The Nikkel Family Foundation concentrates its giving on faith-based K–12 college-preparatory schools and urban secondary education programs, providing general operating support rather than project-restricted funding. Grants are directed primarily to a small set of repeat grantees in the Midwest (notably Tulsa and the Kansas City area), with an emphasis on Christian or faith-affiliated academies and Cristo Rey-style schools that serve low-to-moderate income students.
Concentrated portfolio: a few moderate-to-large unrestricted grants per year, multiple repeat awards to the same organizations, and most dollars going to operating/general support rather than many small, one-off grants.
Nikkel Family Foundation’s giving is anchored by repeated general-fund support for Christian and faith-affiliated K–12 and college-preparatory schools. Two of the clearest examples are Crossover Prep Academy in Tulsa, which received $80,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and Cristo Rey Kansas City, which received $40,000 in each of those years. The pattern points to an emphasis on sustaining school operations rather than underwriting single projects. Grants also reach ministries and colleges tied to Christian education, including Elam Ministries, Kansas City Christian School, Wheaton College, and Tabor College. Recent awards range from $4,000 to $80,000, showing room for both larger institutional support and smaller operating gifts. The foundation’s recent roster includes organizations in Tulsa, Kansas City, and the wider Midwest, with most awards appearing to support ongoing institutional needs. A smaller number of grants extend beyond schools to churches, ministries, and related faith-based nonprofits, but the school-centered pattern remains the most visible thread in the recent record.
The foundation’s strongest theme is support for faith-based education. In 2024 it gave $40,000 to Metro Christian Academy in Tulsa for general fund support, and in the same year it awarded $20,000 to Wheaton College on a general-fund basis. It also backed Kansas City Christian School with $30,000 in both 2023 and 2024, suggesting recurring support for Christian schooling infrastructure. Another clear thread is urban college-preparatory education serving students in a work-study or faith-linked model. Cristo Rey Kansas City received $40,000 in both years covered by the recent list, again as general fund support. Beyond schools, the foundation also funds ministries and church-related organizations: Elam Ministries received $30,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and Southern Hills Baptist Church received $6,500 for a building fund in 2024.
Recent awards cluster around a median grant size of $20,000, with a lower quartile of $6,500 and an upper quartile of $30,000. The recent record shows repeated gifts to the same organizations across multiple years, including Crossover Prep Academy, Cristo Rey Kansas City, Metro Christian Academy, Kansas City Christian School, Elam Ministries, Calm Ministries, Samaritans Purse, and Tabor College. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing institutional support rather than isolated one-time gifts. Most awards are listed as general fund support, with one building-fund grant appearing in the recent set. The foundation also funds individuals and makes regional grants rather than national or international awards in the recent sample.
$270K
$9.1M
$2.6M
$308K
Most grants fall between $7K and $30K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Notable grantees: Crossover Prep Academy, Cristo Rey Kansas City, Metro Christian Academy
Grant activity is concentrated in the United States, with all 25 recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Tulsa is the most visible city in the recent list, with multiple awards to organizations there. Kansas City and Prairie Village also appear repeatedly, alongside Trussville, Alpharetta, Wheaton, Hillsboro, Boone, Deerfield, and Edmond. Forty percent of grants go to recipients in Oklahoma, while Alabama is the top state by grant count. The pattern is regional rather than national, with a strong Midwest and South footprint.
The recent record centers on faith-based K–12 Christian day schools, urban college-preparatory academies, and Cristo Rey-style high schools. It also supports Christian colleges, ministries, churches, and related nonprofits through general-fund awards.
Most recent grants are listed as general fund support. One recent exception is a $6,500 award to Southern Hills Baptist Church for a building fund, which shows that capital-related support appears as well.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Crossover Prep Academy, Cristo Rey Kansas City, Metro Christian Academy, Kansas City Christian School, Elam Ministries, Calm Ministries, Samaritans Purse, and Tabor College.
The typical grant size is $20,000 at the median, with p25 at $6,500 and p75 at $30,000. The recent list also includes larger awards of $40,000 and $80,000.
The foundation gives most often in Alabama by grant count, while 40% of grants go to recipients in Oklahoma. The recent recipient list is entirely U.S.-based.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CROSSOVER PREP ACADEMY | TULSA, OK | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| METRO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | TULSA, OK | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CRISTO REY KANSAS CITY | KANSAS CITY, MO | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | PRAIRE VILLAGE, KS | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| ELAM MINISTRIES | ALPHARETTA, GA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CHRIST FOR HUMANITY INC | TULSA, OK | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| LITTLE LIGHT HOUSE | TULSA, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SHE BREWS COFFEE & TRANSITION PROGRAM | TULSA, OK | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TABOR COLLEGE | HILLSBORO, KS | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| ALLIANCE RESOURCES PARTNERS LP - PTP | TULSA, OK | $116 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| ENERGY TRANFER LP - PTP | DALLAS, TX | $33 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| WESTERN MIDSTREAM PARNERS - PTP | THE WOODLANDS, TX | $6 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS LP - PTP | HOUSTON, TX | $2 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CROSSOVER PREP ACADEMY | TULSA, OK | $80,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CRISTO REY KANSAS CITY | KANSAS CITY, MO | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| METRO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | TULSA, OK | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | PRAIRE VILLAGE, KS | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| ELAM MINISTRIES | ALPHARETTA, GA | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CALM MINISTRIES | TRUSSVILLE, AL | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| WHEATON COLLEGE | WHEATON, IL | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| SOUTHERN HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH | TULSA, OK | $6,500 | 2024 | BUILDING FUND |
| TABOR COLLEGE | HILLSBORO, KS | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND. |
| HIS OUTREACH MINISTRIES | EDMOND, OK | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE GATHERING PLACE | TULSA, OK | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| INSIDE OUT | TULSA, OK | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CROSSOVER PREP ACADEMY | TULSA, OK | $80,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CRISTO REY KANSAS CITY | KANSAS CITY, MO | $40,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| METRO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | TULSA, OK | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | PRAIRE VILLAGE, KS | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| ELAM MINISTRIES | ALPHARETTA, GA | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| THE LITTLE LIGHT HOUSE | TULSA, OK | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CALM MINISTRIES | TRUSSVILLE, AL | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| TABOR COLLEGE | HILLSBORO, KS | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| TRINITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY | DEERFIELD, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| CHRIST FOR HUMANITY | TULSA, OK | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND. |
| FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES | KANSAS CITY, MO | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
CROSSOVER PREP ACADEMY
$40,000GENERAL FUND.
METRO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$40,000GENERAL FUND.
KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
$40,000GENERAL FUND.
CHRIST FOR HUMANITY INC
$30,000GENERAL FUND
SHE BREWS COFFEE & TRANSITION PROGRAM
$5,000GENERAL FUND
TABOR COLLEGE
$5,000GENERAL FUND.
ALLIANCE RESOURCES PARTNERS LP - PTP
$116GENERAL FUND.
ENERGY TRANFER LP - PTP
$33GENERAL FUND.
WESTERN MIDSTREAM PARNERS - PTP
$6GENERAL FUND.
CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS LP - PTP
$2GENERAL FUND.
CROSSOVER PREP ACADEMY
$80,000GENERAL FUND.
METRO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$40,000GENERAL FUND.
KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
$30,000GENERAL FUND.
CALM MINISTRIES
$25,000GENERAL FUND.
SOUTHERN HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH
$6,500BUILDING FUND
TABOR COLLEGE
$5,000GENERAL FUND.
HIS OUTREACH MINISTRIES
$5,000GENERAL FUND
THE GATHERING PLACE
$4,000GENERAL FUND
INSIDE OUT
$4,000GENERAL FUND
CROSSOVER PREP ACADEMY
$80,000GENERAL FUND.
METRO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$30,000GENERAL FUND.
KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
$30,000GENERAL FUND.
CALM MINISTRIES
$10,000GENERAL FUND.
TABOR COLLEGE
$10,000GENERAL FUND.
TRINITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
$10,000GENERAL FUND.
CHRIST FOR HUMANITY
$5,000GENERAL FUND.