Inasmuch Foundation announces $5.76 million in grants

OKLAHOMA CITY – Inasmuch Foundation announced today the distribution of $5.76 million in grants to 54 organizations serving Oklahoma communities.

Inasmuch Foundation, founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982, supports education, health and human services and community enhancement initiatives that enrich the quality of life for Oklahomans.

“I am pleased to co-chair Mayor David Holt’s task force to create a comprehensive plan to curb chronic homelessness” said Bob Ross, Chairman and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation.   “Alongside co-chair Sue Ann Arnall, City Council Members Nikki Nice, James Cooper and JoBeth Hamon, municipal staff, service providers, and philanthropic partners, I am confident we will rally the community around our most vulnerable population.  Inasmuch Foundation’s grants to Homeless Alliance and Pivot this grant cycle represent a small start of what will be an enormous community wide investment to tackle homelessness.”

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

Health and Human Services

• $390,000 to ReMerge of Oklahoma County to transform mothers facing incarceration into productive citizens by removing barriers to success and long term recovery.
• $260,000 to Homeless Alliance to build capacity in the community to address homelessness.
• $205,000 to Center for Employment Opportunities to provide comprehensive and effective employment services in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to individuals with criminal convictions.
• $100,000 to 4RKids Foundation for the capital campaign for a new building to expand services offered to children and adults with special needs.
• $80,000 to Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives Foundation to expand the Pay For Success pilot program, increasing referrals to Family Drug Treatment Court and highlighting available programs for vulnerable families.
• $80,000 to Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma to provide civil legal assistance to low-income persons throughout Oklahoma.
• $75,000 to HopeHouse OKC to provide safe, nurturing, housing communities that seek to assist homeless families to become self-sustaining and self-reliant.
• $75,000 to NewView Oklahoma to empower blind and vision impaired individuals to achieve their maximum potential.
• $50,000 to Family and Children’s Services for a health and wellness-focused case manager for Women in Recovery, a 3-phase alternative to incarceration.
• $50,000 to Latino Community Development Agency to improve the quality of life in the Latino community through education, leadership, services and advocacy.
• $50,000 to Pivot to assist youth who are homeless, displaced or at-risk of homelessness, primarily in central Oklahoma.
• $40,000 to Volunteers of America Oklahoma to provide housing and money management assistance to Oklahomans at risk of homelessness.
• $37,000 to Focus Forward Oklahoma to train providers, clinical staff, and administrative staff in the provision of long-acting reversible contraceptives.
• $35,000 to It’s My Community Initiative’s Safe Families program, connecting families in need with a local Circle of Support.
• $30,000 to Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives Foundation to improve the quality and frequency of well-child visits and the use of developmental screenings through the Reach Out and Read model.
• $25,000 to Hope is Alive to radically change the lives of drug addicts, alcoholics, and those who love them.
• $25,000 to Thrive to lead a public-private collaboration to reduce the teen birth rate in Central Oklahoma.
• $20,000 to Take Control Initiative, empowering women and their families with the choice of when to have children through access to education, outreach and free clinical services.
• $15,000 to Cleats for Kids to provide sports shoes and safe equipment to kids in need, empowering them to live healthier lifestyles and learn life lessons through sports.
• $10,000 to Oklahoma Caring Foundation to provide underserved Oklahoma children with access to preventive health services.

Education

• $500,000 to Oklahoma State University for the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts and the Greenwood School of Music, providing access and training in the arts through nationally-recognized performances and a world-class music education program.
• $250,000 to Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma to build an Urban STEM Camp nurturing STEM learning, outdoor experiences, and leadership development.
• $250,000 to Millwood Enrichment Foundation to pilot an apprentice teaching model in Millwood schools to enable teachers to pursue a Masters degree as well as increase teacher quality and retention.
• $150,000 to Teach For America – Oklahoma City to find, develop, and support a diverse network of leaders, working together to end educational inequity.
• $130,000 to Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools to build strong community support for lasting change in Oklahoma City Public Schools.
• $120,000 to Smart Start Central Oklahoma to build a community that supports parents and caregivers as a child’s first and most influential teacher.
• $100,000 to Fields and Futures Foundation in support of OKCPS Pathway to Greatness, First Day Ready.
• $75,000 to Kiwanis Special Activities Fund for a playground, parking lot, sidewalk and landscaping at Kiwanis Community Center.
• $50,000 to Harding Charter Preparatory High School to provide an Advanced Placement-based education for all students and prepare them for either a college or technical career path.
• $50,000 to Harding Fine Arts Academy to prepare students for college in an academically-challenging, arts-integrated environment.
• $25,000 to Community Action Project of Tulsa County to help young children in lower-income families grow up and achieve economic success through high-quality early childhood education.
• $25,000 to Crossroads Youth and Family Services for the early childhood program at Beginnings Academy in Lawton.
• $25,000 to Generation Citizen to empower young people to become engaged and effective citizens by promoting a student-centered, experiential approach.
• $25,000 to Oklahoma City Police Athletic League to create a safe place for kids to play and to better the relationship between police officers and youth.
• $25,000 to Tulsa Honor Academy to equip all scholars with the academic skills, content knowledge, and ethical character required for college graduation.
• $15,000 to Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation to lead Oklahoma in coordinating an early childhood system focused on strengthening families and school readiness.
• $15,000 to Reach Out and Read Oklahoma to provide books to children at regular check-ups at clinical locations throughout Oklahoma, integrating literacy promotion as a standard component of primary care.
• $10,000 to LeadLearnLive to bring life-changing outcomes to students with intellectual or developmental disabilities by developing comprehensive, inclusive college programs.

Community Enhancement

• $625,000 to Oklahoma City Museum of Art to enrich lives through the visual arts, providing art access to all through active collaboration with local partners.
• $500,000 to Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation to develop and operate facilities and programs to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma City and promote the use and development of the Oklahoma River.
• $250,000 to Oklahoma Contemporary to encourage artistic expression in all its forms through education, exhibitions, and performance.
• $250,000 to Oklahoma Philharmonic Society to provide inspiration and joy through orchestral music, innovative programming, partnerships and collaborations.
• $100,000 to Oklahoma City Ballet to provide dance education and community-based performances throughout central Oklahoma.
• $100,000 to Scissortail Park Foundation for the Grand Opening of Scissortail Park, one of Oklahoma City’s MAPS 3 projects and downtown’s newest park.
• $90,000 to Friends of the Oklahoma History Center to provide broad-based support for exhibits, projects, educational programs and initiatives undertaken by the Oklahoma History Center.
• $84,000 to Oklahoma City Beautiful for landscape maintenance at Oklahoma City Educare.
• $52,500 to Seminole Nation Historical Society to perpetuate and preserve the history of the Seminole Nation, its capital of Wewoka, and the surrounding area.
• $50,000 to Santa Fe Family Life Center to empower disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities to achieve improved fitness and well-being.
• $30,000 to deadCenter Film Festival to promote, celebrate, and encourage creativity through independent film.
• $25,000 to Executive Service Corps of Central Oklahoma to deliver professional volunteer management consulting, moving nonprofits to greater performance excellence.
• $20,000 to Oklahoma Children’s Theatre to provide live theatre and interactive educational experiences for young audiences.
• $15,000 to CityRep to provide dynamic professional theatre, serving Oklahoma’s artistic, educational and civic needs.
• $15,000 to Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park to produce re-imagined, entertaining and accessible interpretations of Shakespeare and the classics.

Letters of Inquiry for the next cycle are due August 15, 2019. To learn more about Inasmuch Foundation, visit www.inasmuchfoundation.org or call 405-604-5292.