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Making a Difference in Lawton since 1999

Quanah Parker Dam, Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge near Lawton. Photo by Dennis Spielman

The Lawton Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, works to improve the quality of life in the Lawton area through its Community Grants program and a Matching Grant program for nonprofit organizations that have charitable organization endowment funds or intend to establish such a fund with the Lawton Community Foundation.

Annual Report

The economic uncertainty that rippled across the country this past year was certainly felt throughout our own community as well. It’s not the first time we’ve experienced trying times, and once again, we all witnessed people coming together to help lift each other up. I can honestly say that the Oklahoma Standard was on full display throughout the year, and it’s so humbling to see neighbors reaching out to help those who were perhaps struggling a little bit more than themselves…

Hossein Moini, Lawton Community Foundation President

Community Grants

The Lawton Community Foundation community grants program supports programs and projects in these designated communities that will improve the quality of life and provide opportunities for citizens to improve themselves and their communities. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to qualified nonprofit organizations or entities of state and local government for appropriate projects that have the following characteristics:

The project should be new or a significant expansion of a current effort which will provide positive additional impact to the community.

The project should benefit a broad range of individuals in the community and not be limited to a small group.

The project should have matching support from other resources in the community.

Goals

The program is designed to enhance the quality of life and provide opportunities for Lawton area citizens to improve themselves and the community.

Community Grant Guidelines

Matching Grants

Matching grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to qualified nonprofit organizations that have charitable organization endowment funds with the Lawton Community Foundation or would like to start a charitable organization endowment fund with the Lawton Community Foundation.

Matching Grants Guidelines

Application

If you would like to apply for a Community Grant, please email us. Briefly explain the project for which your organization is seeking funding. You will then be provided a link to the grant application. If you would like to apply for a Matching Grant, please email Jennifer Stewart with your request and how you plan to raise the required $2,500 of the $5,000 from individuals. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer and Keaton Van Sickle at the email above.

Recent Grants

Citizens Caring for Children – $5,000 – To support their Mobile Foster Futures unit that provides basic necessities to children living in foster care.

Friends of the Lawton Public Library – $5,000 – To support a joint effort between the library and the Oklahoma Historical Society to digitize local historical documents.

Giddy Up ‘N Go – $3,300 – To update and replenish first and CPR materials and equipment.

Great Plains Technology Center Foundation – $5,000 – To support a project house that will be built by Great Plains Technology Center students.

Holiday in the Park – $5,000 – To help create an around the world Holiday in the Park display celebrating the diverse cultures that make up Lawton and Fort Sill.

Infant Crisis Services – $5,000 – To support their BabyMobile, which brings a weeks’ worth of formula, food and diapers to Lawton infants and toddlers four times a year.

Lawton Family YMCA – $5,000 – To help launch a new children’s health and activity management program for children ages 9-12 with a BMI in the upper 85th percentile.

Lawton Farmers Market Institute – $5,000 – To support engaging community events and free educational programming at the Lawton Farmers Market.

Lawton Public School Foundation – $5,000 – To support their partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books to children 0-5 years.

Museum of the Great Plains – $3,501.94 – To purchase essential preservation supplies to help the museum continue to preserve the unique regional history of the Great Plains.

Salvation Army of Lawton – $5,000 – To support Project TLC, a teen leadership conference to develop character, leadership and life skills and plan for post-high school graduation.

Teen Court – $5,000 – To support their delinquency prevention program that uses interactive classroom time to educate teens and prevent the behavior in the future.

The following organizations are raising funds to meet matching grants to support their endowment funds at the Lawton Community Foundation. 

Arts for All

Cache School Education Foundation

First United Methodist Church of Lawton Foundation

Friends of Ft. Sill

Greater Lawton Rotary Club Endowment

Great Plains Technology Center Foundation

General Donald R. Keith Memorial Scholarship Fund

Lawton AMBUCS Lou Brox Endowment Fund

Lawton Public School Foundation

Bernice Ford Price Library Endowment

Kathy Bea Holsinger Reese Memorial Fund for St. Paul’s United Methodist Church

St. John’s Luthern Church

United States Field Artillery – Fort Sill Artillery Half Section Fund

Western Trail Historical Society

World Christian Broadcasting

Scholarships

Lawton Scholarship Applications are open!

Apply for Lawton Scholarships through OCCF’s online scholarship application. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2025.

Donors and organizations have established the scholarship and award funds listed below for the benefit of Lawton area students. If you are interested in establishing a scholarship endowment, please contact Jennifer Stewart at 580/353-4747. You may also want to review our Scholarship & Award Fund Policy Statement.

Great Plains Technology Center

The following scholarship is administered by the center. For more information, please contact Karen Bailey at kbailey@gptcfoundation.org.

A donation link for this fund is located below its dropdown description.

Great Plains – Jim Nisbett Scholarship Fund - hidden
Address 4500 SW Lee Blvd., Lawton, OK 73505-8304
Contact Karen Bailey
Phone 580/250-5603
Email kbailey@gptcfoundation.org
Description Mission Statement of the Great Plains-Jim Nisbett Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to Great Plains Technology Center bound students. Our ultimate goal is to inspire more individuals to continue their education after high school, learn marketable skills, complete their career education at Great Plains Tech Center and successfully enter the workforce.
Region Southwest Oklahoma

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Great Plains – Jim Nisbett Scholarship Fund
Address 4500 SW Lee Blvd., Lawton, OK 73505-8304
Contact Karen Bailey
Phone 580/250-5603
Email kbailey@gptcfoundation.org
Description Mission Statement of the Great Plains-Jim Nisbett Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to Great Plains Technology Center bound students. Our ultimate goal is to inspire more individuals to continue their education after high school, learn marketable skills, complete their career education at Great Plains Tech Center and successfully enter the workforce.
Region Southwest Oklahoma

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Donate Now

United States Field Artillery Association Foundation

The following scholarships are available through the organization.  Apply directly here:  fieldartillery.org/usfaa-scholarships.

Donation links for each fund are located below their dropdown description.

All-Star Scholarship Fund - hidden
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

All-Star Scholarship Fund
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

General Donald R. Keith Memorial Scholarship Fund
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

General Jack N. Merritt Scholarship Fund
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

General J.H. Binford Peay III Scholarship Fund
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Dennis J. Reimer Scholarship Fund
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

U.S. Field Artillery Association Eagle Scholarship Fund
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

General Carl E. Vuono Scholarship Fund
Contact Amy Ewing-Holmstrom
Phone 580/355-4677
Email director@fieldartillery.org
Description Consideration for this scholarship is based on academic potential for higher education, personal character and responsibility, and the benefit of financial support to meet his or her educational goals.

Make an online credit card donation to this permanent endowment fund through the secure online giving service provided by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

How Can We Help You?

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Jennifer Stewart, CAP®


Donor Services Director

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Joshua Dunbar


Donor Services Manager

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Madeline Bennett


Nonprofit Endowments

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Wanda Minter


Scholarship Programs

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Keaton Van Sickle


Grants

Sharing is Caring: Give back today on #GivingTuesday

OCCF will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving from Thursday, Nov. 28 through Friday, Nov. 29.

We will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 2. Best wishes from all of us to you.

OCCF