Oklahoma City Community Foundation awards grants

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City),  Jun 5, 2008  

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The Oklahoma City Community Foundation board of trustees has approved $104,644 in community program grants to charitable organizations.

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation accepts applications from charitable organizations for grants in five different focus areas.

Grants are also awarded through field-of-interest funds, which are designed for donors who would like their contributions to benefit a particular area of interest, type of organization, community issue or geographic area. Grant guidelines and application forms are available at www.occf.org.

The latest awards included a $15,000 field of interest-access grant to the St. Anthony Hospital Foundation for a summer school program for youth in the hospital's residential mental health treatment program.

Grants totaling $23,000 were awarded through the Margaret Annis Boys Trust/Parks & Public Spaces Initiative. The grants included Lansbrook Neighborhood Association, $5,000 for landscaping; Briarcreek Neighborhood Association, $8,000 for the planting of trees; and Westmoore High School, $10,000 for a landscape and improvement project.

Grants totaling $38,144 were approved through the Capacity Building program. The grants included Overholser Mansion, $4,500 to support the hiring of an education intern to develop education programming; Individual Artists Association, $5,000 to assist in hiring a staff person to manage daily operations of the gallery and organize an expanded programming schedule; Travelers Aid Society, $2,550 to hire a professional to lead a board development session; Oklahoma Children's Theatre, $3,000 to develop a three-year strategic plan; Community Health Center/Mary Mahoney Memorial Health Center, $3,000 for the development of a Web site; National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, $5,000 to support an in-depth member and visitor survey; Oklahoma Physical Therapy Foundation, $1,800 to support improvements to the Web site; Oklahoma Museums Association, $3,294 for development of a membership marketing plan and campaign; and Association of Fundraising Professionals, $5,000 to support the association's annual Day of Philanthropy Conference.

The board of trustees approved grants totaling $13,500 through Get Moving OKC. The grants included Langston University Extension, $6,000 to support a jump-rope physical fitness initiative for at- risk youth in northeast Oklahoma City; Metropolitan Better Living Center, $5,000 to buy exercise equipment; and Greater Bethel Baptist Church, $2,500 to support an adult fitness program.

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation also awarded $212,400 in scholarships to 177 students representing 47 high schools in central Oklahoma.

Each student will receive a $1,200 scholarship.

"The scholarship awards are a means by which our trustees can encourage students to be successful in their post high school educational endeavors," said Nancy B. Anthony, executive director of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. "We are pleased to be able to help support and encourage their dreams and aspirations. We couldn't offer this opportunity without the support of our donors."

Scholarships were awarded from two different programs.

The Community Foundation Scholars program rewards students who are also good citizens. Recipients are students who might not otherwise qualify for awards based solely on academic standards but have shown a desire and ability to pursue a post high school education.

The Foundation of Promise Scholars program benefits students who will be the first generation in their family to attend college. Students apply for the scholarship during their junior year of high school and agree to commit to completing a number of preparatory college activities, such as touring a campus. Seventy-five percent of the students who apply as juniors successfully complete the requirements and receive awards.

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation manages more than $580 million in assets.

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