs for Oklahomans of all ages throughout all of central Oklahoma and neighboring counties and is a certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic and community mental health center by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Their mission is to strengthen communities by improving health and safety, one family at a time. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a form of psychotherapy designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Funding will support training courses to better serve the population in need of this therapy.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

Annual Fundraising Campaign

October 12, 2022

Awarded: $25,000

Since 1923, United Way of Central Oklahoma has worked with businesses, organizations, and foundations to raise funds for the annual campaign. United Way of Central Oklahoma invests in proven, high-quality programs, including counseling, crisis intervention, mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, medical examinations, treatments, screenings, referrals, and medications.

Jazz in June

2023 Jazz in June Festival

October 11, 2022

Awarded: $2,500

Beginning as a single concert in 1984, Jazz in June has grown into a regional jazz and blues festival which serves an audience of 150,000 through concerts and radio broadcasts. Today Jazz in June reaches far beyond its three-day festival to include jam sessions, educational workshops, a mini-concert series, and a statewide public radio broadcast.

Mid-Del Public Schools Foundation

Mid-Del Swim 2022

October 10, 2022

Awarded: $15,000

Since 1989, the Mid-Del Public Schools Foundation has contributed to great schools in our community by providing essential funding to teachers, school sites and district programs which focus on impactful, innovative and creative teaching. The Mid-Del Schools swim team seeks to use sports and the life lessons therein to keep kids off the streets and in the pool. Through sport, youth build a competitive family, allowing them to achieve athletic and academic excellence through relationships and shared experience. This grant supports providing parkas, food for meets, and many other annual necessities that are required to drive a 70-member swim team.

NorthCare

Making of Men/Waking of Women Leadership Conference

September 22, 2022

Awarded: $10,000

NorthCare offers a variety of services for children, adults, and families, designed to help you, your child, and your family recover from mental illness, substance use, trauma, or crisis to live a life in recovery. Believe, Inc.’s mission is to provide services and create initiatives to empower children in public education and pursue transformative reform so that every child has the opportunity to receive their American right to an excellent public education. NorthCare and Believe, Inc. partnered to put on the Annual Making of Men/Waking of Women Leadership Conference which brought together 189 youth from across central Oklahoma to address the learning loss that happened during COVID-19, the mental health crisis that exists with young people because of the pandemic, and to give first generation college students the opportunity to get the necessary tools to thrive in college.

Mental Health Association Oklahoma

2022 Zarrow Mental Health Symposium

September 19, 2022

Awarded: $1,000

Mental Health Association Oklahoma is dedicated to promoting mental health, preventing mental disorders, and achieving victory over mental illness through advocacy, education, research, service, and housing. The 2022 Zarrow Mental Health Symposium: Exploring Family Constructs addressed the changing needs of families, examining the many facets of family relationships, dynamics, development, and systems.

NonDoc Media

Writers' Fund 2022

September 12, 2022

Awarded: $15,000

NonDoc’s mission is to produce and distribute quality journalism with context that enables civic involvement. NonDoc’s vision is to sustain reporting on under-covered civic issues while increasing public knowledge and encouraging public dialogue. Philanthropic support is vital to support NonDoc's general reporting, including on topics like the Oklahoma Legislature, local civics, tribal affairs, education, criminal justice and elections.

Progress OKC

Minority Enterprise Development Week 2022

August 29, 2022

Awarded: $5,000

Progress OKC was created to support and revitalize Oklahoma City communities that have experienced significant disinvestment. Its mission is to strengthen and preserve the social and economic fabric in Oklahoma City’s underserved communities by engaging in programs and partnerships focused on housing stability, economic mobility, quality of place and education. The mission of Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) is to highlight minority-owned businesses in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area across industries and cultures; To celebrate the achievements and contributions of minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs; To strengthen the minority business enterprise ecosystem through best practice education, consumer relations, technology innovation, and capital investment.

It’s My Community Initiative

NEOKC Revitalization Assessment

August 10, 2022

Awarded: $12,500

The goal of this project is to layout a framework to support a coordinated community centered master planning effort for the preservation of history, culture, and place while establishing a roadmap for sustained community revitalization and excellence in the African American community of Northeast Oklahoma City.

Santa Fe Family Life Center

JFK Community Service Awards Gala

August 8, 2022

Awarded: $5,000

The John F. Kennedy Community Service Award is presented by the Santa Fe Family Life Center (SFFLC) to recognize Oklahomans whose philanthropy has served Oklahoma in lasting and significant ways. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals making a profound contribution. Proceeds from the JFK Community Service Award dinner benefit the charitable programs offered at SFFLC, a nonprofit health and wellness center serving disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities located in Oklahoma City.

Outrageous Love

Joe's Addiction - Homeless Breakfast & Lunch Services

August 8, 2022

Awarded: $$5,000

Outrageous Love is an intentional community of dreamers and instigators focused on seeing love, justice, hope, and beauty becoming a reality for the economically poor and marginalized. They do this by operating a coffee shop and day shelter called Joe's Addiction that provides daily necessities and opportunities to connect people with housing, mental health care, and recovery support. Joe's Addiction offers two hot meals five days a week. They routinely feed 60 people for breakfast, and 100 people for lunch. The goal is to make their clients feel valued.

Oklahoma City Pride Alliance

2022 OKC Pridefest

July 11, 2022

Awarded: $10,000

The OKC Pride Alliance is dedicated to promoting equality and diversity. Their events serve as an opportunity for 2SLGBTQ+ folks to connect, celebrate, and be seen. Their experiences serve as an opportunity for Oklahoma’s 2SLGBTQ+ community to connect and be seen in a safe and explicitly affirming environment. They understand the importance of visibility for their community. Their events also serve as a time to connect resources with individuals who may need assistance. They work closely with community partners to provide valuable resources such as access to transitional housing, STI testing, youth services and more. They continue to build on the vision of an annual PrideFest with something for everyone. PrideFest is a monumental event to have in Downtown OKC, as it signifies a new generation of activism and visibility in Oklahoma.

Ralph Ellison Foundation

Ralph Ellison Foundation Gala

July 7, 2022

Awarded: $5,000

Founded in Oklahoma City upon the conclusion of the Ralph Ellison Centennial Celebration in 2014, the Ralph Ellison Foundation is committed to highlighting the accomplishments of the acclaimed author and empowering the lives of others through his legacy in the areas of literacy, music, and the arts. To accomplish these goals, the Foundation has focused recently on projects to engage both children and adults, such as creating curricula based on Ellison’s work for schools, conducting reading clinics and writing workshops, hosting community discussion forums and artistic events, as well as sponsoring an annual gala celebration in Ellison’s honor. A Night with Ralph Ellison is the most diverse annual event in Oklahoma. It is an evening of music, dance, poetry, and readings from Ralph Ellison's works. From professional jazz and classical musicians to engaging poets; to ballad and college contemporary dancers, the experience brings communities together from across our state.

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

241 Event

June 23, 2022

Awarded: $5,000

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) was founded in 1946 with the mission of conducting basic biomedical research to help people live longer, healthier lives. This event benefits medical research at OMRF. All proceeds will aid OMRF researchers in the quest for new discoveries and treatments for diseases that affect so many such as cancer, autoimmune disease, heart disease and diseases of aging.

HeartLine

20th Annual Festival of Hope Gala

June 23, 2022

Awarded: $5,000

HeartLine has a 50-year history of providing around-the-clock, compassionate, nonjudgmental listening, information and referral, crisis intervention and suicide prevention. The most widely used programs include: 2-1-1 information and referral; the State and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Lifeline Chat (text); the Reachout Hotline (mental health and substance abuse); the Oklahoma Problem Gambling Helpline (statewide); the Youth Crisis Mobile Response line (statewide for children 0-24 in crisis); and, in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, 2-1-1 becomes the non-emergency lifeline between the public and available community resources, providing one number to call for the latest information.

Freedom Center of Oklahoma City

Operations

June 11, 2022

Awarded: $350,000

The Freedom Center of Oklahoma City seeks to restore and furnish the historic Freedom Center building at 2609 N. Martin Luther King Avenue. The Freedom Center building, which was originally built and operated as a Mobil gas station, is historically significant. It served as the operations hub and meeting site where the late community activist Clara Luper taught Black youth and adults how to protect and peacefully demonstrate for their civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s. Through Mrs. Luper’s efforts, Oklahoma City residents successfully staged one of the first restaurant counter sit-ins in the nation, a protest strategy that resulted in Black individuals getting equal access to these types of accommodations, both here and in other parts of the country. The Freedom Center building is slated to be part of a much larger civil rights center complex to be built in the years ahead, through $25 million in dedicated funds from MAPS4 city funding. The Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, recognizing Mrs. Luper’s hard work and perseverance, will be located adjacent to the current Freedom Center Building.

A Chance to Change

Celebrations Sponsorship

June 1, 2022

Awarded: $5,000

A Chance to Change offers education classes, workshops and prevention programs to those suffering from addictions, behavioral disorders and those whose families have been affected. The agency provides support for a multitude of mental health and substance use issues in the community and honors every client through Celebrations by honoring their individual journey, no matter the cause. This special evening extends far beyond the event itself. All donations received for the event help facilitate free or low-cost programs and services throughout the year for those who cannot afford treatment.

YWCA Oklahoma City

Building C Demolition

May 25, 2022

Awarded: $57,000

YWCA Oklahoma City is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. This project supports the demolition of the agency’s currently unusable Building C to create space for a new building. In partnership with Pivot, this new building will be used to provide transitional living assistance including housing for young women exiting the foster care system.

Third Space Foundation

Juneteenth on the East

May 3, 2022

Awarded: $15,000

Juneteenth on the East honors the history of those who came before and assists in educating future generations through celebrations including music, dance, art, family, food, and fun. It is also a celebration of African American culture. Juneteenth serves as an opportunity for the community to acknowledge the ongoing progress of liberation and continued fight for basic human dignity. The Third Space Foundation serves as an administrative and financial umbrella for projects and efforts that do not have the resources to form a 501(c)(3) and helps them raise awareness around their work.

Oklahoma City Repertory Theater

The Brothers Size

May 3, 2022

Awarded: $25,000

Oklahoma City Repertory Theater is dedicated to championing new ways of making theater, supporting innovative artists, and growing the cultural ecology of Oklahoma City. THE BROTHERS SIZE examines brotherhood, coming of age, sexuality, freedom, and systemic shackles within the Black American community. The well-drawn characters and heart-wrenching narrative achieves the best of what theater can achieve: it reaches hearts and minds regardless of race or creed. The agency will work with the Urban League of Oklahoma City on opportunities for sponsored tickets for underserved members of the Black community. They are also working with Langston University, the only historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the state of Oklahoma, to reach their students with a discounted rate. Finally, they will also have panels with artists and local leaders to discuss how this play connects with the local community.

Allied Arts Foundation

Annual Fundraising Campaign

April 26, 2022

Awarded: $10,000

The Allied Arts annual campaign is a community-wide drive to raise vital funds to ensure quality cultural programming; arts education in classrooms, after school sites, and neighborhood centers; outreach into underserved communities; and healing arts initiatives for the sick and disabled. Allied Arts member agencies use allocated funds to not only meet administrative line items but also to underwrite performances and exhibits, keep admission prices affordable, provide free arts events and programming, and bring arts experiences to school children statewide.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

Annual Fundraising Campaign

January 4, 2022

Awarded: $25,000

Since 1923, United Way of Central Oklahoma has worked with businesses, organizations, and foundations to raise funds for the annual campaign. United Way of Central Oklahoma invests in proven, high-quality programs, including counseling, crisis intervention, mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, medical examinations, treatments, screenings, referrals, and medications.

Sarah Stitt Hope Foundation

Hope Rising Oklahoma

December 15, 2021

Awarded: $25,000

The Sarah Stitt Hope Foundation empowers people, families, and communities to better their lives through the science of hope. Hope Rising works with local community leaders by providing the framework, training/certification programs, and ongoing support so they can: assess hope levels among their community's key sectors, determine their most critical issues/focus areas, learn and apply evidence-based methods for raising hope levels in individuals and organizations, equip organizations that are already building hope to measure and maximize their efforts, and maximize the local community's existing resources, talent and knowledge.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Operating Funds for Training, Consulting, and Capacity Building

December 9, 2021

Awarded: $25,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is the state’s preeminent provider of nonprofit training, consultation and resources that promote best practices in management and governance and bolster the collective impact of the charitable sector through effective nonprofits. The work at OKCNP translates into thousands of nonprofit professionals, board members, and volunteers who are better equipped to further the missions of their organizations and effect positive change in communities statewide through varied services and touchpoints. Resources and programs for the nonprofit workforce have never been more crucial. OKCNP remains committed to “empowering nonprofits to achieve excellence in their missions” in good times and bad. OKCNP’s partnerships with Oklahoma’s key community and philanthropic leaders are essential in providing not only the output needed to address the ever-growing needs of nonprofits across the state, but also the quality of curriculum and support needed to continue to grow the sector.

Jazz in June

2022 Jazz in June Festival

October 11, 2021

Awarded: $2,500

Beginning as a single concert in 1984, Jazz in June has grown into a regional jazz and blues festival which serves an audience of 150,000 through concerts and radio broadcasts. Today Jazz in June reaches far beyond its three-day festival to include jam sessions, educational workshops, a mini-concert series, and a statewide public radio broadcast.

Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Achieving a Healthy Oklahoma

September 27, 2021

Awarded: $25,000

The mission of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, also known as the Hudson College of Public Health, is to protect and improve the health of the people of Oklahoma and other nations through: education, public health workforce development, and cutting-edge research; translation of research and scholarship into public health practice and service and; development and advocacy of evidence-based health management and policy. The primary goal of the Achieving a Healthy Oklahoma initiative is to ensure that the state of Oklahoma has the resources, public health workforce, and strong health care system to address existing and future health threats, as well as to reduce health disparities within the state.

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition

Scrabble Showdown

August 16, 2021

Awarded: $5,000

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition’s (OKCMLC) mission is to lead a collaboration of literacy providers and supporters to strengthen services and present a united voice for literacy in Metropolitan Oklahoma City. The Scrabble Showdown is OKCMLC’s annual fundraiser that features an amateur Scrabble tournament where teams of two compete at one of three skill levels — Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced. The event includes food, drink, a silent auction, and plenty of “word cheats” that can be purchased, all for a good cause.

Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma Foundation

Conservation Outreach

August 4, 2021

Awarded: $25,000

The Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma Foundation (CCOF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was founded by members of the Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma (CCO) in order to raise awareness about conservation in the state of Oklahoma. The CCOF works with state organizations and teachers to ensure strong conservation education opportunities. This also includes supporting balanced reporting on conservation issues and sharing outdoors and wildlife education stories.

Progress OKC

Creating Inclusive Growth for Oklahoma County

August 4, 2021

Awarded: $10,000

Progress OKC was created to support and revitalize Oklahoma City communities that have experienced a significant lack of investment. Its mission is to strengthen and preserve the social and economic fabric in under-resourced communities by engaging in programs and partnerships focused on housing stability, economic mobility, quality of place and education. Strong economic growth lays a foundation for a resilient economy by creating wealth, employment, and new business opportunities. While transformative public and private investments have dramatically changed the economic trajectory of Oklahoma City, many segments of the community have not fully realized this economic success.Economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and under-resourced businesses’ financial hardships have been exacerbated by the pandemic. An equitable recovery or economic resiliency plan is required that recognizes untapped assets within communities less able to weather the current and projected social and economic storm due to a history of racial exclusion, discrimination, inequality, and self-sufficiency barriers. Progress OKC’s goal is to ensure there is an equal share of the social and economic benefits to our growing economy by utilizing upstream solutions such as education and economic opportunities.

Communities Foundation of Oklahoma

Conversations with Cubit

July 13, 2021

Awarded: $15,400

Conversations with Cubit is where information, motivation and inspiration are shared. Lt. Wayland Cubit leads real conversations about local current events and introduces leaders, influencers, and mentors to the Oklahoma City community.

Allied Arts of Oklahoma

Annual Allied Arts Campaign

June 17, 2021

Awarded: $5,000

The Allied Arts annual campaign is a community-wide drive to raise vital funds to ensure quality cultural programming; arts education in classrooms, after school sites, and neighborhood centers; outreach into underserved communities; and healing arts initiatives for the sick and disabled. Allied Arts member agencies use allocated funds to not only meet administrative line items but also to underwrite performances and exhibits, keep admission prices affordable, provide free arts events and programming, and bring arts experiences to school children statewide.

Ralph Ellison Foundation

A Night of Hope & Healing with Ralph Ellison

June 10, 2021

Awarded: $5,000

Founded in Oklahoma City upon the conclusion of the Ralph Ellison Centennial Celebration in 2014, the Ralph Ellison Foundation is committed to highlighting the accomplishments of the acclaimed author and empowering the lives of others through his legacy in the areas of literacy, music, and the arts. To accomplish these goals, the Foundation has focused recently on projects to engage both children and adults, such as creating curricula based on Ellison’s work for schools, conducting reading clinics and writing workshops, hosting community discussion forums and artistic events, as well as sponsoring an annual gala celebration in Ellison’s honor. A Night with Ralph Ellison is the most diverse annual event in Oklahoma. It is an evening of music, dance, poetry, and readings from Ralph Ellison's works. From professional jazz and classical musicians to engaging poets; to ballad and college contemporary dancers, the experience brings communities together from across our state.

Young Women’s Christian Association of Oklahoma City

Purple Sash Gala

April 12, 2021

Awarded: $10,000

Young Women’s Christian Association of Oklahoma City (YWCA) is dedicated to eliminating racism; empowering women; and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. They embody this mission by providing help and hope to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in central Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

Stephen M. Prescott Endowment Fund

March 19, 2021

Awarded: $10,000

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) was founded with the mission of helping Oklahomans and people everywhere live longer, healthier lives. That mission has remained the organization's compass, guiding scientists not only to perform groundbreaking scientific research but to research that helps mankind in the battle against human disease. OMRF’s goal is to make discoveries that make a difference.

Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus

A.C. Hamlin Scholarship Gala

March 18, 2021

Awarded: $5,000

The Oklahoma Black Caucus Foundation (OBCF) is a nonprofit organization that continues to zealously serve as a strong advocate of education. Biennially, the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus requests the presence of many distinguished citizens at the A. C. Hamlin Scholarship Gala. The gala is named in honor of Oklahoma’s first African-American legislator. The proceeds from this event are solely used to fund scholarships at Langston University. This event will also include a commemoration for the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The gala will include and honor the remaining living survivors.

City of Oklahoma City

Homeless Strategy Coordinator

March 12, 2021

Awarded: $30,000

In 2019, Mayor David Holt formed a Task Force on Homelessness in hopes of developing a plan to prevent and reduce homelessness in the city. In June of 2021, the Task Force, along with key stakeholders, broke down its strategies to begin to combat the problem in a 118-page report titled the "Comprehensive Strategy to Address Homelessness in Oklahoma City". The City established a dedicated senior staff position to oversee implementation of the plan. Responsibilities include engaging and coordinating community and service agency partners in the work of implementing the Strategy; working directly with partner agencies and City staff to reduce occurrence of homelessness in Oklahoma City; coordinating and participating in implementation teams; tracking and reporting progress toward implementation goals; completing analyses and research as needed; providing oral and written update reports to management and City leaders and stakeholders; managing and helping develop a new “A Better Way Program” to provide employment and training.

Oklahoma Policy Institute

General Operations

March 9, 2021

Awarded: $10,000

Oklahoma Policy advances equitable and fiscally responsible policies that expand opportunity for all Oklahomans through non-partisan research, analysis and advocacy. Interwoven throughout their work is their effort to lift and elevate the systemic racial and ethnic disparities within policy issues that have led to a lack of opportunity among Indigenous communities and people of color. Oklahoma Policy has the opportunity to be at the forefront of these efforts by connecting with impacted communities through listening sessions and field organizing work; working with partners to ensure they are using asset framing and positive storytelling within policy, advocacy, and outreach work; and developing authentic partnerships with organizations of color.

A Chance to Change

2021 Celebrations Event

February 22, 2021

Awarded: $10,000

A Chance to Change (ACTC) offers education classes, workshops and prevention programs to those suffering from addictions, behavioral disorders and those whose families have been affected. The annual Celebration of Recovery is a special evening that embraces the changes, struggles and hope mental health issues and disorders brings to our lives.

Freedom Center of Oklahoma City

Historic Freedom Center Building Restoration Project

February 9, 2021

Awarded: $250,000

The Freedom Center of Oklahoma City seeks to restore and furnish the historic Freedom Center building at 2609 N. Martin Luther King Avenue. The Freedom Center building, which was originally built and operated as a Mobil gas station, is historically significant. It served as the operations hub and meeting site where the late community activist Clara Luper taught Black youth and adults how to protect and peacefully demonstrate for their civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s. Through Mrs. Luper’s efforts, Oklahoma City residents successfully staged one of the first restaurant counter sit-ins in the nation, a protest strategy that resulted in Black individuals getting equal access to these types of accommodations, both here and in other parts of the country. The Freedom Center building is slated to be part of a much larger civil rights center complex to be built in the years ahead, through $25 million in dedicated funds from MAPS 4 city funding. The Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, recognizing Mrs. Luper’s hard work and perseverance, will be located adjacent to the current Freedom Center Building.

Oklahoma Watch

Criminal Justice Reporting

January 29, 2021

Awarded: $10,000

Oklahoma Watch produces in-depth and investigative journalism as a public service for the benefit of all Oklahomans. Through investigative, fact-driven journalism, they dig deep and examine significant issues facing the state. Their work engages all Oklahomans, amplifies the discussion of important issues and leads to change. Oklahoma Watch helps to develop the journalists and journalism of the future.

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools

All Hands Raised Luncheon

January 27, 2021

Awarded: $2,500

The mission of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation is to advance excellence, create champions and build strong community support for lasting change in Oklahoma City Public Schools. This fundraising luncheon features a first-hand opportunity to hear from inspirational students, remarkable educators, and district leaders. All Hands Raised also provides the opportunity to educate the community about the current work and long-term goals of the OKCPS Foundation.

Allied Arts of Oklahoma

OPUS IX

January 4, 2021

Awarded: $10,000

Allied Arts believes, as an organization, that the arts should be accessible to all – especially children, and those who need it most. OPUS IX, Allied Arts’ biennial fundraising gala, is designed to raise awareness for the work of Allied Arts and money for Allied Arts’ programming, capacity-building small grants program, educational outreach grants program, and general operating budget. This contributes to growing the cultural landscape of central Oklahoma, bringing the arts into underserved and rural communities, and providing nearly 700,000 arts experiences for children annually.

Community Action Agency Of OK City & OK Canadian Counties

VITA Tax Services

December 8, 2020

Awarded: $1,700

The mission of Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma/Canadian Counties, Inc. is to promote the self-sufficiency of the socially, economically and culturally disadvantaged citizens of Oklahoma and Canadian counties. For over 20 years, CAA of OKC & OK/CN Counties, Inc., has been a VITA site for the community. They have been able to bring back millions of dollars into the community through this program.

Urban League Of Greater Oklahoma City

Equal Opportunity Day

November 23, 2020

Awarded: $2,000

Each year, the Urban League hosts Equal Opportunity Day (EOD), which provides a diversity discussion among corporate and civic leaders about the challenges of achieving equality while honoring local equal opportunity advocates. This year’s EOD will focus on that success and explore the best and promising practices in growing small and minority businesses. The buying power of African American and Latino consumers tops $1 trillion annually, and research indicates that these groups are also the fastest growing number of new small business owners. Moreover, as Oklahoma City looks to improve efforts in minority supplier development, COVID-19 has exposed some of the challenges for small and minority owned businesses. According to recent research by the University of California- Santa Cruz, of businesses shuttered since February 2020, 41% of those businesses were Black-owned compared to just 17% of white-owned businesses. The National Urban League (NUL), through unique partnerships between the corporate community and NUL affiliates, has made significant impact across the nation growing small and minority businesses and supporting minority supplier development through entrepreneurship centers.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

2020 Annual Fundraising Campaign

November 23, 2020

Awarded: $25,000

Since 1923, United Way of Central Oklahoma has worked with businesses, organizations and foundations to raise funds for the annual campaign. Strengthening and improving the health and well-being among all central Oklahomans is accomplished by addressing the underlying issues identified in the community. United Way of Central Oklahoma invests in proven, high-quality programs, including counseling, crisis intervention, mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, medical examinations, treatments, screenings, referrals and medications.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Operating Funds for Training, Consulting, and Capacity Building

November 19, 2020

Awarded: $30,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is the state’s preeminent provider of nonprofit training, consultation and resources that promote best practices in management and governance and bolster the collective impact of the charitable sector through effective nonprofits. In the last five fiscal years alone, OKCNP has informed over 20,000 attendees in over 1,200 training and information sessions (with 7,900 attendees in over 480 sessions in Oklahoma City). This translates into thousands of nonprofit professionals, board members, and volunteers who are better equipped to further the missions of their organizations and effect positive change in communities statewide through varied services and touchpoints. Resources and programs for the nonprofit workforce have never been more crucial. OKCNP remains committed to “empowering nonprofits to achieve excellence in their missions” in good times and bad. OKCNP’s partnerships with Oklahoma’s key community and philanthropic leaders are essential in providing not only the output needed to address the ever-growing needs of nonprofits across the state, but also the quality of curriculum and support needed to continue to grow the sector.

Jazz in June

2021 Jazz in June Festival

November 19, 2020

Awarded: $2,500

Beginning as a single concert in 1984, Jazz in June has grown into a regional jazz and blues festival which serves an audience of 150,000 through concerts and radio broadcasts. Today Jazz in June reaches far beyond its three-day festival to include jam sessions, educational workshops, a mini-concert series, and a statewide public radio broadcasts.

Poetic Justice

Poetic Justice Program Funding: Voice, Hope, Power to Change

September 4, 2020

Awarded: $15,000

Poetic Justice seeks to rewrite the narrative about women who are incarcerated by equipping them with tools for healing from trauma, showing the world their inherent worth, and helping them find their voice so that they may be agents of change through restorative writing and creative arts programs. Oklahoma has the highest female incarceration rate per capita in the world and ranks 38th in the nation for its poor mental health care system. Poetic Justice’s primary program, Writing Workshops, is currently hosted in every prison in Oklahoma and in several county jails. More than 3,000 women have engaged in the courses offered by the 20 volunteer facilitators. Why Poetry? Poetry is a forgiving form of writing. There are no true rules when it comes to poetry, making it less intimidating for women who have never seen themselves as writers. Poetry is emotional. Poetry is freeing. For these reasons, Poetic Justice founder Ellen Stackable chose poetry to reach incarcerated women. The women who participate in Poetic Justice writing classes choose to be there. Participation is not incentivized and has no effect on sentence length. The majority of Poetic Justice participants learn of the program by word-of-mouth; the impact of hope and healing travels fast within prison walls and there is a waiting list to participate that can range in length from 30 to 100 women. Poetic Justice programming is designed to serve women experiencing incarceration (Writing Workshops) and the wardens and staff that care for them (Advocacy and Outreach). Through engagement with poetic expression, their community, and analysis of their identity, women find a new sense of hope and resiliency. Poetry allows women hardened by their experiences to flourish in new ways, ultimately strengthening their voice, their community, and their future.

Tulsa Community Foundation

Greenwood Rising History Center

August 3, 2020

Awarded: $100,000

Early in the twentieth century, Tulsa’s African American community, the “Greenwood District,” crafted a nationally-renowned entrepreneurial center. De jure segregation confined African American dollars within this enclave. The resultant economic detour—the diversion of black dollars away from the off-limits white commercial sector—morphed the thirty-five-square-block area into “Black Wall Street,” a dynamic business hub rife with risk-takers and deal makers. Greenwood Rising is a state-of-the art history center located at the heart of Tulsa’s Greenwood District honoring the legacy of Black Wall Street before and after the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921.

Arts Council of Oklahoma City

All Access Arts – Arts in School

July 27, 2020

Awarded: $5,000

Arts Council Oklahoma City (ACOKC) is dedicated to bringing the arts and the community together through free or low-cost, large-scale downtown Oklahoma City cultural events and a variety of arts outreach activities that impact under-served populations. By focusing on teaching, learning, and appreciating the arts, our events and programs help the community learn to create, experience, and enjoy art. ACOKC’s All Access Arts (AAA) programming is strategically planned to include under-served or under-represented populations in its outreach efforts. AAA’s Arts in Schools (AIS) initiative is dedicated to providing high-quality arts education to children, many of whom attend schools that cannot implement the arts in their curriculum due to factors such as budget cuts or geographic location. Approximately 4,000 children across 16 sites benefit from this programming each year. AIS provides visual and dance teaching artists to select schools and community agencies based on what a school is lacking in their district arts allocations. AIS helps provide these students a therapeutic and healthy outlet to express themselves while their parents get the support they need to create a better life.

Public Health Institute of Oklahoma

23rd Annual Oklahoma Turning Point Conference & Policy 2020

July 21, 2020

Awarded: $2,500

The Public Health Institute of Oklahoma’s mission is to bridge government, academia, and communities in order to facilitate health improvement. For 23 years, the Oklahoma Turning Point Council has been working with partners to enact positive change in communities across Oklahoma. The 2020 conference was held virtually and provided attendees with information and resources to help create leaders and sustain momentum in communities and health systems. The conference highlights best practices and effective strategic partnerships to improve the health of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation

General Operations

July 17, 2020

Awarded: $10,000

The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation is a nonprofit fostering excellence in K-12 science and mathematics education throughout Oklahoma by supporting OSSM’s outreach projects, programs, development, students, staff, and faculty. Together with caring, concerned individuals and organizations, they are strengthening Oklahoma’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) resources through the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics.

Reach Out and Read

Building Healthy Brains & Healthy Lives

June 30, 2020

Awarded: $5,000

Reach Out and Read is a pediatric literacy program that partners with doctors to “prescribe” books and encourages families to read together. Tragically, children from low-income families often enter school less prepared to learn, and many of them never catch up. Therefore, Reach Out and Read efforts target these children from economically disadvantaged homes. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) result in poor student achievement, discipline issues, and lower high school graduation rates.

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy

Heroes Ball

May 27, 2020

Awarded: $2,500

The Heroes Ball is a fundraising and community awareness event for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) that honors Oklahoma’s heroes for children. Honoring advocates who transform the lives of children and youth in our state is an important part of OICA’s culture, establishing a bar for excellence for the years to come. Over 400 people come together to also celebrate OICA’s work to improve the health, safety and well-being of all of Oklahoma’s children, with a special emphasis on those in the state’s care and those growing up amidst poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities, or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. The Heroes Ball raises necessary operational dollars for OICA to achieve this mission.

Communities Foundation Of Oklahoma

Ready.Help.Go

April 8, 2020

Awarded: $50,000

Ready. Help. Go, an initiative of Be A Neighbor, will unite courageous Oklahomans who are willing to do their part to empower recovery. Within this initiative, all Oklahomans are able to help. Each phase represents a way Oklahomans can rally together in a time of uncertainty while staying safe and healthy. Communities Foundation of Oklahoma served as the fiscal sponsor for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

AutismOklahoma

AutismOklahoma

March 17, 2020

Awarded: $10,000

AutismOklahoma is a nonprofit organization that believes that every person with autism is unique and important. Their organization helps individuals with autism reach their full potential, helps families thrive, and helps communities understand and embrace differences. This award is to help provide resources to expand their staffing and program reach.

Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

Capital Campaign

March 6, 2020

Awarded: $2,000,000

Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center is a nonprofit organization committed to providing the community with quality, accessible and affordable arts programming and education. Through corporate funding and private donations, Oklahoma Contemporary is able to educate Oklahomans through adult classes and workshops, art camps and classes for local youth, art exhibitions, lectures and additional educational programming.

Allied Arts of Oklahoma

Annual Allied Arts Campaign

February 27, 2020

Awarded: $10,000

The Allied Arts campaign is a community-wide drive to raise vital funds to ensure quality cultural programming, arts education in classrooms, after school sites and neighborhood centers, outreach into underserved communities, and healing arts initiatives for the sick and disabled. Through allocations grants, member agencies utilize funds to not only meet administrative line items but also to underwrite performances and exhibits, keep admission prices affordable, provide free arts events and programming, and bring arts experiences to schoolchildren statewide.

A Chance to Change

Celebration of Recovery

February 21, 2020

Awarded: $10,000

A Chance to Change (ACTC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that offers education classes, workshops and prevention programs to those suffering from addictions, behavioral disorders and those whose families have been affected. ACTC is funded by program fees, insurance reimbursement, donations from individuals and corporations, private foundation grants, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, United Way of Central Oklahoma, and other sources.

Myriad Gardens Foundation

Splendor in the Gardens

February 20, 2020

Awarded: $9,983

The Myriad Gardens Foundation is a 501(c)(3) which supports the Myriad Botanical Gardens by providing capital and operating funding, increasing public awareness and support and promoting the highest of horticulture, education and administrative standards. Splendor in the Gardens is the signature, farm-to-table gala dinner served in grand style on the Devon Lawn at Myriad Botanical Gardens. This event serves to raise funds that support the Gardens, Crystal Bridge Conservatory and educational and special event programming.

Mother Huggers

BALTO Week

February 15, 2020

Awarded: $5,000

Since 1995, Edmond North High School has raised over $3.5 million dollars for BALTO recipients. They have raised money for child cancer patients, brain tumor patients, special education students, premature babies and many more worthy causes. BALTO Week is a week full of all sorts of exciting student-led activities. All of its events and activities are done strictly for the benefit of the recipient. As the BALTO recipient, Mother Huggers, Inc. will use funds for Anna’s House Foundation and Pepper’s Ranch to build a home in the Anna’s House community and build a health center for Pepper’s Ranch.

Community Action Agency Of OK City & OK Canadian Counties

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

February 10, 2020

Awarded: $3,500

Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma/Canadian Counties, Inc. mission is to promote the self-sufficiency of the socially, economically, and culturally disadvantaged citizens of Oklahoma and Canadian counties. For over 20 years, CAA of OKC & OK/CN Counties, Inc., has been a VITA site for the community. They have been able to bring back millions of dollars into the community through this program.

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools

All Hands Raised Luncheon

January 16, 2020

Awarded: $2,500

Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation mission is to advance excellence, create champions and build strong community support for lasting change in Oklahoma City Public Schools. This fundraising luncheon features a first-hand opportunity to hear from inspirational students, remarkable educators, and district leaders. All Hands Raised also provides the opportunity to educate the community about the current work and long-term goals of the Foundation.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

General Support

January 10, 2020

Awarded: $25,000

Since 1923, United Way of Central Oklahoma has worked with businesses, organizations and foundations to raise funds for the annual campaign. Strengthening and improving the health and well-being among all central Oklahomans is accomplished by addressing the underlying issues identified in the community. United Way of Central Oklahoma invests in proven, high-quality programs, including counseling, crisis intervention, mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, medical examinations, treatments, screenings, referrals and medications.

R.I.S.E. Program

Cosmetology School Supplies

December 26, 2019

Awarded: $9,000

R.I.S.E. provides a complete education in the Cosmetology field, free of charge, to women who are currently incarcerated, while assisting them in obtaining their Oklahoma State Board Cosmetology license, job placement, housing, clothing, transportation, and recovery support prior to their re-entry into society as successful re-emergent citizens, in an effort to lower current recidivism rates and help women change their lives after prison.

Communities Foundation of Oklahoma

Bridges to Hope: Teaching in the Shadow of Trauma

December 16, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

Bridges to Hope is a free event open to all educators, non-profit partners, tribal entities, other government agencies and any organization who currently works with at-risk children. The Oklahoma State Department of Education will host Dr. Bruce Perry to discuss his research and how it can be implemented in child welfare. Dr. Perry’s clinical research over the last ten years has been focused on integrating emerging principles of developmental neuroscience into clinical practice. This work has resulted in the development of innovative clinical practices and programs working with maltreated and traumatized children.

OCU Meinders School of Business

Bloomberg Terminal Computer Lab

November 12, 2019

Awarded: $68,640

Bloomberg Terminals have proven to be an important tool for teaching finance and economics. The software system is considered to be the most advanced information and analysis tool in the field of finance. The Meinders School of Business requires that every business student become Bloomberg Certified before they are allowed to complete their degree requirements and graduate. This requirement makes our graduates much more employable than the normal college graduate. Ninety five percent of the students who graduate from the Meinders School of Business are employed in their field of interest, or go on to graduate/law school, within three months of graduation. Providing professional training while in college transforms students and their lives. Having familiarity with Bloomberg Terminals is almost a necessity for anyone seeking advanced employment opportunities in the finance industry. The Bloomberg subscription-based service features the most up-to-date stock market information from across the world. Users can track stock prices of publicly traded companies, values of international currencies, news stories about industries and can gather financial data on almost anything available for public disclosure. The system can also be used to search for finance jobs, social media posts, classified ads or follow player trades amongst professional sports teams. Furthermore, Bloomberg Terminals can be linked to Excel spreadsheet software, allowing users to quickly gather and analyze data on multiple companies.

Oklahoma Autism Center Foundation

MESA Project Expansion

November 8, 2019

Awarded: $122,500

For over 20 years, the MESA Project (formerly Project PEAK) at the Oklahoma Autism Center (OAC) has provided consultation and professional development to educators and professionals who work with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The OAC team brings together the combined experience of certified special education teachers, general education teachers, speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, board certified behavior analysts, and psychologists. The goal is to build capacity in the public school system to support children with autism. This is done by teaching evidence-based practices through statewide trainings and workshops as well as through consultation with individual school teams.

Jazz in June

2020 Jazz in June Festival

November 8, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

Jazz in June will celebrate its 37th annual festival in 2020. Beginning as a single concert in 1984, Jazz in June has grown into a regional jazz and blues festival which serves an audience of 150,000 through concerts and radio broadcasts. Today Jazz in June reaches far beyond its three-day festival to include jam sessions, educational workshops, a mini-concert series, and a statewide public radio broadcast.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence (ONE) Awards and Visions: A Celebration of Nonprofit Leadership

November 2, 2019

Awarded: $30,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits conceived the Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence (ONE) Awards to honor the extraordinary work that nonprofit organizations of excellence are doing throughout our state. These dedicated organizations are changing the landscape of human services and community assistance in Oklahoma. In 2011, the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits launched the Visions awards to recognize and celebrate the exemplary service of Oklahoma’s nonprofit leaders. The honorees selected for recognition at Visions have dedicated their lives and careers to ensure the success of nonprofit organizations essential to Oklahoma’s communities.

Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation

25th Anniversary Looking Back-Thinking Forward Fund

October 22, 2019

Awarded: $20,000

In 1995, Oklahoma City saw the effects of terrorism firsthand. It is where the model for a response, the Oklahoma Standard, was forged. April 19, 2020, marks the 25th Anniversary. To honor this seminal moment in the history of our state and nation, the Memorial & Museum has embarked on a campaign to look back and think forward. To teach new generations that we always get to decide how to respond to injustice. To be a thoughtful voice for resilience, justice, healing, and forgiveness. To remind people that the world holds far more good than bad, a lesson that’s all too easy to forget.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

2019 Annual Fundraising Campaign

September 20, 2019

Awarded: $12,500

United Way of Central Oklahoma currently funds 119 strategic and impactful programs administered through 58 local nonprofit Partner Agencies that are making a lasting difference. United Way of Central Oklahoma has raised funds annually through workplace campaigns, corporate donations, individual gifts and foundation grants since 1923.

Kiwanis Club of Downtown Oklahoma City

The Bob & Jean Harbison Early Childhood Education Center

September 13, 2019

Awarded: $59,000

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. The Kiwanis Club of Downtown Oklahoma City formed in 1918, is now the oldest continuously-operated Kiwanis club across Texas & Oklahoma. The brand-new Early Childhood Education Center will serve as a Head Start/Early Head Start school and double as a community center and STEM lab for the Mark Twain Elementary neighborhood in Westlawn Gardens.

Midwest City Fraternal Order of Police

Cops and Community 3v3 Youth Basketball Tournament

September 9, 2019

Awarded: $17,747

The Cops and Community 3v3 Youth Basketball Tournament is an annual event hosted by Midwest City Police Officers to help bring at-risk youth in lower income areas along with other youth that live in Midwest City limits together with their families for a community basketball tournament. The Police department believes this will continue their mission of community-oriented policing and allow citizens to see a different side of police officers.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Visions: A Celebration of Nonprofit Leadership

August 6, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits launched the Visions awards to recognize and celebrate the exemplary service of Oklahoma’s nonprofit leaders. The honorees selected for recognition at Visions have dedicated their lives and careers to ensure the success of nonprofit organizations essential to Oklahoma’s communities.

Talley Community Services Foundation

Faded and Educated: Back to School Free Hair Cut Day

August 5, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

For the last 15 years, Talley Community Services Foundation has hosted a community day benefiting students, primarily boys. They provide haircuts, school supplies, uniforms, lunch, higher education information, community speakers, and a fun day of activities. This program serves as a strategy to assist students in overcoming the challenges of their educational development.

Healthy Schools OK

Pedal 4 PE

July 31, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

The leading causes of death in Oklahoma are heart disease, cancer, injuries, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The age-adjusted death rates for each are significantly higher than the nation as a whole. Unfortunately, the children who live, play, and go to school in the state of Oklahoma are developing unhealthy behaviors that lead to many of the health problems of our adult population. These risky behaviors include tobacco use, unhealthy dietary habits, inadequate physical activity and not practicing safety. In response to these factors, Healthy Schools Oklahoma (HSOK) was initiated in 1997 through the auspices of the Oklahoma County Medical Society Foundation. Founding partners include the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma City Public Schools and the Oklahoma City-County Health Department. It is HSOK’s intention to improve public health by teaching our citizens about the value of healthy living and demonstrating how healthy lifestyles can be achieved throughout a lifetime.

Oklahoma City Ballet

Ballet Ball and Patron Events

July 16, 2019

Awarded: $10,000

Oklahoma City Ballet has been the city’s professional ballet company since 1972, when it was founded by Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov. As the resident dance company of the Civic Center Music Hall, Oklahoma City Ballet currently boasts 45 dancers from around the world. The company produces four main-stage productions per season in Oklahoma City, in addition to touring across Oklahoma and surrounding states. In addition to main-stage productions and touring, Oklahoma City Ballet offers classes for youth and adults through The Dance Center at Oklahoma City Ballet, as well as multiple outreach programs to provide arts experience and education to students across the state.

Scissortail Park Foundation

Grand Opening Weekend

July 1, 2019

Awarded: $100,000

The new Scissortail Park is in the heart of a revitalized downtown Oklahoma City. This public space is part of the MAPS 3 program that envisions a healthy and vibrant quality of life for our city while serving as an investment in the future. Every detail is designed for connection – with nature, neighbors and ourselves. It is a place for play, culture, celebration and inspiration.

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition

Scrabble Showdown

June 20, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition’s (OKCMLC) mission is to lead a collaboration of literacy providers and supporters to strengthen services and present a united voice for literacy in Metropolitan Oklahoma City. The Scrabble Showdown is OKCMLC’s annual fundraiser that features an amateur Scrabble tournament where teams of two compete at one of three skill levels—Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced. The event includes food, drink, a silent auction, and plenty of “word cheats” for sale, all for a good cause.

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy

Heroes Ball

June 14, 2019

Awarded: $2,500

The Heroes Ball is a fundraising and community awareness event that honors Oklahoma’s heroes for children. Honoring advocates who transform the lives of children and youth in our state is an important part of our culture, establishing a bar for excellence for the years to come. Over 400 people come together to also celebrate OICA’s work to improve the health, safety, and well-being of all of Oklahoma’s children, with a special emphasis on those in the state’s care and those growing up amidst poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities, or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. The Heroes Ball raises necessary operational dollars for OICA to achieve this mission.

HeartLine

Festival of Hope

June 10, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

HeartLine has a 47-year history of providing around-the-clock, compassionate, nonjudgmental listening, information and referral, crisis intervention and suicide prevention. The most widely used programs include: 2-1-1 information and referral (40 counties); the State and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (in 76 Oklahoma counties) and Lifeline Chat (text); the Reachout Hotline (mental health and substance abuse); the Oklahoma Problem Gambling Helpline (statewide); the Youth Crisis Mobile Response line (statewide for children 0-24 in crisis); and, in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, 2-1-1 becomes the non-emergency lifeline between the public and available community resources, providing one number to call for the latest information.

Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled

Compassionate Citizen of the Year

May 13, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

OKFD is a not-for-profit social services organization established in 1960 that provides high quality and activity-oriented adult day health services for adults with developmental disabilities in central Oklahoma. Their mission is to improve the quality of life of developmentally disabled central Oklahoma adults by providing them with high quality and transformative learning programs and services that include life skills training, recreational activities and socialization opportunities in a safe, caring and compassion-focused environment.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

March 7, 2019

Awarded: $35,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits is a 501(c)3 organization equipping and strengthening the Oklahoma nonprofit sector through training, consulting, advocacy, membership, networking and awards. Their mission is “building better communities through effective nonprofits.”

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools

All Hands Raised Luncheon

February 18, 2019

Awarded: $2,500

Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation mission is to advance excellence, create champions and build strong community support for lasting change in Oklahoma City Public Schools. This fundraising luncheon features a first-hand opportunity to hear from inspirational students, remarkable educators, and district leaders. All Hands Raised also provides the opportunity to educate the community about the current work and long-term goals of the Foundation.

Reach Out and Read

Rx for Early Literacy

January 16, 2019

Awarded: $5,000

Reach Out and Read is a pediatric literacy program that partners with doctors to “prescribe” books and encourages families to read together. Tragically, children from low-income families often enter school less prepared to learn, and many of them never catch up. Therefore, Reach Out and Read efforts target these children from economically disadvantaged homes.

University of Tulsa

Arnall Scholars Endowment Fund

December 31, 2018

Awarded: $5,000,000

The University of Tulsa is a private, independent, doctoral-degree-granting institution whose mission reflects these core values: excellence in scholarship, dedication to free inquiry, integrity of character, and commitment to humanity. The Arnall Scholars Endowment Fund provides academic scholarships to African-American students enrolled at the University. The Endowment seeks to eliminate barriers that prevent students from pursuing higher education and further promote the values of the University.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

2018 Annual Fundraising Campaign

November 26, 2018

Awarded: $10,000

United Way of Central Oklahoma currently funds 119 strategic and impactful programs administered through 58 local nonprofit Partner Agencies that are making a lasting difference. United Way of Central Oklahoma has raised funds annually through workplace campaigns, corporate donations, individual gifts and foundation grants since 1923.

The Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation

2019 Early Childhood Research Symposium

November 16, 2018

Awarded: $3,000

The 2019 Early Childhood Research Symposium is a one-day event focused on “Promoting Equity: Comprehensive Early Childhood Strategies.” With an estimated 300 policy makers, state agency leaders, early childhood providers, non-profits, donors and parents in attendance, this event will bring Oklahoma’s attention to state and national research on effective, comprehensive strategies that successfully increase equity in the areas of health, early care and learning and family support for children and families.

Arts Council of Oklahoma City

Arts Partnership for Oklahoma City Public Schools

October 20, 2018

Awarded: $5,000

Responding to large cuts in Oklahoma City Public Schools visual and performing arts staffing that dropped programs in 39 of 54 elementary schools, Arts Council Oklahoma City convened community arts groups to establish shared data, goals and a short-term strategy to serve OKC students with arts education. Collaboratively the Arts Partnership for OKCPS bridges the gap temporarily in 21 OKC elementary schools for the 2018-2019 year by pairing community arts partners with these high poverty, under-served schools.

Oklahoma Autism Center

MESA Project Expansion

October 19, 2018

Awarded: $150,000

For over 20 years, the MESA Project (formerly Project PEAK) at the Oklahoma Autism Center (OAC) has provided consultation and professional development to educators and professionals who work with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The OAC team brings together the combined experience of certified special education teachers, general education teachers, speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, board certified behavior analysts, and psychologists. The goal is to build capacity in the public school system to support children with autism. This is done by teaching evidence-based practices through statewide trainings and workshops as well as through consultation with individual school teams.

Oklahoma Christian University

Complex Dialogues with Bryan Stevenson

September 21, 2018

Awarded: $15,000

Oklahoma Christian University (OC) and George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) will host Complex Dialogues with Bryan Stevenson in February 2019. The conference will be the university’s second, statewide convening of leaders for discussion of Oklahoma’s criminal justice systems and reform. Mr. Stevenson is nationally recognized for his work fighting poverty and challenging racial discrimination in the criminal justice system.

OKC Black Chamber

Building a Stronger Community

September 18, 2018

Awarded: $25,950

The Oklahoma City Black Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit business and individual partnership organization. Formally known as the Capitol Chamber of Commerce, the chamber was incorporated in May 1989. In November 2011, the Capitol Chamber of Commerce changed its name and rebranded as the Oklahoma City Black Chamber. What followed was a refocused initiative to truly becoming the catalyst of support for economic growth in Northeast Oklahoma City and beyond. From small business training, educational programming, leadership development and young professional engagement, the Oklahoma City Black Chamber of Commerce has set its Mission/Vision to build, champion and serve the communities in Central Oklahoma.

Calm Waters

Under the Big Top

September 13, 2018

Awarded: $5,000

Calm Waters offers free grief and divorce support groups for families with children 3 to 18 years of age. In the state of Oklahoma approximately 1 in 11 children will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 18 years-old. In Fiscal Year 2017, Calm Waters served over 4,000 people in the community working through some form of loss. The Under the Big Top event serves as our largest fundraiser of the year providing critical funds which directly benefit support programs and services.

Midwest City Fraternal Order of Police

Cops and Community 3v3 Youth Basketball Tournament

September 13, 2018

Awarded: $10,000

The Cops and Community 3v3 Youth Basketball Tournament is an annual event hosted by Midwest City Police Officers to help bring at-risk youth in lower income areas along with other youth that live in Midwest City limits together with their families for a community basketball tournament. The Police department believes this will continue their mission of community-oriented policing and allow citizens to see a different side of police officers.

Jazz in June

2019 Jazz in June Festival

September 11, 2018

Awarded: $7,500

Jazz in June will celebrate its 36th annual festival in 2019. Beginning as a single concert in 1984, Jazz in June has grown into a regional jazz and blues festival which serves an audience of 150,000 through concerts and radio broadcasts. Today Jazz in June reaches far beyond its three-day festival to include jam sessions, educational workshops, a mini-concert series, and a statewide public radio broadcasts.

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition

Scrabble Showdown

August 24, 2018

Awarded: $5,000

Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition’s (OKCMLC) mission is to lead a collaboration of literacy providers and supporters to strengthen services and present a united voice for literacy in Metropolitan Oklahoma City. The Scrabble Showdown is OKCMLC’s annual fundraiser that features an amateur Scrabble tournament where teams of two compete at one of three skill levels—Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced. The event includes food, drink, a silent auction, and plenty of “word cheats” for sale, all for a good cause.

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Visions: A Celebration of Nonprofit Leadership

August 10, 2018

Awarded: $5,000

The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits launched the Visions awards to recognize and celebrate the exemplary service of Oklahoma’s nonprofit leaders. The honorees selected for recognition at Visions have dedicated their lives and careers to ensure the success of nonprofit organizations essential to Oklahoma’s communities.

Oklahoma Policy Institute

OK Policy 10th Anniversary Gala

July 17, 2018

Awarded: $10,000

Oklahoma Policy Institute (OK Policy) is a non-partisan independent policy think-tank that promotes adequate, fair and fiscally responsible funding of public services for Oklahoma residents by providing timely and credible information, analysis, and ideas. OK Policy believes that Oklahoma can be a great state, one that ensures prosperity for all citizens through good schools, good jobs, good health, strong families and strong communities. Citizens and policymakers need good, factual information to make policy decisions that will lead to a better future for the state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City Ballet

Ballet Ball and Patron Events

July 15, 2018

Awarded: $10,000

Oklahoma City Ballet has been the city’s professional ballet company since 1972, when it was founded by Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov. As the resident dance company of the Civic Center Music Hall, Oklahoma City Ballet currently boasts 45 dancers from around the world. The company produces four main-stage productions per season in Oklahoma City, in addition to touring across Oklahoma and surrounding states. In addition to main-stage productions and touring, Oklahoma City Ballet offers classes for youth and adults through The Dance Center at Oklahoma City Ballet, as well as multiple outreach programs to provide arts experience and education to students across the state.

Citizens for Juvenile Justice

Literacy Initiative and TBRI Training

July 13, 2018

Awarded: $12,500

Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is a non-profit citizens advisory committee established to aid in the effective administration of the law relating to youth. CJJ provides counsel, advice and assistance to the Oklahoma County Juvenile Bureau (OCJB) for the purpose of enhancing services to at-risk youth, in part by applying for grants to help fund projects and programs that will benefit the community and the cause of juvenile justice.

Ok2Grow Foundation

It Starts Here

June 29, 2018

Awarded: $5,000

It Starts Here: Trauma-Informed Instruction will feature experts in childhood trauma and healing. In partnership with state agencies, tribal nations and nonprofits that serve children and families, the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s in-depth event will target educators who are often the first to encounter trauma in individual children.