Ketchum Charitable Foundation is a Tulsa-focused private funder that concentrates sizable gifts on local health and human services, education, and basic-needs organizations. Their grants favor large, flexible general operating support and targeted capital/endowment commitments for community institutions—particularly United Way Tulsa, food security programs, child health/infant services, public university scholarships, and affordable housing. The foundation repeatedly funds the same regional partners, indicating long-term relationships and a preference for sustaining essential local services.
Ketchum Charitable Foundation Inc. makes repeated, sizable general-fund grants to a small set of regional institutions, with United Way Tulsa receiving $300,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a funder that favors ongoing support over one-time, splashy gifts. The foundation also backs capital and endowment efforts, such as a $250,000 pledge to Infant Crisis Services for an endowment campaign and a $250,000 grant to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital for a camera system and parent portal. Its giving reaches across health, human services, education, housing, and food access. In the recent grants list, Oklahoma State University Foundation received the largest grant at $420,000 for the general fund, while other large awards went to Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Habitat for Humanity, and Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. The mix suggests a regional private foundation that uses flexible operating support, targeted project funding, and major commitments to sustain community institutions serving children, families, students, and older adults.
Health and family services are a clear theme. Ketchum Charitable Foundation Inc. gave $275,000 to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital for its general fund and another $250,000 for a camera system and parent portal, linking support to both care delivery and family engagement. It also committed $250,000 to Infant Crisis Services for an endowment campaign pledge, showing interest in longer-term organizational stability. Food access is another recurring area: the foundation gave $200,000 to Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma for a split between the backpack program and elderly programs, and $150,000 the prior year for general support. Education appears through higher-education support as well, including $420,000 to Oklahoma State University Foundation for the general fund and a separate $182,000 scholarship grant. Housing also receives attention through grants to Habitat for Humanity for general fund support.
Typical grant size sits at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $40,000 at the 75th percentile, though the recent-grants list also shows several six-figure awards. The foundation appears to be a repeat funder: United Way Tulsa appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with the same $300,000 grant amount, and other recipients such as Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and Habitat for Humanity recur across multiple years. The organization is a private foundation with regional giving, not an individual giving program, and it does not make program-related investments. Its recent grants show a strong preference for general operating support alongside occasional project, capital, and endowment commitments.
$2.6M
$54.3M
$7.9M
$2.8M
Most grants fall between $10K and $40K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$40K
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Concentrated, large grants to a small set of repeat local grantees; mix of unrestricted general operating support and multi-year/capital/endowment pledges rather than many small discretionary gifts.
Notable grantees: United Way Tulsa, OSU Foundation, Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Oklahoma Children's Hospital, Infant Crisis Services
Grantmaking is concentrated in Oklahoma, which accounts for 49% of grants to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Tulsa and Oklahoma City appear often, with Stillwater also represented through Oklahoma State University Foundation. Outside Oklahoma, Florida receives frequent support, including Friends of Lovers Key in Fort Myers Beach, and Texas shows up through Houston, Conroe, and College Station. All recent grants in the provided list go to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show support for health and human services, education, food security, housing, and community institutions. Examples include Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way Tulsa.
General fund support is common in the recent grants list, including awards to Oklahoma State University Foundation, United Way Tulsa, Habitat for Humanity, and American Heart Association. It also makes targeted grants for capital, endowment, equipment, and program purposes, such as a camera system and parent portal or an endowment campaign pledge.
Yes. United Way Tulsa appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 at $300,000 each year. Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Habitat for Humanity, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, Friends of Lovers Key, and American Heart Association also appear more than once in the recent-grants list.
The typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $40,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes larger awards such as $420,000 to Oklahoma State University Foundation and multiple $300,000 grants to United Way Tulsa.
Its highest grant count is in Florida, while 49% of grants go to recipients in Oklahoma, the foundation’s headquarters state. Recent recipient cities include Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Fort Myers Beach, Houston, Conroe, and College Station.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSU FOUNDATION | STILLWATER, OK | $420,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNITED WAY TULSA | TULSA, OK | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| INFANT CRISIS SERVICES | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $250,000 | 2025 | ENDOWMENT CAMPAIGN - PLEDGE (CALLIE MERRITT) |
| OKLAHOMA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $250,000 | 2025 | CAMERA SYSTEM/PARENT PORTAL (CALLIE MERRITT) |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA | TULSA, OK | $200,000 | 2025 | 60% BACKPACK PROGRAM, 40% ELDERLY PROGRAMS |
| UNITED WAY HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $130,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FRIENDS OF LOVERS KEY | FORT MYERS BEACH, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION | TULSA, OK | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | TULSA, OK | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMMUNITY PARTNERS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY | CONROE, TX | $70,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF CHELSEA | CHELSEA, OK | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| 12TH MAN FOUNDATION | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | WOMENS SOCCER 1922 PROGRAM |
| CLAREHOUSE | TULSA, OK | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| A NEW LEAF | TULSA, OK | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| NAMI TULSA | TULSA, OK | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FORT MYERS BEACH ELEMENTARY PTO INC | FORT MYERS BEACH, FL | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOPE IS ALIVE | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE WOODLANDS FAMILY YMCA | HOUSTON, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | BRIGHT LIFE PROGRAM |
| THE YMCA OF GREATER HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TULSA BOYS' HOME | SAND SPPRINGS, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE - TULSA | TULSA, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOLLAND HALL | TULSA, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | FROM CHRIS KETCHUM & DUSTIN KETCHUM FAMILIES |
| NEO DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION | MIAMI, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | MEN'S BASKETBALL |
| BRIGHT TOMORROWS | TULSA, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHALLENGE SOCCER CLUB | TOMBALL, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| COOK CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER | FORT WORTH, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL | DALLAS, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHRIST THE KING SCHOOL | DALLAS, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | PALMER & PEARL PELLEY |
| WILCHESTER ELEMENTARY PTA | HOUSTON, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| WHITEROCK ELEMENTARY PTA | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FOSTERING HOPE | MUSKOGEE, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| EMERGENCY INFANT SERVICES | TULSA, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FOLDS OF HONOR | OWASSO, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | WSD |
| UNIVERSITY OF TULSA | TULSA, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMMUNITY PARTNERS OF DALLAS | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE SPRING | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| NEW HOPE OKLAHOMA | TULSA, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| KIDS ACROSS AMERICA | BRANSON, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| KETCHUM SCHOOL | KETCHUM, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | JENNY SPIELMANN - SCIENCE |
| LITTLE LIGHT HOUSE | TULSA, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| JEWEL CHARITY | FORT WORTH, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE BUCKY FOUNDATION | NORMAN, OK | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| PATHWAYS ADULT LEARNING CENTER | TULSA, OK | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNITED WAY TULSA | TULSA, OK | $300,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA | TULSA, OK | $150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| OSU FOUNDATION | STILLWATER, OK | $145,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| UNITED WAY HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $130,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
UNITED WAY TULSA
$300,000GENERAL FUND
OKLAHOMA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$250,000CAMERA SYSTEM/PARENT PORTAL (CALLIE MERRITT)
60% BACKPACK PROGRAM, 40% ELDERLY PROGRAMS
UNITED WAY HOUSTON
GENERAL FUND
FRIENDS OF LOVERS KEY
$100,000GENERAL FUND
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
$100,000GENERAL FUND
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$100,000GENERAL FUND
COMMUNITY PARTNERS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
$70,000GENERAL FUND
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF CHELSEA
$50,000GENERAL FUND
12TH MAN FOUNDATION
$50,000WOMENS SOCCER 1922 PROGRAM
NAMI TULSA
$30,000GENERAL FUND
FORT MYERS BEACH ELEMENTARY PTO INC
$30,000GENERAL FUND
THE WOODLANDS FAMILY YMCA
$25,000BRIGHT LIFE PROGRAM
THE YMCA OF GREATER HOUSTON
$25,000GENERAL FUND
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE - TULSA
$20,000GENERAL FUND
HOLLAND HALL
$20,000FROM CHRIS KETCHUM & DUSTIN KETCHUM FAMILIES
NEO DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
$20,000MEN'S BASKETBALL
BRIGHT TOMORROWS
$20,000GENERAL FUND
CHALLENGE SOCCER CLUB
$15,000GENERAL FUND
SCOTTISH RITE HOSPITAL
$15,000GENERAL FUND
CHRIST THE KING SCHOOL
$15,000GENERAL FUND
ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
$10,000PALMER & PEARL PELLEY
WILCHESTER ELEMENTARY PTA
$10,000GENERAL FUND
WHITEROCK ELEMENTARY PTA
$10,000GENERAL FUND
FOSTERING HOPE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
EMERGENCY INFANT SERVICES
$10,000GENERAL FUND
FOLDS OF HONOR
$10,000WSD
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
$10,000GENERAL FUND
COMMUNITY PARTNERS OF DALLAS
$10,000GENERAL FUND
THE SPRING
$10,000GENERAL FUND
NEW HOPE OKLAHOMA
$10,000GENERAL FUND
KETCHUM SCHOOL
$10,000JENNY SPIELMANN - SCIENCE
THE BUCKY FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL FUND