Inasmuch Foundation announces $3.14 million in grants

OKLAHOMA CITY – Inasmuch Foundation announced today the distribution of $3.14 million in grants to 33 organizations serving Oklahoma communities.

Edith Kinney Gaylord founded Inasmuch Foundation in 1982 to support charitable, scientific and educational causes that enhance the progress and quality of life for Oklahomans. Today, the foundation is committed to carrying on the interests of its late founder by supporting education, health and human services, and community enhancement.

“We are honored to partner with a very diversified mix of grantees focusing on areas such as pre-kindergarten, homelessness, incarceration and on attracting a world-class cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, to Oklahoma City,” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation. “We focus our grant-making in areas where we believe we can make the most impact.”

Grants were awarded to organizations for projects addressing the foundation’s areas of interest as follows:

Education

• $443,348 to Oklahoma City Public Schools for expansion of the half-day prekindergarten program to a full-day program district-wide.
• $308,000 to Smart Start Central Oklahoma in support of Early Birds and their work to ensure that young children enter school safe, healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed.
• $30,000 to Harding Charter Preparatory High School for a world language listening and speaking laboratory.
• $25,000 to Tulsa Lighthouse Charter School, part of a nationwide, non-profit network that prepares students for college through rigorous arts-infused programming.

Health and Human Services

• $377,500 to ReMerge of Oklahoma County. ReMerge provides an intensive year-long program as an alternative to incarceration for non-violent female offenders with minor children.
• $375,000 to Sunbeam Family Services for senior services, expanded counseling services, and resource development.
• $150,000 to Center for Employment Opportunities for the Oklahoma City launch. CEO provides individuals returning from incarceration with work-readiness training, paid transitional employment, full-time job placement and retention services.
• $60,000 to NewView Oklahoma for direct services and an optometric visual mapping device.
• $50,000 to City Care for supportive housing services for Oklahoma City’s homeless.
• $50,000 to Family & Children’s Services for Women in Recovery, a program offering an alternative to incarceration for female offenders with substance abuse and mental health issues.
• $50,000 to Mental Health Association in Tulsa to promote mental health and provide support services to those with mental illness in the community.
• $50,000 to Oklahoma Dental Foundation for MobileSmiles Oklahoma, a mobile dental care program that treats people where they are.
• $40,000 to Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma to provide free civil legal services to low income and elderly Oklahomans.
• $40,000 to Volunteers of America of Oklahoma for a payee services program at WestTown Resource Campus.
• $35,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County for additional staff and programming at Memorial Park.
• $30,000 to Hearts for Hearing Foundation for a project using telepractice to support families and schools to meet the needs of children with hearing loss.
• $30,000 to Oklahoma Caring Foundation for the Caring Van Program, providing vaccines to children in high-need communities through on-site immunization clinics
• $30,000 to Resonance Center for Women for substance abuse treatment and re-entry support services for women in diversion programs or soon to be released from prison.
• $30,000 to Upward Transitions for direct client services for the homeless and those at risk of being homeless.
• $25,000 to Center for Employment Opportunities – Tulsa.  CEO provides transitional jobs to men and women returning from incarceration while giving feedback and guidance to succeed in a real workplace.
• $25,000 to Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma for the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program, fostering positive relationships between incarcerated mothers and their children.
• $25,000 to Rebuilding Together Tulsa. RTT makes home repairs that impact the quality of life for homeowners living on limited incomes.
• $25,000 to YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City for supplies for new program sites at Bodine, Martin Luther King, Spencer and Telstar Elementary.
• $15,000 to Stand in the Gap for expansion to Oklahoma City. SITG facilitates relationships between those experiencing major life transitions and volunteers trained in long term compassionate engagement.

Community Enhancement

• $300,000 to Oklahoma Philharmonic Society for the 2013-14 Classics Series, sponsorship of special guest artist Yo-Yo Ma, and the annual Patriotic Pops concert.
• $250,000 to Oklahoma City Museum of Art for the 2013-14 season of exhibition, education, outreach, and film programs.
• $84,000 to Oklahoma City Beautiful for landscape maintenance for the properties at OKC Educare and Cesar Chavez Elementary School.
• $50,000 to Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma for development of the Federal Court Learning Center in the historic Old Post Office Building and Courthouse in downtown Oklahoma City.
• $40,000 to Oklahoma City Ballet for season productions, scholarships, classes at A+ and OKC Public Schools, costumes and sets.
• $37,000 to Executive Service Corps of Central Oklahoma for nonprofit consulting and office support.
• $25,000 to Mid-America Arts Alliance for programs and services in Oklahoma.
• $25,000 to Myriad Gardens Foundation for educational programs and community outreach.
• $15,000 to Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park for theatrical productions and educational programming.

Letters of Inquiry for the next cycle are due August 15, 2013. To learn more about Inasmuch Foundation, visit www.inasmuchfoundation.org or call 405-604-5292.