The Ronald and Karen Kirkpatrick Foundation concentrates its philanthropy almost exclusively on Christian higher education, funding a single institution with the stated goal of developing Christlike disciples through education. All recorded grants support Southern Nazarene University, indicating a focused faith-based commitment rather than broad charitable diversification. The giving suggests personal or denominational ties to the university and an interest in sustaining its religious mission.
The Ronald and Karen Kirkpatrick Foundation’s clearest pattern is a long-running commitment to Southern Nazarene University: three consecutive $50,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 all carried the same purpose, "to develop Christlike disciples through education." That repeated support anchors a portfolio that is narrow in scope but steady in intent. The foundation’s giving also reaches a small set of nearby Christian and education-related efforts, including faith communities in Norman and outside Oklahoma, while keeping the largest share of its attention on one institution. Beyond campus ministry and Christian higher education, the recorded grants show occasional support for school-based student encouragement, alumni assistance, museum education, and wildlife rehabilitation. The foundation’s overall profile is modest in asset size but active relative to its footprint, with grants that are typically small except for the recurring institutional award to Southern Nazarene University. Taken together, the pattern points to a funder shaped by faith-based education, discipleship, and local relationships rather than broad charitable spread.
Christian education is the center of the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $50,000 to Southern Nazarene University in 2024 and another $50,000 in 2025 for the same stated purpose of developing Christlike disciples through education. Faith communities also appear in the record: Wildwood Community Church received $5,000 in 2023 and additional $1,000 grants in 2024 and 2025 for Christian church support. The foundation has also backed church groups beyond Oklahoma, including New Jacob’s Chapel Missionary in Clermont, Florida, and Thy Kingdom Church in Leesburg, Florida, each at $500 in 2023. Education support is not limited to the university setting. Bridges of Norman Inc received $1,000 in 2024 and 2025 to help high school students pursue education, while Norman North High School received smaller gifts in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grants are small: the p25, median, and p75 are $1,000, $1,000, and $1,500. The exception is a recurring institutional grant of $50,000, repeated in three straight years to the same recipient. Most other awards cluster around $500 to $1,500, with a few larger gifts such as $5,000. The record shows repeated support to several recipients over multiple years, including the university, a Norman church, a Norman student-support group, a wildlife rehabilitation nonprofit, and a local high school. The foundation appears to be a private family foundation rather than an operating grantmaker, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$54K
$232K
$98K
$54K
Most grants fall between $1K and $2K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$2K
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Highly concentrated: repeat, substantial grants to a single grantee (Southern Nazarene University), indicating targeted support for one institutional partner rather than dispersed or exploratory giving.
Notable grantees: Southern Nazarene University
The foundation gives most often in Oklahoma, and 76% of its grants go to recipients in its headquarters state. Norman and Bethany appear frequently in the record, along with Noble and Weatherford. Outside Oklahoma, the documented out-of-state recipients are in Reston, Virginia; Clermont, Florida; and Leesburg, Florida. All recorded grants in the provided data went to U.S. recipients.
Its grantmaking centers on Christian higher education and faith formation, especially support for Southern Nazarene University. The broader record also includes Christian church support, student encouragement, alumni assistance, museum education, and wildlife rehabilitation.
Typical grant size is small: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $1,000, and the 75th percentile is $1,500. The record also includes a recurring $50,000 institutional grant and smaller gifts of $500 and $350.
Yes. Southern Nazarene University appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with $50,000 grants each year. Wildwood Community Church, Bridges of Norman Inc, Wildcare Foundation, and Norman North High School also each received multiple awards across different years.
It gives most often in Oklahoma, which accounts for 76% of its grants. Recipients in the record include organizations in Norman, Bethany, Noble, Weatherford, Broken Arrow, Reston, Clermont, and Leesburg.
The list includes a university, churches, a student-support group, a high school fund, a museum, and a wildlife rehabilitation foundation. Named recipients include Southern Nazarene University, Wildwood Community Church, Bridges of Norman Inc, Norman North High School, Stafford Air and Space Museum, and Wildcare Foundation.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN NAZERENE UNIVERSITY | BETHANY, OK | $50,000 | 2025 | TO DEVELOP CHRISTLIKEDISCIPLES THROUGHEDUCATION |
| YOUNG AMERICA'S FOUNDATION | RESTON, VA | $1,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONALFOUNDATI0N |
| WILDCARE FOUNDATION | NOBLE, OK | $1,000 | 2025 | TREATMENT ANDCARE OF INJUREDWILD ANIMALS |
| BRIDGES OF NORMAN INC | NORMAN, OK | $1,000 | 2025 | EMPOWER HIGHSCHOOL STUDENTSPURSUE EDUCATION |
| WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH | NORMAN, OK | $1,000 | 2025 | CHRISTIAN CHURCH |
| NORMAN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | NORMAN, OK | $350 | 2025 | CITY OF NORMANPUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL |
| SOUTHERN NAZERENE UNIVERSITY | BETHANY, OK | $50,000 | 2024 | TO DEVELOP CHRISTLIKEDISCIPLES THROUGHEDUCATION |
| MCALESTER HIGH SCHOOL FUND | BROKEN ARROW, OK | $1,500 | 2024 | FUND FOR CEMETERYMEMORIALS FORFORMER STUDENTS |
| YOUNG AMERICA'S FOUNDATION | RESTON, VA | $1,500 | 2024 | EDUCATIONALFOUNDATI0N |
| BRIDGES OF NORMAN INC | NORMAN, OK | $1,000 | 2024 | EMPOWER HIGHSCHOOL STUDENTSPURSUE EDUCATION |
| WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH | NORMAN, OK | $1,000 | 2024 | CHRISTIAN CHURCH |
| WILDCARE FOUNDATION | NOBLE, OK | $1,000 | 2024 | TREATMENT ANDCARE OF INJUREDWILD CNIMALS |
| NORMAN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | NORMAN, OK | $400 | 2024 | CITY OF NORMANPUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL |
| SOUTHERN NAZERENE UNIVERSITY | BETHANY, OK | $50,000 | 2023 | TO DEVELOP CHRISTLIKEDISCIPLES THROUGHEDUCATION |
| WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH | NORMAN, OK | $5,000 | 2023 | CHRISTIAN CHURCH |
| YOUNG AMERICA'S FOUNDATION | RESTON, VA | $1,500 | 2023 | EDUCATIONALFOUNDATI0N |
| STAFFORD AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM | WEATHERFORD, OK | $1,000 | 2023 | MUSEUM AFFILIATEDWITH THESMITHSONIAN |
| SOONERS HELPING SOONERS | NORMAN, OK | $1,000 | 2023 | FINANCIAL ANDCAREER HELP FORFORMER STUDENTS |
| NEW JACOB'S CHAPEL MISSIONARY | CLERMONT, FL | $500 | 2023 | CHRISTIAN CHURCH |
| NORMAN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | NORMAN, OK | $500 | 2023 | CITY OF NORMANPUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL |
| THY KINGDOM CHURCH | LEESBURG, FL | $500 | 2023 | CHRISTIAN CHURCH |
WILDCARE FOUNDATION
$1,000TREATMENT ANDCARE OF INJUREDWILD ANIMALS
BRIDGES OF NORMAN INC
$1,000EMPOWER HIGHSCHOOL STUDENTSPURSUE EDUCATION
WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH
$1,000CHRISTIAN CHURCH
NORMAN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
$350CITY OF NORMANPUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL
MCALESTER HIGH SCHOOL FUND
$1,500FUND FOR CEMETERYMEMORIALS FORFORMER STUDENTS
BRIDGES OF NORMAN INC
$1,000EMPOWER HIGHSCHOOL STUDENTSPURSUE EDUCATION
WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH
$1,000CHRISTIAN CHURCH
WILDCARE FOUNDATION
$1,000TREATMENT ANDCARE OF INJUREDWILD CNIMALS
NORMAN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
$400CITY OF NORMANPUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL
WILDWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH
$5,000CHRISTIAN CHURCH
STAFFORD AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
$1,000MUSEUM AFFILIATEDWITH THESMITHSONIAN
SOONERS HELPING SOONERS
$1,000FINANCIAL ANDCAREER HELP FORFORMER STUDENTS
NEW JACOB'S CHAPEL MISSIONARY
$500CHRISTIAN CHURCH
NORMAN NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
$500CITY OF NORMANPUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL
THY KINGDOM CHURCH
$500CHRISTIAN CHURCH