Strengthening our community through the support of Tulsa Public Schools.
The Foundation for Tulsa Schools directs most of its grantmaking to Tulsa Public Schools, with three recent awards of $7,233,291 in 2023, $5,542,486 in 2024, and $3,936,081 in 2025 all aimed at supporting the district. That pattern points to a funder built around school-district capacity rather than broad, regional philanthropy. Its giving is centered on public K-12 education in Tulsa, with support flowing to students, teachers and staff, and district administration. The foundation’s programs show how that support is delivered. It funds scholarships for Tulsa Public Schools students pursuing education, library science, and STEM degrees, and it also backs classroom and school needs through board-reviewed requests and DonorsChoose-based grants. Alongside direct instructional support, the foundation includes transportation funding for field trips and learning experiences, as well as educator and student enrichment through art, music, literacy, health and wellness, and STEAM-related projects. The overall picture is a locally targeted funder that uses several program structures to meet the operational and enrichment needs of Tulsa Public Schools.
A defining part of the foundation’s work is student scholarship support. The LaVaughn S. Knutson Education Scholarship supports Tulsa Public Schools students pursuing education or library science degrees, while the Creighton R. Knutson STEM Scholarship supports Memorial High School students pursuing STEM degrees. The Knutson Scholarship program also offers application-based awards for high school students in Tulsa Public Schools. Beyond scholarships, the foundation supports classroom and school projects through the Board Designated Grant program, which reviews requests under $5,000 for Tulsa Public Schools-related needs. It also uses Grants for Great Ideas on DonorsChoose to support classroom projects in art, music, health and wellness, literacy, STEAM, enrichment, and special education. Transportation funding through the Allstate Helping Hands partnership extends support to field trips and other off-site learning experiences.
Grant size varies by program. The foundation’s typical grant size is $4,739,284 at the 25th percentile, $5,542,486 at the median, and $6,387,888 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list shows repeated support to the same district across 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating recurring institutional funding rather than one-off awards. Its structure combines direct support, scholarship programs, board-reviewed requests, and partnership-based funding. Several active programs accept unsolicited requests, including the scholarship programs, Board Designated Grants, Grants for Great Ideas, and transportation support. The foundation also appears to use capped programs for smaller needs, including requests under $5,000 and DonorsChoose-linked grants up to $1,000 or $500 depending on the partnership.
$3.9M
$10M
$1.9M
$4.5M
Most grants fall between $4.7M and $6.4M, with a median of $5.5M.
25th Percentile
$4.7M
Median
$5.5M
75th Percentile
$6.4M
About 100% of grants go to recipients in OK.
DREW FRANCE
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Giving is entirely local. All recent grants went to recipients in Oklahoma, and the recipient country distribution is 100% U.S. The strongest concentration is in Tulsa, especially Tulsa Public Schools, which appears repeatedly in the recent grant record. Program geography also extends to Tulsa Public Schools students and educators across Tulsa and to one scholarship program for Memorial High School students in Tulsa.
Its funding includes Tulsa Public Schools district support, student scholarships, classroom projects, teacher and school needs, field trip transportation, and enrichment in art, music, literacy, health and wellness, and STEAM. The active programs show both direct district support and smaller, program-specific awards.
Yes. Several active programs accept unsolicited submissions, including the LaVaughn S. Knutson Education Scholarship, the Knutson Scholarship, the Creighton R. Knutson STEM Scholarship, Board Designated Grants, Grants for Great Ideas, and the Allstate Helping Hands transportation partnership.
The typical grant size is $4,739,284 at the 25th percentile, $5,542,486 at the median, and $6,387,888 at the 75th percentile. The program list also includes smaller request-based awards, such as board-reviewed grants under $5,000 and DonorsChoose-linked microgrants up to $500 or $1,000.
The beneficiary types listed are students in Tulsa Public Schools, Tulsa Public Schools teachers and staff, and Tulsa Public Schools district and administration. The scholarship programs also target Tulsa Public Schools students, including Memorial High School students for the STEM scholarship.
Its grantmaking is local and fully concentrated in Oklahoma, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The recent grants and program descriptions point to Tulsa Public Schools and related Tulsa-based school needs as the core of the portfolio.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | TULSA, OK | $3,936,081 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS |
| TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | TULSA, OK | $5,542,486 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS |
| TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | TULSA, OK | $7,233,291 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS |
TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$3,936,081TO SUPPORT TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$5,542,486TO SUPPORT TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$7,233,291TO SUPPORT TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Current and upcoming funding from Foundation for Tulsa Schools that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations (businesses, congregations, community groups) seeking to partner/sponsor Tulsa Public Schools initiatives; Foundation facilitates matches to school priorities.
Who can apply: Tulsa Public Schools educators submitting projects on DonorsChoose in eligible subject areas. Priority is given to projects under $500 that can be fully funded and to educators who have not previously received funding. One microgrant per school year.
Deadline: First Friday of each month during the grant review cycle.
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