Oklahoma City Community Foundation Chairman, Bond Payne, and President, Nancy Anthony
“Together, we are building endowment support that will bolster our community in the years to come.”
This spring, as we broke ground on a new structure that will expand the capacity of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, we were reminded of the ground-breaking steps our founder, John E. Kirkpatrick, took in 1969. He built a framework of charitable support for the community, paving the way for many generous donors to join together with a common mission — to make a difference for good.
We believe, as did our founder, that philanthropy is a collaborative effort. Our 2017 Annual Report highlights the passion and commitment of our community’s generous donors and hard-working nonprofits. We hope these stories will inspire you to join us in Building Together a stronger community.
Members of Oklahoma Children’s Theatre’s Page to Stage program perform for elementary students.
The Oklahoma City Community Foundation is awarding nearly $300,000 to 21 charitable organizations through three grant programs that support community wellness, development of parks and public spaces and opportunities for children in central Oklahoma.
“Our role as a community foundation is to connect donors to charitable organizations for the betterment of our community,” Oklahoma City Community Foundation President Nancy B. Anthony said. “We continually assess the needs of the community and create programs and initiatives to target these. We are pleased to have so many effective nonprofits in the community that share our vision and are willing to partner with us to help Oklahoma City reach its full potential.”
Among the recent recipients is Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, receiving a $15,000 Opportunities for Children iFund grant to support its Page to Stage program. The Opportunities for Children iFund program awards grants to enable more children in central Oklahoma to participate in enrichment activities such as after-school programs, arts education and tutoring and mentoring services. By working with nonprofits providing creative ways to incorporate literacy, wellness and cultural activities, the grant program encourages increased access to help families overcome barriers to participation such as lack of transportation, financial resources and program availability.
“Literacy is a vital component to long-term success for children,” says Oklahoma Children’s Theatre programs director Mollie Reid. “Our Page to Stage program engages children at low income, low performing and Title 1 elementary schools by bringing a story to life. It starts in the classroom encouraging students to predict outcomes and imagine alternate conclusions before presenting a fully staged participation play. At the conclusion of the performance, each child receives a book of that story. It’s hard to describe their excitement as they receive their book, autographed by the actors. Seeing children so excited about reading is magic!”
The Oklahoma City Community Foundation awarded the following grants:
Latino Community Development Agency – $15,000 for a family health and wellness program for Latino youth and adults at risk for lifestyle-related diseases.
Oklahoma City Bicycle Society – $17,170 for a bike skills and safety training program for central Oklahoma residents.
Rainbow Fleet – $22,000 to continue training for child care professionals to integrate health and wellness activities that promote good nutrition and physical activity for children.
