How Does the Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation Support Tulsa, Oklahoma?
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One foundation grantee is the Tulsa Botanic Garden. Photo: CollinHinds/shutterstock
As Oklahoma’s second-largest city, Tulsa is a major hub for grantmaking in the state, with a top community foundation and several private family funders paying close attention to the local needs of nonprofits here. The list of Tulsa-focused funders, as we highlight in our Oklahoma grantmaking guide, includes the Gelvin Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Hardesty Family Foundation, William K. Warren Foundation, Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation, and the Tulsa Community Foundation.
Another local funder to note is the Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation, which was founded in 1968 and carries on the philanthropic legacy of Grace Bernsen (1895-1982) and Franklin Bernsen (1893-1984). Here’s some information about the Bernsen Foundation to guide Oklahoma grantseekers.
Grant eligibility
The Bernsen Foundation considers grant requests from Tulsa nonprofits for charitable, educational, health and human care, literacy, and religious purposes. It only funds tax-exempt groups within the Tulsa metropolitan area.
It prefers not to provide general operating support and only considers multi-year funding requests on an occasional basis. The Bernsen Foundation typically only funds elementary and secondary schools if they offer services to physically or learning-disabled students.
Recent grant recipients
Here’s a sampling of recent grantees that have received Bernsen Foundation funding:
A New Leaf
12&12
Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa
The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital
The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges
Counseling & Recovery Services of Oklahoma
Eastern Oklahoma Donated Dental Services
Tulsa Botanic Garden
Tulsa Ballet
Youth Services of Tulsa
Foundation sponsorships
In addition to grants, the Bernsen Foundation occasionally approves sponsorship requests. Although these are only rarely approved, applicants can submit brief narratives with details about an event to the foundation. Make sure to submit requests at least 60 days before a proposed event and include the relevant promotional materials by mail.
The application process
The Bernsen Foundation’s grant application process involves writing an initial one-page abstract and submitting it by email. The foundation invites selected organizations to submit full proposals of up to three pages long. The foundation’s website includes lists of required information and attachments. Applicants must mail narrative letters and supporting documentation to the foundation's office via USPS. Applicants may only submit one grant request in each 12-month period.
The foundation board meets on the third Thursday of each month to discuss applications. The foundation accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the year, but to have a proposal considered at the next meeting, it must be submitted by noon on the last business day of the month.
Getting in touch
The Bernsen Foundation is an accessible funder that welcomes questions by email, phone and mail. There are separate email addresses for general correspondence, initial abstracts and to reach the foundation’s director, David Zemel. Zemel is the sole staff member and best point of contact, while four trustees also serve on the foundation’s board.
