The Aaron & Gertrude Karchmer Memorial Foundation concentrates its charitable support on local health and human services in the Oklahoma City area, with sizable, targeted gifts. Recent grants show a clear interest in disability-related services and specialized medical care (notably ophthalmology), suggesting the foundation prioritizes direct-service organizations that address health and quality-of-life needs in its community.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of local nonprofits (two large gifts totaling $250,000), favoring direct-service health and disability providers rather than many small awards.
The Aaron & Gertrude Karchmer Memorial Foundation’s largest recent gift was $150,000 to Special Care in Oklahoma City, a signal that the foundation backs direct services for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Another major grant in the same year went to Dean McGee Eye Inst Fnd for $100,000, pointing to a sustained interest in ophthalmology care and vision services. Recent awards also include support for organizations such as Ssm St Mary's Hospital, Jimmy Everest Center, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Inc, showing a portfolio centered on health and human services rather than broad issue coverage. The pattern in the grants suggests an emphasis on local organizations that deliver services to clients in the Oklahoma City area, with funding often directed to operating support or core organizational needs. Smaller gifts appear alongside the larger awards, but the foundation’s grantmaking is anchored by a few sizeable commitments to organizations serving health, disability, and community-service needs in the city.
Disability-related services are a clear priority. In 2023, the foundation gave $150,000 to Special Care in Oklahoma City, and in 2025 it gave another $10,000 to the same organization for general operating support. Ophthalmology and vision care also stand out: Dean McGee Eye Inst Fnd received $100,000 in 2023, aligning with the foundation’s support for eye disease research and vision services. Beyond those areas, the foundation funded local health and human services providers such as City Care, which received $10,000 in 2023, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Inc, which received $1,800 in 2025 for general operating support. It also supported Jimmy Everest Center with $1,980 in 2025, reinforcing a pattern of backing direct-service organizations.
Typical grants cluster in the low thousands, with a p25 of $1,800, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $10,000. The distribution still includes larger outliers, including $150,000 and $100,000 awards in 2023. The recent record shows both charity designations and general operating support, including support of general operation of organization in 2025. Recipients appear across more than one year in a few cases, such as Special Care and Myriad Gardens Foundation, which indicates some repeat giving rather than purely one-time awards. The foundation does not fund individuals and is not making program-related investments.
$45K
$362K
$30K
$46K
Most grants fall between $2K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Notable grantees: Special Care, Dean McGee Eye Institute Foundation
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local: 90% of grants went to recipients in Oklahoma, and the grant recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Oklahoma City dominates the recipient map, with multiple awards to organizations there including Special Care, Dean McGee Eye Inst Fnd, Ssm St Mary's Hospital, and United Way of Central Oklahoma. A smaller number of grants reached outside the city, including Rochester, Minnesota, Chicago, Illinois, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The pattern still centers on Oklahoma City organizations even when the recipient is statewide or national in scope.
The recent grants point to local health and human services, especially disability-related services and ophthalmology. Examples include Special Care for developmental and intellectual disability services, Dean McGee Eye Inst Fnd for vision-related work, and City Care and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Inc for direct human services.
The foundation’s typical grant sizes are modest compared with its largest awards: p25 is $1,800, median grant size is $5,000, and p75 is $10,000. That sits alongside a few much larger gifts, including $150,000 and $100,000 awards in 2023.
Yes. Several 2025 grants were labeled support of general operation of organization, including Special Care, Ssm St Mary's Hospital, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts, Boy Scouts of America Last Frontier Council, and United Way of Central Oklahoma. The recent record also includes charity-designated gifts.
It gives most often in Oklahoma: 90% of grants went to recipients in the HQ state, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Oklahoma City is the main recipient city, with most named grantees located there.
Yes. Special Care appears in both 2023 and 2025, and Myriad Gardens Foundation also appears in both years. That suggests the foundation sometimes gives to the same organizations across multiple grant cycles rather than only making one-time awards.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPECIAL CARE | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| SSM ST MARY'S HOSPITAL | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $7,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA LAST FRONTIER COUNCIL | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $3,600 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| JIMMY EVEREST CENTER | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,980 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA CITY INC | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,800 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| ALLIED ARTS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,800 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY INITIATIVES INC | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,800 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION | CHICAGO, IL | $1,800 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF OKC | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,378 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| MYRIAD GARDENS FOUNDATION | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| EAST END HOSPICE INC | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY | $500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| ALL SOULS EPISCOPAL CHURCH | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| OKLAHOMA ISRAEL EXCHANGE INC | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $360 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL INC | CARMEL, CA | $180 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| DEAN A MCGEE EYE INSTITUE FOUNDATION | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $100,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| FIRST AMERICAN MUSEUM | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $20,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| TEMPLE B'NAI ISRAEL | CLEARWATER, FL | $20,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| SSM ST MARY'S HOSPITAL | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| CITY CARE | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| SPECIAL CARE | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| US HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,400 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF OKC | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| GIRL SCOUTS WESTERN OKLAHOMA | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA | IRVING, TX | $3,600 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| OKLAHOMA HUMANE SOCIETY | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $2,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| ALLIED ARTS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| OSHOF JIM THORPE TEAM | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| TEEN RECOVERY SOLUTIONS INC | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $1,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| GROUND ZERO | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| AUTISM OKLAHOMA | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $180 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| OKLAHOMA CHILDRENS HEALTH FOUNDATION | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $180 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION |
| Special Care | Oklahoma City, OK | $150,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Dean McGee Eye Inst Fnd | Oklahoma City, OK | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Myriad Gardens Foundation | Oklahoma City, OK | $25,600 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| American Indiam Cultural Center | Oklahoma City, OK | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| City Care | Oklahoma City, OK | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Communities FDN of OK | Oklahoma City, OK | $9,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| OK Israel Exchange | Oklahoma City, OK | $5,400 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| OK Contemporary Arts Ctr | Oklahoma City, OK | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Opry Heritage Foundation | Oklahoma City, OK | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Jewish Federation of Greater OKC | Oklahoma City, OK | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Last Frontier Council | Oklahoma City, OK | $3,600 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| Oklahoma Project Woman | Tulsa, OK | $1,800 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| OKC Community Foundation | Oklahoma City, OK | $1,800 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| OKC Beautiful | Oklahoma City, OK | $1,800 | 2023 | CHARITY |
SPECIAL CARE
$10,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
SSM ST MARY'S HOSPITAL
$10,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS
$7,500SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA LAST FRONTIER COUNCIL
$3,600SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
JIMMY EVEREST CENTER
$1,980SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA CITY INC
$1,800SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
ALLIED ARTS
$1,800SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY INITIATIVES INC
$1,800SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION
$1,800SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
JEWISH FEDERATION OF OKC
$1,378SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
MYRIAD GARDENS FOUNDATION
$1,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
$1,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
EAST END HOSPICE INC
$500SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
ALL SOULS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$500SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
OKLAHOMA ISRAEL EXCHANGE INC
$360SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL INC
$180SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
DEAN A MCGEE EYE INSTITUE FOUNDATION
$100,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
FIRST AMERICAN MUSEUM
$20,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
TEMPLE B'NAI ISRAEL
$20,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
SSM ST MARY'S HOSPITAL
$10,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
CITY CARE
$10,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
SPECIAL CARE
$10,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
US HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM
$5,400SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
JEWISH FEDERATION OF OKC
$5,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
GIRL SCOUTS WESTERN OKLAHOMA
$5,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS
$5,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
$3,600SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
OKLAHOMA HUMANE SOCIETY
$2,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
ALLIED ARTS
$1,500SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
OSHOF JIM THORPE TEAM
$1,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
TEEN RECOVERY SOLUTIONS INC
$1,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$1,000SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
GROUND ZERO
$500SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
AUTISM OKLAHOMA
$180SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
OKLAHOMA CHILDRENS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$180SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATION OF ORGANIZATION
Special Care
$150,000CHARITY
Dean McGee Eye Inst Fnd
$100,000CHARITY
Myriad Gardens Foundation
$25,600CHARITY
American Indiam Cultural Center
$20,000CHARITY
Mayo Clinic
$10,000CHARITY
City Care
$10,000CHARITY
Communities FDN of OK
$9,000CHARITY
OK Israel Exchange
$5,400CHARITY
OK Contemporary Arts Ctr
$5,000CHARITY
Opry Heritage Foundation
$5,000CHARITY
Jewish Federation of Greater OKC
$5,000CHARITY
Last Frontier Council
$3,600CHARITY
Oklahoma Project Woman
$1,800CHARITY
OKC Community Foundation
$1,800CHARITY
OKC Beautiful
$1,800CHARITY