Kirkpatrick Foundation Inc.

Kirkpatrick Foundation Inc. has operated out of Oklahoma City since 1955, founded by John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick with a $10,000 initial gift that has grown into one of Oklahoma's most enduring private foundations. The institution now holds approximately $97.9 million in assets and has distributed over $92 million in cumulative giving since inception. In fiscal year 2023, total giving reached $4.85 million, of which $2.37 million went as direct grants paid to organizations — the remainder funding the foundation's own programmatic operations, primarily the ArtDesk publication and Safe & Humane initiative.

The Kirkpatricks' founding philosophy is baked into the institution's DNA: keep organizational structure simple, maintain personal involvement with grantees, and embrace a wide number of charities rather than concentrating on a few flagship partners. This philosophy produces a grantmaking portfolio of 328 tracked grants spread across dozens of organizations annually, ranging from the Oklahoma Philharmonic Society and Pollard Theatre Company to tiny but mission-aligned groups like Tiny Paws Kitten Rescue and Race Dance Collective.

The five focus areas — arts and culture, education, animal wellbeing, environmental conservation, and historic preservation — are not equal in practice. Animal wellbeing has emerged as a signature priority, anchored by the Safe & Humane initiative (a 20-year commitment to make Oklahoma the safest and most humane place for animals by 2032). Arts and education each receive substantial attention through recurring grants to school foundations, public arts organizations, and civic media.

For organizations approaching Kirkpatrick for the first time, the pathway is clear: start small, call first, and build a relationship. The foundation explicitly encourages first-time applicants to apply for small grants (up to $10,000), which are reviewed monthly and decided within 60 days. Senior Program Officer Susan Grossman (405.608.0937 / susan@kirkpatrickfoundation.com) is the primary intake contact. Pre-application conversations are not merely recommended — the FAQ states them as an expected step. Organizations that skip this outreach risk submitting proposals misaligned with current priorities.

Board Chair Christian Keesee (third-generation Kirkpatrick family philanthropist) and a 10-member trustee board are actively engaged and conduct site visits. This is not an anonymous grant portal — personal relationships, community embeddedness, and demonstrated Oklahoma City engagement matter as much as programmatic merit.

Kirkpatrick Foundation's grantmaking database reflects 328 tracked grants totaling $9.38 million, with an average grant size of $28,609. This average is significantly skewed upward by the foundation's $3.35 million cumulative relationship with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation (OCCF) across 8 transactions — including gift fund mechanisms, COVID-19 emergency funding, and the 1KFG initiative. Excluding this flagship OCCF relationship, the average drops to approximately $18,500 per grant across 320 transactions, which better reflects the experience of typical applicants.

The grant size spectrum is wide. At the top end: Karner Blue Center for a Humane Economy ($350,000 in a single grant), Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation ($330,000 across 5 grants), and Oklahoma Zoological Society ($307,000 across 3 grants). The median award in the top-50 grantee list falls around $50,000–$65,000 for multi-grant relationships. New organizations should target $10,000–$25,000 on initial requests, consistent with the stated small grant ceiling of $10,000 and the large grant average of $25,000.

Geographically, Oklahoma-based recipients dominate overwhelmingly: 271 of 328 tracked grants (82.6%) went to OK-state organizations. National organizations with Oklahoma-specific programming are competitive — the Animal Legal Defense Fund (California-based) received $210,000 across 3 grants for work anchored to Oklahoma courts and Oklahoma City University law school programming.

By program area, animal wellbeing punches above its weight: Karner Blue Center ($350,000), Oklahoma Zoological Society ($307,000), Animal Legal Defense Fund ($210,000), Wildcare Oklahoma ($193,000), Oklahoma Humane Society ($79,500), Wildcare Foundation ($59,000), Animal Wellness Foundation ($50,000), Oklahoma Alliance for Animals ($40,000), and Tiny Paws Kitten Rescue ($40,000) together total approximately $1.33 million — suggesting animal wellbeing commands 20–25% of direct grant dollars. Arts and education each appear to claim 25–35% of the portfolio based on grantee density.

Annual giving has grown substantially over the decade: $3.18 million (2014) → $3.71 million (2019) → $4.21 million (2022) → $4.85 million (2023), representing a 52% increase over nine years. Total assets nearly doubled from $41.4 million (2014) to $86.5 million (2023), with the current asset figure at $97.9 million. This asset growth trajectory suggests continued capacity for grant expansion as net investment income (which reached $4.87 million in 2023) strengthens the endowment base.

The following table compares Kirkpatrick Foundation to comparable regional private foundations operating in Oklahoma and the broader Oklahoma City philanthropic ecosystem:

Kirkpatrick stands out among Oklahoma City's private foundations in three key ways. First, its open small grant application with monthly review cycles makes it the most accessible major funder in the region for emerging organizations — Inasmuch Foundation, by contrast, operates largely by invitation. Second, Kirkpatrick's distinctive animal wellbeing focus creates a niche with lower competition than its arts or education tracks; no other major Oklahoma City foundation has institutionalized a 20-year animal welfare initiative comparable to Safe & Humane. Third, Kirkpatrick's historic preservation focus — while smaller in dollar volume — is shared by few other regional funders, making it the go-to source for preservation feasibility studies and structural restoration grants. Organizations pursuing both Kirkpatrick and Sarkeys Foundation should note that Sarkeys covers health and human services explicitly excluded by Kirkpatrick, allowing for complementary rather than duplicative approaches.

The most significant recent development at Kirkpatrick Foundation is a leadership transition at the executive director level. Publicly available 990 compensation data shows Louisa McCune serving as Executive Director with annual compensation rising from $203,490 to $269,228 across the available filing years. The foundation's current website now lists Kelley Barnes as Executive Director, indicating a transition that likely occurred in 2024 or 2025. Leadership transitions at private foundations often trigger informal reviews of grantmaking priorities, making pre-application outreach with the program staff especially valuable during this period.

The Safe & Humane initiative continues its long arc toward its 2032 goal. The Triennial Animal Conference was last held August 27–28, 2021; a 2024 convening would have been on schedule but no public announcement has been confirmed. The Oklahoma Animal Study, a research component of Safe & Humane, continues to chart conditions for Oklahoma animals and is periodically used to set grant priorities within the animal wellbeing track.

ArtDesk, the foundation's quarterly arts publication, has expanded from 82,000 to 100,000 copies per issue, with 50,000 copies inserted into The Oklahoman. This circulation growth reflects continued investment in arts literacy as both a program and a community positioning tool.

The December 2, 2025 large grant LOI deadline has passed. The next available large grant opportunity is the June 1, 2026 LOI deadline, with Stage 2 proposals due July 15, 2026, and award notifications expected in August or September 2026. Small grant applications continue to be accepted on a rolling basis with 60-day consideration windows.

Pre-application outreach is expected, not optional. Call Senior Program Officer Susan Grossman at 405.608.0937 or email susan@kirkpatrickfoundation.com before submitting any application. The foundation's FAQ states explicitly that first-time applicants should call the office to discuss next steps. Skip this step and you risk submitting a proposal outside current priorities or funding capacity. Keep the call focused: your organization's mission, the specific project, the dollar amount needed, and why it aligns with one of the five focus areas.

Start with a small grant as a first-time applicant. Small grants (up to $10,000) are reviewed monthly with no specific deadline and a 60-day turnaround. A successful small grant creates a relationship that dramatically improves your competitiveness for large grants in subsequent years. The foundation can only fund you once per year, so plan your timing: if you intend to pursue a June LOI for a large grant, do not submit a small grant application after March, as a pending or recently closed small grant may complicate a large grant submission in the same calendar year.

The large grant LOI is your real first impression. For requests above $10,000–$15,000, submit a Letter of Inquiry by June 1 or December 1. The LOI should demonstrate: (1) 501(c)(3) status for at least 3 years, (2) Central Oklahoma geography of operations, (3) clear alignment with one of the five focus areas, (4) a requested amount not exceeding 10% of your organization's annual budget, and (5) 100% board financial participation. If your LOI advances, you will be notified within two weeks and must submit the full Stage 2 proposal by July 15 (for June LOIs) or January 15 (for December LOIs).

Hard exclusions to know before applying. The foundation does not fund: capital campaigns, event sponsorships, salary-only requests, financial deficit coverage, endowments, scholarships, medical or health organizations, social services, athletic programs, or government entities. Animal-focused organizations note the firm exclusion of any group involved in animal killing, abuse, or harm — this reflects Joan Kirkpatrick's enduring influence on the Safe & Humane initiative.

Use the foundation's language. Frame proposals around 'Central Oklahoma,' 'quality of life,' and 'arts literacy.' Animal welfare proposals should reference alignment with the Safe & Humane vision and the 2032 goal. Education proposals should note OKC metro school district connections where relevant. Historic preservation proposals should reference specific structures, feasibility study phases, or preservation standards — Kirkpatrick funds process, not just renovation costs.

Prepare two years of audited financials and a project budget. These are required attachments. Ensure they are current and professional — the board reviews them closely.