Grants Overview

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

Project Support

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

General Operating Support

Establishment of a general operating support program is consistent with the Kirkpatrick Family Fund’s commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector in central Oklahoma. We believe that healthy nonprofit organizations share certain core strengths in their administrative, fundraising and program capacities. They may be in transition as they seek to improve in some areas, but all share a commitment to excellence in their programs and operations. When we use the term “general operating support,” we mean the “working capital” nonprofits need to further their mission, often used by an organization to improve their administrative and fundraising capacity.

Endowment

The purpose of the endowment-matching grant program is to encourage nonprofit organizations to plan for their future, to develop a reliable source of funding that supports mission and program goals, to support maintenance and operations of capital projects through endowment building, and to engage a broad base of contributors from the community in the organization.