Opportunities for Children
Previous Grantees
Grants awarded to charitable organizations that provide direct services for children birth to age 14 and offer access to enrichment opportunities that otherwise would not be available.
Application Process
Grant applications for the 2024 grant cycle are closed. Please check back for next year's opportunity.
FAQ
If my organization received an Opportunities for Children grant last year, am I eligible to apply this year?
If your organization has received an Opportunities for Children grant in two of the last three years, the organization is not eligible to apply this year.
You may reapply this year if the following conditions have been met:
- The funds have been fully expended
- All follow-up grant reports have been submitted
- The program successfully met its goals
- Your organization has not received an Opportunities for Children grant in at least two of the last three years
My organization has a current grant through one of the other community grant opportunities (Access to Health Care, Culture & Community or Services for Older Adults.) Am I eligible to apply for the Opportunities for Children grant?
Yes, but only if it is for a different program. We will not consider funding the same program with two different community grants.
Can an organization submit a Letter of Intent or grant application for more than one project during a single grant cycle?
No, an organization may only apply for one project during a single grant cycle.
Are the Letters of Intent or Grant Applications submitted online?
Yes! Both the Letter of Intent and Grant Application will be submitted through our online grant portal.
Check out the top of this page for more info!
Will the organizations that apply receive notification if they are not approved?
Yes, all organizations that submit an application will be notified of funding decisions by the Notification of Funding Decision date above.
Recent Grants
School Readiness
Latino Community Development Agency – $5,000 for creative arts in early learning for Latino children ages 0-5.
Lilyfield – $15,000 for part-time preschool for primarily Spanish-speaking children in South Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation – $24,000 for books and take-home materials for a multi-session program for families with children ages 2-4, and books for bookmobile serving pre-K and Kindergarten students.
Luke’s Methodist Church – $5,600 for nature-based outdoor classroom curriculum for preschool children (28% receive DHS subsidy).
Special Needs
Aspiring Attitudes – $10,000 for dance education program for children of all abilities.
Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma – $5,000 for summer camp for children with Autism.
Cleats for Kids – $7,500 for athletic shoes and sports equipment for 200 children in the Special Olympics.
Columbus Corporation of Oklahoma City, Inc., d/b/a Santa Fe Family Life Center – $10,000 for “Wheelie Club” activities for children with physical disabilities.
NewView Oklahoma – $5,000 for summer camp for children with vision impairment.
Special Care – $18,000 for adaptive recreation and play space supplies – interactive games/projectors for children with Autism ages 0-14.
Oklahoma Family Network – $5,000 for a special night at the Blue Zoo for families with children with special healthcare needs or disabilities.
Foster Care
Anna’s House Foundation – $12,000 for foster family support for necessities at initial placement and throughout the time in foster care.
Canadian County CASA – $15,000 for salaries for two (2) staff to supervise volunteers who provide direct services to youth in foster care.
Crossroads Youth & Family Services – $2,000 for summer camp for unhoused youth.
Foster Care Association of Oklahoma – $10,000 for Kids Day Out program of activities for children ages 0-14 in foster care.
Fostering Sweet Dreams – $25,000 for new beds for youth in foster care.
Freedom City – $10,000 for expansion of Freedom Girls program of fun and enriching activities for young African American girls, to those specifically in foster care.
The Comeback Kid Society – $10,000 for year-round creative arts and activities for children who live in group homes and in foster care.
Other
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Oklahoma – $25,000 for a one-to-one mentoring program for children with incarcerated parents in Oklahoma City and Norman.
Center for Children and Families – $5,000 for a Boys & Girls Club of Norman Summer camp for youth experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, divorce or other trauma, over half of whom speak Spanish at home.
Children’s Health Foundation – $40,000 for evidence-based school readiness for children with Autism ages 0-5. (School readiness/Special needs)
House of Healing – $13,000 for equine experience classes throughout summer and fall for children having experienced trauma, behavioral health issues and/or having limited social intelligence skills. (Trauma/Special Needs)
INTEGRIS Health Foundation —Summer bash event – $1,835 for activities for children served at INTEGRIS Mental Health Spencer.
Neighborhood Services Organization – $15,000 for new furnishings for Martha’s House – apartments for children and mothers experiencing homelessness.
Nexus Equine – $7,000 for biweekly educational equine experience sessions for boys experiencing behavioral health disorders who reside at the Genesis Project, a residential foster care facility. (Foster Care/Trauma/Special Needs)
Oklahoma City Community College Foundation – $6,500 for OCCC student mentoring program expansion, bringing youth ages 10-14 from Positive Tomorrows to experience on-campus life-skills activities.
Sisters with Heart – $1,650 for Spring and Summer break childcare enrichment and school readiness program for children, the majority of whom are in joint custody or foster care arrangements. (School Readiness/Trauma)
Urban League of Greater Oklahoma – $20,000 for year-round “outside the classroom learning experiences” including creative exploration and social enrichment for disadvantaged African American youth who attend low performing schools and have experienced not having enough food at home.
Bethany Children’s Health Center – $5,000 – To support their adaptive sports and recreation program that offers adaptive recreation and fine arts opportunities for children of all abilities.
Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County – $10,000 – To provide performing arts and theatre opportunities for Boys and Girls Club members through a collaboration with Lyric Theatre.
Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma – $7,500 – To support the expansion of Camp CANOE, a summer camp designed specifically for youth needing more guidance and support in their outdoor experiences.
Camp Kesem at University of Oklahoma – $7,500 – To support their summer camp that combines a traditional camp experience with support for children through a parent’s cancer diagnosis and beyond.
Cavett Kids Foundation – $10,000 – To support Camp Cavett, a traditional summer camp for children battling life-threatening illnesses.
Center for Children and Families – $5,000 – To support summer field trips for Boys & Girls Club of Norman members.
Citizens Caring for Children – $20,000 – To provide children living in foster care with a shopping experience for basic necessities through their Resource Center.
Cut it Forward – $8,000 – To help launch a Crowning Curls Workshop series to help Black identifying children and their caregivers learn culturally appropriate hair and skin care.
Cycles for Life – $10,000 – To help fund a program director position for their Bike Club OKC program that teaches children proper bike safety, riding and maintenance.
Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma – $5,000 – To support an occupational therapy camp focused on fine and gross motor skill training for children with Down Syndrome.
First Serve OKC Foundation – $5,000 – To expand their elementary and middle school-aged summer tennis camps that include tennis instruction, educational lessons and life skills.
Fostering Sweet Dreams – $15,000 – To purchase new beds, mattresses and sheets for vulnerable Oklahoma children.
Freedom City – $5,000 – To support the Freedom Girls Program for 5th-8th grade girls at F.D. Moon Middle School and John Marshall Enterprise Middle School, helping them discover their voices and learn to use them to better the community.
Genesis Project – $15,000 – To provide recreational and cultural opportunities for children living at the Genesis Project’ facility.
Hearts for Hearing Foundation – $5,000 – To support their week-long day camp for school-aged children with hearing loss.
House of Healing – $5,000 – To provide underserved populations with an equine experience to help build self-worth and confidence.
Jubilee Partners Association – $5,000 – To support their Summer Kids Club for at-risk students from preschool through 8th grade.
Last Frontier Council – $12,000 – To establish seven new Cub Scout Outreach Packs in Oklahoma City Public Schools elementary schools.
Lilyfield – $7,800 – To start a preschool program for at-risk 4-year-olds in South Oklahoma City who have not yet started Pre-K.
NewView Oklahoma – $5,000 – To support a week-long camp that combines daily living skills training with social activities in a safe environment for children with low vision.
OKC Dodgers Baseball Foundation – $5,000 – To support a free rookie baseball and softball league for 5th and 6th grade students.
Oklahoma Children’s Theatre – $5,000 – To bring their Page to Stage literacy and theatre program to Pre-K students at Oklahoma City Public Schools and Lilyfield.
Oklahoma City Ballet – $10,000 – To support their BRIDGE Dance Discovery program that provides underserved children with dance classes and live performance opportunities.
Oklahoma City Police Athletic League – $10,000 – To support after-school athletic leagues for 5th and 6th grade middle school students at Oklahoma City Public Schools.
Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center – $5,000 – To support scholarships for their Camp Contemporary program that provides age-appropriate art experiences for children ages 5-12.
Oklahoma Zoological Society – $5,000 – To support OKC Zoo’s Dreamnight where children with special needs and their families can enjoy an exclusive, accessible evening at the zoo.
Opry Heritage Foundation of Oklahoma – $5,000 – To support Granville Community Music School, which provides quality music lessons to children ages 9-18 from low-income families.
OU Medicine – $15,000 – To support Elevating Arts, their artist-in-residency program that brings art and STEAM-infused artistic experiences to OU Medicine patients and their families.
Positive Tomorrows – $5,000 – To support after-school programming and full-day break camps for Positive Tomorrows students.
Prairie Dance Theatre – $5,000 – To support their Smart Moves program that engages 1st-4th graders at Oklahoma City’s Fillmore Elementary School in high-energy dance forms.
Rainbow Fleet – $10,000 – To support the addition of a Montessori classroom at their Early Education Center in Oklahoma City.
Riversport Foundation – $10,000 – To support their Youth Rowing League for middle school students at Oklahoma City Title I schools.
Sunbeam Family Services – $20,000 – To support STEAM activities for 0-3-year-old children at Sunbeam’s Early Childhood Education Centers, and an additional $15,000 to expand early learning opportunities to families in Canadian, Cleveland and Oklahoma counties.
Untitled Artspace – $5,000 – To support their Mentorship Program as it expands to include two new Title I middle schools in Oklahoma City.
YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City – $25,000 – To support the Y Clubhouse, which provides enhanced social-emotional services and enrichment programming to underserved children in Oklahoma City.
