OVERVIEW: The OGE Energy Corp. Foundation is a corporate funder that supports early childhood education programs in the state of Oklahoma. It also funds human services, arts and community causes in the communities that the energy company serves in Oklahoma and western Arkansas.
IP TAKE: The OGE Energy Corp. Foundation is a strong supporter of the Oklahoma State Fair, which has accounted for about half of its total grantmaking in a recent year, and local chapters of the United Way in areas where its parent energy company operates. Additional grants are modest and tend to support well-established human services and public schools. However, the foundation accepts applications throughout the year, meeting three times a year to review proposals. While its giving is limited, it may be worth a try, and networking with local staff may improve your chances.
PROFILE: The OGE Energy Corp. Foundation is the grantmaking arm of the OGE Energy company. This company was the first to successfully bring electricity to Oklahoma in 1902. Its mission is to “to support programs, organizations and institutions that enhance quality of life and economic well-being in the communities that we serve.” Its stated areas of focus are education, health & human services, community development, environmental stewardship and culture and arts. Grantmaking mainly serves the state of Oklahoma, but Arkansas is a secondary geographic priority.
Grants for K-12 and STEM Education
The foundation’s education grantmaking focuses on quality STEM instruction and learning opportunities for students in elementary and middle schools in “ from low-income and/or underrepresented communities.”
- Giving appears to prioritize public school districts. Recipients include the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation, Shawnee Public Schools, the Harding Independence Charter District in Oklahoma City and Forth Smith Public Schools in Arkansas.
- Other education grants have supported the Science Museum of Oklahoma, the Fort Smith Boys’ Club and Teach for America’s Oklahoma City chapter.
Grants for Public Health, Human Services, Aging and Homelessness
This funder prioritizes the health and mental health of vulnerable people in its service areas and names elderly, housing insecure and low-income families as top priorities.
- Health grants have gone to the St. Anthony Hospital Foundation of Oklahoma City, the Norman Regional Health Foundation and the Baptist Health Foundation of Little Rock.
- Mental health and human services recipients include Sunbeam Family Services, the Homeless Alliance of Oklahoma City and the Mental Health Association of Tulsa.
Grants for Community Development, Work and Economic Development
The foundation’s community development focus area currently emphasizes economic opportunities for people from “underrepresented communities” to develop career and vocational skills.
- The foundation supports several chapters of the United Way in its service areas, including Central Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Payne County Norman and the Fort Smith Area in Arkansas.
- Other grantees include Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma, the Central Oklahoma Community Action Agency and Community Literacy Centers of Oklahoma City.
- The foundation gave over $5 million to the Oklahoma State Fair, accounting for about half of its total annual grantmaking.
- Other community grantees include the Oklahoma city Boat House, the Riversport Foundation of Oklahoma City and the Scissortail Park Foundation.
Grants for Environmental, Marine and Wildlife Conservation
OGE’s environmental stewardship area focuses on partnerships with communities and nonprofits that engage residents in projects that “promote biodiversity and sustainable water through habitat conservation and education.”
- Grantees include the Oklahoma Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation, the Myriad Gardens Foundation and the Oklahoma Zoological Society.
Grants for Arts and Culture
This funder also earmarks funds for culture and arts programming that offers broad access to the communities it serves, especially low-income and underrepresented families.
- Grants have supported organizations including the First Americans Museum, Allied Arts of Oklahoma, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center.
Important Grant Details:
This funder gave away about $10.2 million in grants in a recent year. Grants range from $400 to $5.5 million, although most grants stay under $200,000.
- Grants mainly stay in Oklahoma, but a few grants have supported organizations Arkansas.
- In a recent year, the foundation’s largest grantee, which accounted for about half of its total grantmaking was the Oklahoma State Fair.
- Other grantees tend to be well-established organizations, public school districts and chapters of the United Way.
- This foundation accepts applications via its grant portal at any time, but meets in March, July and November to review proposals. See guidelines here.
- Additionally, teachers may apply for grants to support STEM classroom activities via Donors Choose.
- The foundation can be reached via email at foundation@oge.com. Its phone number is listed as (405) 553-3622.
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