OVERVIEW: The George Kaiser Family Foundation supports a range of Tulsa and Oklahoma-focused causes in the areas of parent engagement and early education, health and family wellbeing, and civic enhancement.
FUNDING AREAS: Parent engagement and early education, health and family wellbeing, civic enhancement
IP TAKE: Closely tied to issues in Tulsa, the big opportunities are in early childhood education and local neighborhood projects.
PROFILE: Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a supporting organization of the Tulsa Community Foundation, which George Kaiser and a group of other local philanthropists founded in 1998. Kaiser’s family foundation is the community foundation’s largest donor and has helped it to become one of the largest community foundations in the country. George Kaiser made his fortune through the Kaiser-Francis Oil Company and BOK Financial Corporation and has signed the Giving Pledge. The funder aims to provide “every child with an equal opportunity.” Grantmaking areas of interest are parent engagement and early education, health and family wellbeing, and civic enhancement.
George Kaiser is a long-time supporter of early childhood education, and much of his personal and foundation giving has been centered on the Tulsa community and throughout Oklahoma. Kaiser’s local support has regularly extended to schools, arts organizations, community services, the Jewish community, and causes for children. The foundation’s parent engagement focus area includes K-12 education and early education initiatives to help children reach their potential. Health and well-being grants support service gaps in the communities and helping families receive the basic services they need. Civic enhancement grants support helping Tulsa thrive both culturally and economically. In the past, GKFF supported programs that break the cycle of intergenerational female incarceration and reduce the rate of incarceration in the state. Its Criminal Justice programs seeks to break the cycle of incarceration to alleviate Oklahoma families and communities.
Foundation grants vary widely in size, and grant seekers can find sample past grantees on each of the program pages of its website. The foundation mostly focuses on the Greater Tulsa area with its grantmaking but also awards grants elsewhere in Oklahoma. Beyond the state, GKFF occasionally supports national early childhood education efforts.
GKFF does not accept unsolicited grant requests, and the funder contacts potential applicants directly to apply for grants. Direct general questions to the staff at 918-392-16112 or by email at inquiries@gkff.org.
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