Tulsa Foundation

The Tulsa Foundation, established November 11, 1919, is one of Oklahoma's oldest philanthropic trusts — a century-plus institution administered by JPMorgan Chase Bank through its Tulsa private banking office. With approximately $17.7 million in assets and annual giving hovering consistently between $926,000 and $1.17 million, this is a steady, methodical funder that prizes long-term institutional relationships over new entrants.

The giving philosophy is unmistakably relationship-first. Four anchor grantees — Goodwill Industries of Tulsa, Tulsa Boys Home, YMCA, and Salvation Army — have each received $639,263 across three documented grant cycles, averaging approximately $213,000 per organization per year. These organizations are not merely grantees; they are legacy partners that absorb roughly 88% of the foundation's annual distribution. New applicants compete for the remaining $115,000-$148,000 distributed to dozens of smaller nonprofits.

Geographic focus is tightly constrained: 62 of 69 documented grants flow to Oklahoma-based organizations, with the overwhelming concentration in Tulsa County. Only three grants each reached Virginia and Illinois recipients, with one to Idaho. Any organization without deep roots in the Tulsa metropolitan area should not apply.

Applications flow through JPMorgan Chase Bank's online grant portal, with banker Jared Kuykendall (521 E. 2nd Street, Suite 702, Tulsa, OK 74120) serving as the key relationship contact. The seven-member board meets at least once annually to review requests. This structure means the formal application is preceded by a bank relationship layer that matters enormously.

First-time applicants should understand that this foundation does not publicly announce grant cycles or run competitive RFP processes. There is no program staff, no LOI stage, and no multi-round review. A single annual submission window, processed through JPMorgan's portal and reviewed by the board, is the entire pipeline. Success depends on alignment with documented priorities — Human and Social Services, Education, Civic Activities, Community Development — and a credible Tulsa community footprint. Approach this funder as you would a bank's community investment committee: formal, relationship-anchored, and patient.

The Tulsa Foundation's financial profile is that of a mature, conservatively managed trust in stable distribution mode. Over the decade from 2011 to 2023, annual grants paid ranged from $829,236 (2011) to $988,960 (2022), with total giving — including program-related expenditures — between $997,179 and $1,169,484. The 2023 fiscal year recorded $926,132 in grants paid and $1,080,607 in total giving from $17.7 million in assets, a payout rate of approximately 5.2%.

The grant size distribution is sharply bimodal. Four anchor grantees (Goodwill Industries of Tulsa, Tulsa Boys Home, YMCA, Salvation Army) each received $639,263 across three grant cycles — approximately $213,088 per organization per year. Together they absorbed an estimated $852,000 annually, or roughly 88% of the annual budget. All other grantees compete for the remaining $115,000-$148,000.

For non-anchor organizations, the typical grant is $5,000-$22,500 annually. The most common amounts in the documented grantee set: $7,500/year (Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Domestic Violence Intervention Services, City Year, Camp Fire — each totaling $22,500 over three cycles); $5,000/year (Life Senior Services, Clarehouse, Resonance Center — $15,000 over three cycles); and $3,333-$5,000 for the smallest grantees. The floor is $2,500 (Modus) and $4,000 (BeHeard). The database-reported median grant of $7,500 and average of $42,088 (inflated by anchor grants) both hold true within their respective populations.

Program area breakdown by count: Human and Social Services dominates at an estimated 70%+ of grants, encompassing youth development (Boys Home, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, City Year, Camp Fire, Youth Services), hunger and housing (Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army, Family Safety Center, Spring Shelter), health and disability (Hearts for Hearing, Little Light House, Special Olympics), and domestic violence services. Civic Activities and Community Development account for the remainder. All 69 documented grants list 'GENERAL' or 'GENERAL OPERATING' as the purpose — no project grants, no capital grants, no endowment contributions.

Asset trends show measured erosion: from $19.5M in 2015 to $17.7M in 2023, a $1.8M decline over eight years, reflecting distributions that slightly exceed investment returns in most years. Net investment income of $337,026 in 2023 against $926,132 in grants paid illustrates the structural gap.

The Tulsa Foundation belongs to a cluster of similarly scaled private grantmaking trusts, all carrying assets in the $17.6-17.7 million range and Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE classifications. None of the five closest asset-matched peers maintain publicly accessible websites in available databases, limiting direct program comparison, but structure and geography reveal useful distinctions.

What distinguishes the Tulsa Foundation within this peer group is its century-long operating history (founded 1919), its formal JPMorgan bank-administered trust structure with a named relationship banker, and its unusually consistent annual giving — maintained within a $100,000 band for over a decade. The Old National Bank Foundation (Indiana) shares the bank-administered model, which typically imposes more formal application requirements through corporate portals than family-controlled foundations. The Tulsa Foundation's tight Tulsa geography and anchor-grantee concentration mark it as one of the most conservative and predictable funders in its asset class — not a foundation actively seeking new partnerships, but one that rewards persistence from organizations already embedded in the Tulsa nonprofit ecosystem.

Web research conducted in July 2026 surfaced no significant leadership changes, board appointments, or major program announcements specific to the Tulsa Foundation (EIN 736-090617) in 2025 or 2026. This is consistent with the operating profile of bank-administered private trusts, which typically maintain no press infrastructure, issue no press releases, and publicize grants only through IRS 990-PF filings.

The most recent publicly documented program activity dates to Spring 2019, when the foundation awarded funds to the Tulsa Parks Department for tennis court renovations at Frank Reed Park, including a new basketball court and planned murals and splash pools. This civic infrastructure grant demonstrates the 'Civic Activities' category in practice and reflects the board's willingness to support public-benefit projects alongside traditional social service grantees.

The foundation's current annual grant cycle carries a documented deadline of November 12, 2026 (per Instrumentl), representing the active application window as of this report. The seven-member board is expected to meet in late 2026 to review submissions.

Financial trends are the most legible recent signal: assets declined from $19.5M (2015) to $17.7M (2023) — a $1.8M drawdown over eight years — while annual grants paid held steady at $853,880-$988,960. This trajectory suggests the board prioritizes its existing grantee relationships above asset preservation, which is both a signal of institutional loyalty and a modest long-term capacity constraint. Officer compensation was $141,764 in 2023, down from a peak of $197,065 in 2021, reflecting the JPMorgan administration fee structure.

1. Build the JPMorgan relationship before you apply. The Tulsa Foundation is bank-administered through J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Tulsa. Jared Kuykendall (jared.kuykendall@jpmorgan.com, 521 E. 2nd Street, Suite 702, Tulsa, OK 74120) is the named banker. A brief introductory email — describing your organization, your Tulsa community impact, and your intent to apply — before you enter the online portal is the single highest-leverage pre-application step available.

2. Use the JPMorgan Foundation Finder portal exclusively. Navigate to jpmorgan.com/solutions/private-banking/foundations/online-applications/search, search for 'Tulsa Foundation,' and submit through that system. The foundation's own website (tulsafoundation.com) links there directly. Do not submit by mail, email, or in-person drop-off.

3. Submit before November 12, 2026 — and submit early. The board meets at least once annually, and the documented 2026 deadline is November 12. Submitting 45-60 days early (early October) gives the bank relationship team time to flag your application before the review meeting.

4. Request general operating support, not project funding. Every single documented grant — all 69 — carries a 'GENERAL' or 'GENERAL OPERATING' designation. Framing your request as an operating contribution to sustain your Tulsa programs is the only strategy that matches observed giving behavior. Capital campaigns, equipment requests, and project-specific asks have no documented precedent here.

5. Anchor your narrative in Tulsa geography. The foundation's stated mission covers 'the Tulsa community and neighboring cities.' Name specific Tulsa zip codes or neighborhoods served, specific schools or agencies you partner with, and specific resident counts. Statewide-impact language or metro-area generalities will not differentiate your proposal.

6. Calibrate your ask to your relationship stage. First-time applicants should request $5,000-$15,000. The documented first-tier range for non-anchor organizations is $2,500-$22,500 annually. Do not request anchor-level funding ($100,000+) until you have at least two to three years of grant history with this foundation. The anchor grantees have decades of institutional history.

7. Emphasize stability and governance. Bank trust committees apply heightened scrutiny to financial health, board composition, and organizational credibility. Lead with your IRS determination letter, recent 990, audited financials, and a board list that includes local Tulsa leaders.

8. Focus on Human Services, Youth Development, and Civic/Community categories. These are the documented core areas. Health, disability services, and domestic violence are secondary but demonstrated areas. Arts and Environmental proposals are lower-probability without a prior relationship.