
The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation (ORPSEF) invests in Oak Ridge Schools beyond what public tax dollars can provide to ensure the highest quality of education for all of our students.
The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation’s largest recent grant was $120,045 to Oak Ridge Schools for Wildcat Works Manufacturing, a student-run advanced manufacturing program at Oak Ridge High School. That grant reflects the foundation’s emphasis on hands-on learning that connects classroom work with college credit opportunities and workforce development experience. Another $120,045 grant supported the Giants Statues project at Oak Ridge County Schools, showing that the foundation also backs school-linked public art and placemaking in its community. Across its recent awards, the foundation supports K-12 education, STEM education, advanced manufacturing, teacher professional development, scholarships, and international exchange. Its grants also reach the student level and the educator level, with support for teacher grants, student scholarships, and STEM programs such as FIRST Robotics. The foundation’s active programs include educator grants, a scholarship for Oak Ridge High School and Secret City Academy graduates, a study-abroad and exchange scholarship, and a fellowship for innovative teaching. The pattern points to a local education funder focused on enriching Oak Ridge Schools beyond the regular public-school budget while supporting both student pathways and educator innovation.
Workforce development is a clear thread in the foundation’s giving. It awarded $120,045 to Oak Ridge Schools for Wildcat Works Manufacturing, a student-run advanced manufacturing enterprise tied to Oak Ridge High School. The program offers hands-on training, college credit opportunities, and workforce development experience. Teacher support is another recurring area. Oak Ridge Schools received $50,398 for a teacher grant, and the foundation’s active programs include competitive annual Educator Grants plus the Benita Albert Innovate Teaching Fellowship for educators developing innovative teaching practices, especially in STEM. The foundation also funds student advancement outside the classroom. It gave $12,400 for scholarships for students, and its active scholarship programs include the Oak Ridge High School Class of 1970 Scholarship and the Lawler Exchange Student Scholarship for exchange programs, international meetings, and study abroad. STEM remains visible in program support through the $7,500 grant to Oak Ridge High School for FIRST Robotics.
$360K
$6.2M
$553K
$243K
Most grants fall between $29K and $85K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$29K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$85K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in TN.
CATHERINE P TOTH
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Recent grants show a middle-to-upper range centered near $49,513, with a p25 of $28,506 and a p75 of $84,779. The foundation’s 2025 awards include multiple gifts at $120,045, alongside smaller program grants such as $7,500 for robotics. The record suggests repeated support to the same local school system rather than one-off national giving. Its grantmaking is local, confined to Tennessee recipients, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
Grantmaking is entirely local: 100% of grants in the data went to recipients in Tennessee. Oak Ridge is the clear center of activity, with awards to Oak Ridge Schools, Oak Ridge County Schools, and Oak Ridge High School. The recipient cities are all listed as Oak Ridge, TN. No non-U.S. recipient countries appear in the grant record.
Its active programs cover workforce development through Wildcat Manufacturing, educator grants, scholarships for Oak Ridge High School and Secret City Academy graduates, exchange and study-abroad support, and the Benita Albert Innovate Teaching Fellowship for innovative STEM teaching.
Typical grant size falls in the middle range: p25 is $28,506, median grant size is $49,513, and p75 is $84,779. The recent record also includes two grants of $120,045.
The grant record is entirely local. All listed grants went to recipients in Tennessee, and the recipients shown are Oak Ridge-based schools and programs such as Oak Ridge Schools, Oak Ridge County Schools, and Oak Ridge High School.
Yes. It has an Educator Grants program for competitive annual classroom and schoolwide projects, and it also gave $50,398 to Oak Ridge Schools for a teacher grant in 2025.
Yes. It gave $12,400 for scholarships for students, and its active programs include the Oak Ridge High School Class of 1970 Scholarship and the Lawler Exchange Student Scholarship for study abroad, international meetings, and exchange programs.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS | OAK RIDGE, TN | $120,045 | 2025 | WILDCAT WORKS MANUFACTURING |
| OAK RIDGE COUNTY SCHOOLS | OAK RIDGE, TN | $120,045 | 2025 | GIANTS STATUES PROJ |
| OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS | OAK RIDGE, TN | $50,398 | 2025 | TEACHER GRANT |
| OAK RIDGE COUNTY SCHOOLS | OAK RIDGE, TN | $49,513 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS | OAK RIDGE, TN | $12,400 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS |
| OAK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL | OAK RIDGE, TN | $7,500 | 2025 | FIRST ROBOTICS PROG |
OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS
$120,045WILDCAT WORKS MANUFACTURING
OAK RIDGE COUNTY SCHOOLS
$120,045GIANTS STATUES PROJ
OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS
$50,398TEACHER GRANT
OAK RIDGE COUNTY SCHOOLS
$49,513EDUCATION
OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS
$12,400SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS
OAK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
$7,500FIRST ROBOTICS PROG