Inasmuch Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Inasmuch Foundation prioritizes nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma, with a wide range of education, health and human services and community enhancement programs on its radar.
FUNDING AREAS: Education, health, human services, community enhancement
IP TAKE: Million-dollar grants are not uncommon for the Inasmuch Foundation, and the largest grants have been going to health and human services organizations lately.
PROFILE: Established in 1982, the Inasmuch Foundation is one of two foundations of Oklahoma philanthropist Edith Kinney Gaylord. Gaylord's father was the editor and publisher of The Oklahoman and The Oklahoma City Times, and she began a journalism career in both newspaper and radio. She served as secretary of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s press conference committee before rejoining the family business, the Oklahoma Publishing Company, in 1963.To further carry out her philanthropic efforts, she also established the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. Gaylord passed away in 2001. The foundation’s name comes from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, which reads "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me." This foundation supports education, health and human services, arts, historic preservation and environmental projects in the state of Oklahoma and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The education category is open to early childhood education programs, PreK-12 programs, and even higher education programs. Health and human services funding is for basic needs, access to care, mental health, substance abuse, and research. And community enhancement grants typically go toward arts & culture, economic development, historic preservation, and the environment.
Foundation grants range from $25,000 to several million dollars each. In recent years, the funder has awarded a few dozen grants in each cycle. Review the funder’s news section to read recent grant announcements and learn about past grantees. Although Oklahoma is the focus of foundation grantmaking, it also reserves some funds each year for projects in Colorado Springs, the city where Gaylord first attended college. As a general rule, Inasmuch does not provide grants to individuals or for endowments.
The foundation does accept unsolicited grant requests and uses an online system for submissions. Local nonprofits need to submit letters of inquiry by 5 p.m. on either February 15 or August 15 to be considered in the next review period, and letters are accepted up to two months prior to the deadline. Funding decisions are made at the end of April and October. Direct general questions to the foundation staff at info@inasmuchfoundation.org or 405-604-5292.
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