Tulsa-based bank employees voting on nonprofit donation after meet-and-greet

More than 30 nonprofits gathered Wednesday at the BOK Tower in downtown Tulsa as part of a new initiative by the BOK Financial Foundation to let employees decide where some charitable dollars go.

The event, described as a nonprofit fair, allowed BOK Financial employees to meet with local organizations, learn about their missions, and vote on which one should receive a $10,000 donation from the foundation.

One of the groups in attendance was City Year Tulsa, an education nonprofit that places AmeriCorps members in classrooms across the city to help improve graduation rates.

“Every dollar counts in fundraising, and that funding really does make our program possible,” said Kristen Schooley, Development Director of City Year Tulsa. “There are very few education nonprofits that are boots-on-the-ground in the classroom. That’s what makes our program unique.”

City Year Tulsa is one of 32 nonprofits in the running for the $10,000 donation. The BOK Financial Foundation, along with BOK Financial itself, gave more than $8 million to nonprofit organizations across eight states in 2024.

Foundation President Leslie Paris gets emotional talking about the work of the Foundation. She said giving back is a core value of BOKF employees on both a personal and professional level.

“Our value of giving back and supporting the community is real, and it's extremely important to us,” Paris said. “If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

Paris added that choosing where the money goes is never easy.

“We have so many fabulous nonprofit organizations in Tulsa, and that can be a challenge — determining where those dollars go — because they are all so deserving,” she said.

For Schooley, even if her organization doesn’t win, the exposure is still meaningful.

“If we don’t talk to people, they will never know that opportunity is available,” she said.

The winner of the employee-guided donation will be announced at the end of the month.