Stories
Donors Kevin & Lisa Putt with their two dogs. The Putts dedicate their charitable donations to animal welfare causes.
Support Those Who Need Accessible Health Care
The Access to Health Care iFund program was designed to support organizations that provide basic and preventative health care, including mental health, dental, and hospice services, to those who would not otherwise have access to such services due to economic, social, or geographic reasons.
Learn more at occf.org/ifunds/health.
Helping Adult Learners With Their Educational Goals
As the state’s largest independent scholarship provider, OCCF saw students from all walks of life with varying career interests. Even with such an extensive program, our team knew there were students we were missing. In response, the Non-Traditional Student Scholarship was established, available to students with disabilities and adult learners who wish to further their education.
Sharing & Investing in OKC
For more than 50 years, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation has committed itself to the citizens of Oklahoma City by doing its part to improve lives, provide resources and help people achieve their dreams. The Foundation’s experts can guide you and answer your questions to help you create the impact you want to make happen.
Supporting Older Adults
As his vision dimmed, Bob and Cheryl Farrar were concerned Bob would have difficulty navigating their home and staying active doing the things he loved to do. Through working with Rebuilding Together OKC, a new ramp now helps The Farrars in and out of their home without worrying one missed step could lead to a serious injury. Rebuilding Together OKC, through a Services for Older Adults grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, provides home repairs like these for many Oklahomans seeking to lead longer, healthier, active lives.
By donating to our Services for Older Adults program, you can support programs like this, doing the very best work in our community. For more information, go to occf.org/ifunds.
A Project for Change
A dedicated public servant and Oklahoma icon, Willa D. Johnson had a dream for Oklahoma. The former city councilwoman and Oklahoma County Commissioner dreamed of a recreation center in the community she served in NE OKC, housed at Douglas Park. The OCCF matched $50,000 to establish an endowment that removes barriers from entry, ensuring all members of the community are able to enjoy Willa’s dream.
Filling the Gaps
When you walk down Walker Avenue in OKC, you’ll often smell fresh coffee and hear a lot of laughter. The happy spot you’ve encountered is Not Your Average Joe, a quaint coffee shop that fills more cups than most. Its mission is to inspire our community by including students and adults with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities in the creation of exceptional coffee in an encouraging atmosphere. It also is a Kirschner Trust grant recipient, awarded by OCCF.
Carrying on a Legacy
Don and Willa Dean Ramsey realized early on the value of money is not what you can buy, the value of money is how you can help others. Through their work with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, the Ramsey family continues to make a difference for the Dale Rogers Training Center and help individuals with disabilities reach their employment goals.
Skyline Urban Ministries Uses Their Endowment to Meet the Needs of Oklahoma’s Working Poor
For more than 50 years, Skyline Urban Ministry has been meeting the needs of the city’s most vulnerable population. They provide everything from food, eye exams, clothing, and hope to Oklahoma City’s working poor. Their endowment at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation provides long-term support so they can continue this important work for years to come. If you have a desire to make a difference in your community, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation can help you make it happen.
Helping End Generational Poverty
Ken and Gae Rees taught the value of giving to their children early on, and together with their children set out to create a legacy of giving. Working with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, they are recognizing and addressing community needs as they work to end generational poverty.
Carolyn Watson Rural Community Foundation is Improving the Quality of Life in Oklahoma
Business woman and longtime Coalgate, Oklahoma resident Carolyn Watson realized many people living in rural areas didn’t have the resources needed to improve their quality of life. Working with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation she created the Carolyn Watson Opportunities Scholarship, Classroom grants, and Community Network grants to help those in need. If you have a desire to make a difference in your community, the Community Foundation can help you too.
Ensuring Animals Get the Life They Deserve
Kevin and Lisa Putt share a love of dogs of all shapes and sizes. And they believe dogs deserve a best friend too. So together with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, they established an endowment gift through their estate plan for Free To Live animal sanctuary – a local rescue for dogs and cats. It was their way of turning their love of animals into a meaningful contribution to the whole community.
OCCF Donor Story: Donna Kornbaum’s Legacy
Joe Carter shares how OCCF donor Donna Kornbaum leveraged a charitable gift annuity to create a lasting legacy for her community.
A Generous Heart Can Change a Community
Pendleton Woods knew that what matters most is not just the size of the donation you make. It’s the size of the difference you can make. And with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, he could make every dollar and every hour he gave go so much further.
A Little Help Goes a Long Way
Lifetime Mid-Del residents Roy and Darlene Thornton wanted to give back to their community by helping local students get to college. So together with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, they established the Roy Edward Thornton & Darlene Young Thornton Scholarship, given to local students committed to community service.
Beautifying Green Spaces
Will Rogers Park is one of the most historic parts of Oklahoma City, boasting trees that were planted by city horticulturist Henry Walter in 1932. Margaret Annis Boys shared Henry’s ambition for wanting to create beautiful green places throughout the community for everyone to enjoy. Miss Boys left the bulk of her estate to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to support the beautification of public parks and spaces. Through the Boys Trust and the Community Foundation’s Parks & Public Space Initiative, we continue to reshape, reimagine and revitalize neighborhoods, parks, medians and schools where residents can create their memories.
A Steadfast Resource
Hunger among senior citizens has been a major issue in Oklahoma County for years. The pandemic made it even worse. Through the Meals on Wheels program in Oklahoma City, home-delivered meals are available to all seniors age 60 and older. The Oklahoma City Community Foundation awards annual grants to area churches to help sustain this important service. Since 2008, we’ve distributed more than $450,000 to support Mobile Meals programs throughout central Oklahoma. Learn how you can make a difference in your community with the help of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.
A Greater Community
John & Joy Belt shared a passion for the arts, and both fell in love with the little neighborhood known as the Paseo. John had a vision to transform the Paseo into a true arts district, and for the next 25 years, he led the charge to revitalize the area and make it a desirable neighborhood to live and work for so many people. The Belts created a legacy fund at the Community Foundation, ensuring their support for the Paseo District and other arts-related beautification projects would continue long after they were gone.
An Inspiring Future
1 in 5 adults in Oklahoma is functionally illiterate. 1 in 5 adults in Oklahoma cannot do math beyond a third-grade level. But according to Opportunities Industrialization Center, it’s never too late to get a GED. The organization provides education training to unemployed and underemployed adults. Learn how gifts to endowment are helping ensure the tomorrows for their critical programming.
A Safe Place to Grow
Every day, more than 130,000 kids in Oklahoma leave school with nowhere to go. They are unsupervised, unguided and unsafe. Over the last eight years, the state has cut more than $7 million in funding that was used to help meet the needs of at-risk students. Thankfully, there is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County. Learn how the power of endowment is helping perpetuate their youth-serving programs.
Putting Goals Within Reach
Savien Johnson took advantage of an OCCF scholarship specifically for his own unique criteria – foster care students in Oklahoma.
Timely Support for Real Issues
The Oklahoma City Community Foundation collaborated with four metro health care facilities to identify and overcome the biggest challenges facing our community today, like how people experiencing homelessness and COVID-19 could find safe shelter.
Kim Schlittler
Kim Schlittler discusses our Charitable Organization Endowment Program.
Leslie Hudson
Leslie Hudson discusses the Power of Endowment.
Jane Sutter
Jane Sutter, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, discusses her experience working with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.
Ana Garcia
Oklahoma City nurse practitioner Ana Garcia reflects on how an Oklahoma City Community Foundation scholarship impacted her education.
Steven C. Davis
Oklahoma City estate planning attorney Steven C. Davis reflects on how the Oklahoma City Community Foundation allows him to better serve his clients.
The Payne Family
A gift from late Oklahoma oilman William T. “Bill” Payne created a lasting legacy for his family, who continue to use the William T. Payne endowment at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to give back to charitable causes important to their family.