Commemoration Fund Opens 2025 Applications For Tulsa Nonprofits

Tulsa organizations can now apply for grants from the Commemoration Fund, which was developed to meet the needs of the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities in Tulsa.

The advisory board for the Commemoration Fund said money from these grants helps drive meaningful change in the city.

Since 2020, the fund has awarded more than $4 million to area nonprofits. These nonprofits support initiatives ranging from social justice reform to community and youth development, health equity, and economic development.

Hannibal B. Johnson, chair of the advisory board, said part of the criteria for receiving a grant includes ensuring the nonprofit elevates, nurtures, and develops people of color in governance and executive leadership.

Johnson said the goal is to help nonprofits make the changes necessary to eliminate disparities in communities of color.

"A variety of different kinds of programs, projects, and initiatives that really work to elevate communities and eliminate some of the disparities that have existed over time based on legacy of systemic racism," Johnson said.

Joshua Knowles, a program associate with the Commemoration Fund, said all nonprofits can apply for the grant. Past recipients include Thunder Fellows, GRAND Mental Health, and Build in Tulsa.

"What’s exciting to see is that a lot of funding is not necessarily dedicated specifically to BIPOC-led or BIPOC-serving organizations, and so a lot of the grant recipients and applicants are seeking the Commemoration Fund specifically to do something a little bit more creative and innovative here in Tulsa," Knowles said.

Nonprofits can request between $3,000 and $100,000 for one year of financial support.

The Commemoration Fund is hosting informational webinars for interested applicants on Nov. 20 and Dec. 10 at 11:30 a.m. The sessions will provide an overview of the application process and a time for questions. Both the webinar and grant applications are available on the zarrow.org/commemorationfund.

Grant applications are being accepted now through Jan. 31, 2025.