Category Archives: iFunds

More than $300,000 Awarded to 14 Charities

Community, Grants, iFunds, Wellness
People practicing dance
Members of the Golden Swans – Oklahoma City Ballet’s outreach program for elderly and Alzheimer’s sufferers – practice their skills. Oklahoma City Ballet is one of Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s most recent grantees.

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation recently awarded more than $300,000 to 14 charitable organizations in central Oklahoma. The Services to Elderly iFund program, Access to Health Care iFund program and Wellness Initiative award grants to organizations that support independent living for the elderly, promote wellness and exercise, provide social and recreational opportunities and give access to health care.

“Seniors are in need of programs that help them to live happy, healthy lives,” says Whitney Moore, development director for recent grant recipient Oklahoma City Ballet. “Remaining active as seniors age is very important in maintaining their independence and health.”

The Community Foundation’s Elderly Services iFund program supports organizations that provide direct services for our community’s older citizens who still live in their homes. By supporting wellness and exercise activities, this program helps to allow independent living to continue and provides positive social and recreational opportunities improving their quality of life.

“Oklahoma City is continually listed as one of the nation’s least healthy cities. The Oklahoma City Community Foundation is actively working to change this by creating a culture of health and wellness in central Oklahoma,” Oklahoma City Community Foundation President Nancy B. Anthony said. “We are pleased to work with charitable organizations that share our vision and provide creative solutions to improve the lives of citizens in our community.”

The following grants were awarded:

Wellness Initiative

Mercy Health Foundation Oklahoma City – $30,000 for the FUN (Fitness, Understanding Health and Nutrition) Project to provide school-based nutrition, physical education and summer family wellness activities with the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation to at-risk youth in Oklahoma City.

Services for the Elderly iFund

American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma – $12,500 for a campaign to prevent home fires among elderly residents.

NewView Oklahoma – $20,000 for a medication management program for seniors who are vision-impaired.

Oklahoma City Ballet – $10,000 for the Golden Swans program providing ballet classes to help improve senior mobility.

Rebuilding Together OKC – $20,000 to provide critical heating, cooling and electrical repairs to low-income seniors allowing them to remain safe, warm and dry in their homes.

Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma – $20,000 to provide nutritious food and healthy living resources to low-income seniors.

The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma Area Command – $15,000 to support the Senior Watch program that provides immediate, short-term assistance for seniors in need of additional household, emotional or spiritual support.

Access to Health Care iFund

A Chance to Change – $24,000 for a telehealth project to provide remote substance abuse and mental health therapy sessions for clients who are unable to attend in-person treatment.

Fundacion Manos Juntas – $21,000 to support a diabetes management and education program for diabetic and pre-diabetic patients at the Manos Juntas Free Clinic in Oklahoma City.

Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at OUHSC – $25,000 to expand a diabetes prevention program for individuals at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

Latino Community Development Agency – $30,000 to provide breast and cervical cancer education, screening, referrals and comprehensive patient navigations for Hispanic women in central Oklahoma.

Neighborhood Services Organization – $40,000 for a dental outreach and education program for low-income children and adults throughout Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma Dental Foundation – $40,000 to support the MobileSmiles dental clinic providing dental treatment and preventative oral health education to low-income children at Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Skyline Urban Ministry – $5,000 to support a wellness program providing health screenings, education, nutrition and physical activities for at-risk citizens.

Coordinating Health Care for Oklahoma City’s Homeless

Community, Donors, iFunds


The Open Arms Clinic at the City Rescue Mission was recently featured on KFOR-TV.

For residents of City Rescue Mission, the struggles of homelessness can present serious barriers to maintaining their health. When faced with the challenges of finding affordable housing and a sustainable income, health care is often just one more obstacle to overcome. Thanks to a grant from our Access to Health Care iFund program, a new triage clinic is making health care more attainable for Oklahoma City’s homeless population.

The clinic is a collaboration between City Rescue Mission and Open Arms Clinic, a charitable health care provider that has been serving Oklahoma City since 1993. Located onsite at City Rescue Mission, the clinic provides free medical services to mission residents through a triage nurse who assesses the level of care needed and coordinates follow-up services.

“When you have a significant homeless population without access to basic health care, they are often left with no choice but to use expensive emergency services that can have a tremendous impact on the community,” said Rosemary Hayes, Open Arms development and volunteer coordinator.

The triage clinic is helping to eliminate the use of emergency medical services for non-emergency needs. Within the first four months, the clinic served 329 patients, with only 30 requiring emergency care. Before the clinic opened, City Rescue Mission says EMS was called on a daily basis. Now, the rate of EMS calls has dropped by 24 percent.

“Many patients don’t have access to over-the-counter medications,” said the clinic’s triage nurse. “With the opening of the clinic, they can now be treated for minor ailments such as a migraine or a rash without ever leaving the facility.”

An initiative of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation Trustees, the iFund program utilizes gifts from donors to support services for children and elderly, as well as provide access to health care. Since 2011, the iFund program has awarded more than $2.5 million to charitable organizations serving central Oklahoma. Charitable organizations providing health care services and programs for the elderly in central Oklahoma can apply for the next round of iFund grants by April 14. Donors interested in making a charitable gift to support iFund grants can visit ifundokc.org and click on Donate Now.