What We Fund
The Kirkpatrick Family Fund continues to honor John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick’s legacy through its support of programs and initiatives that contribute to the cultural landscape and quality of life in central Oklahoma and the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund provides support to nonprofit organizations for specific projects, general operations, and endowments.
AREAS of INTEREST
The Kirkpatrick Family Fund accomplishes its mission through the support of organizations with bold, capable leadership and programs that are effective in addressing community needs. We seek to make investments with partners who value innovative programming, broad community access, active participation, and quality learning opportunities for youth and adults.
Arts & Humanities
Our investments in the Arts and Humanities center on active learning and imagination, encourage the creative process, and enrich the vibrancy of our community.
Children, Youth & Families
Our investments in Children, Youth and Families focus on prevention and creating environments that help children, caregivers, and families become more resilient.
Community Enhancement
Education
Our investments in Education primarily focus on arts education and active learning programs that help children and youth become confident, caring, and contributing adults.
Endowment
John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick believed building endowments was crucial to ensuring the financial sustainability of not-for-profit organizations in central Oklahoma. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund provides matching grants to endowment funds established at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for organizations engaging numerous donors through an endowment campaign.
Health & Human Services
Our investments in Health and Human Services emphasize prevention, breaking dependencies, ending cycles of abuse, and improving equitable access to health services.
Animal Well-Being
We support the efforts of our affiliate organization, the Kirkpatrick Foundation, to make our communities safe and a humane space for all animals. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund will consider a grant request for endowment support from Oklahoma nonprofits. All other requests for support should be directed to the Kirkpatrick Foundation.
Project Funding
- Arts & Humanities
- Children, Youth & Families
- Community Enhancement
TYPES of SUPPORT
- Requests for individual projects and programs will be considered in this category.
- Requests in this category must span a specific time period, achieve measurable results, and fulfill the organization’s mission.
- Requests for ongoing programs requiring year-after-year support or general administration are not included in this category.
- We do not accept unsolicited requests for capital projects.
- Project grants fall into two categories: small projects ($15,000 and below) and large projects (above $15,000).
- General operating support grants from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund are open by invitation only.
- Organizations may be invited to apply for general operating support only if they have received prior support from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund for multiple years.
- This funding is unrestricted and can be used however the organization deems fit.
- Annual funding for an organization’s general operations is not guaranteed.
- The review process is rigorous and emphasizes best practices in nonprofit management. It examines board and staff leadership; mission, vision, and programs; and current opportunities and challenges the organization faces.
- Eligibility assessment and post-submission follow-up may require interviews or conversations with the applicant organization’s staff members and members of the board of directors.
GUIDELINES
- Only nonprofit organizations qualified as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may apply.
- We do not accept unsolicited grant requests from organizations
- based outside of central Oklahoma
- with fewer than three years of financial documentation
- whose mission or programs do not fall within a stated area of interest
- that function primarily as churches or ministries, or whose programs require adherence to a specific religious affiliation in order to receive services
- We do not fund organizations that advocate for or are involved in the killing, abuse, or harm of animals.
- We do not fund or sponsor individuals, trips, tickets, or tables for fundraising events.
- Support for professional associations, educational institutions, and civic organizations is considered secondary and requires the organization to demonstrate a broad community benefit.
- Organizations are strongly encouraged to engage a broad base of support through their endowment campaigns.
- Donations or bequests from only one source must be supplemented with an additional 10% of the original donation raised from multiple independent donors.
- Approved organizations have up to 12 months from the date of approval to raise their full match portion.
- Organizations submitting a request for a matching grant may also apply for a grant in another category during the same 12-month period.
- Only dollars raised and given to the endowment fund following approval will be considered eligible toward the organization’s match.
- Interest derived from the organization’s endowment fund may not be used to provide the match for Kirkpatrick Family Fund grants.
- Encouraging new investments at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation is a key component of the matching grant program. Therefore, dollars held in other existing donor funds at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation are not eligible to be transferred toward the endowment match.
For more information about the Nonprofit Endowment Program, visit OCCF.org.
HOW to APPLY
Review the Kirkpatrick Family Fund’s grant guidelines
Schedule a Meeting
Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)
Kirkpatrick Family Fund Staff Will contact organization
Prepare and submit full grant application
Kirkpatrick Family Fund staff will review application and present to Trustees
DEADLINES
Project Support
- Small Grants ($15,000 or less): March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1
- Large Grants (more than $15,000): March 1 and September 1
General Operating Support:
March 1 and September 1
Endowment Support
March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1
Click here to download a PDF with additional information.
Our investments in Community Enhancement focus on improving the quality of life for all in our community through beautification, building strong neighborhoods, and advancing economic opportunity.