Inasmuch Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Inasmuch Foundation’s grantmaking mainly serves organizations operating in the state of Oklahoma, but grantmaking for journalism has gone to several national investigative journalism initiatives.
IP TAKE: Inasmuch is an important source of funding for Oklahoma organizations working in the areas of health, work and opportunity and housing. Its journalism funding is national in scope.
The foundation is accessible and runs two annual grantmaking cycles and accepts requests for its spring cycle via an online grant request system by February 15 of each year. However, keep in mind that applications for the summer cycle is by invitation only. Applicants are advised to review the foundation’s guidelines carefully before applying, as eligibility varies by grant amount.
This is an otherwise approachable and supportive funder with very specific interest areas.
PROFILE: Based in Oklahoma City, the Inasmuch Foundation was established in 1982 by Edith Kinney Gaylord “for charitable, scientific and educational purposes.” Kinney Gaylord’s father, E. K. Gaylord, was the editor and publisher of the Oklahoman and the Oklahoma City Times. A journalist in her own right, Kinney Gaylord was the first woman to serve on the Associated Press’s general news staff. She worked at the AP’s New York City and Washington, D.C. bureaus and served as president of the National Women’s Press Club in the 1940s. In 1963, she returned to Oklahoma to work in her family’s publishing business. In addition to the Inasmuch Foundation, Kinney Gaylord established the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, which merged with Inasmuch in 2014. Today, the Inasmuch Foundation runs funding initiatives for human services, community development, education, journalism and the greater Colorado Springs area. More than half of all funding remains in the foundation’s home state of Oklahoma.
Grants for Journalism
The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, which was also founded by Kinney Gaylord, merged with the Inasmuch Foundation in 2014 and exists as its journalism funding initiative. The foundation’s work in this area consists of subinitiatives for Oklahoma Journalism, Nonprofit Investigative Reporting and Special Opportunities. Oklahoma Journalism grants aim to “improve news and information ecosystems in Oklahoma,” with a strong focus on the Oklahoma City area. The foundation’s Nonprofit Investigative Reporting grantmaking is national in scope and aims to support nonprofit news organizations at all stages of development. Grants focus on increasing the “quantity, quality and ethical standards of investigative reporting” as well as the development of sound business plans and collaborative projects. The Special Opportunities subinitiative supports nonprofit news and investigative reporting projects with “special promise or distinction.” Recent journalism grantees include Oklahoma Watch, the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Institute for Nonprofit News and Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.
Grants for Public Health and Mental Health
Inasmuch’s grantmaking for public health stems from its Human Services grantmaking focus area, which names human needs, mental health and substance abuse, and criminal justice reform as funding priorities. Health grantmaking is mainly limited to the Central Oklahoma region. Past grantees include Oklahoma City’s Variety Care Foundation, the Health Alliance for the Uninsured and the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
Work and opportunity grantmaking is sourced from Inasmuch’s Human Services and Community grantmaking programs. The Human Services program “aims to empower children and families to achieve long-term stability and well-being” and has supported Oklahoma initiatives including Remerge Oklahoma, which provides job training to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. The Community grantmaking program names entrepreneurship as a focus area, and has given to initiatives including the United Way of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City’s Latino Community Development Agency.
Grants for Housing, Homelessness and Community Development
Inasmuch names housing and homelessness as priorities of its Human Services grantmaking. In these areas, the foundation aims to prevent evictions and “combat adult and youth homelessness using the housing first model.” Recent grantmaking for housing and homelessness has remained in Oklahoma. Grantees include Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, the Urban Mission of Oklahoma City, Youth Services of Oklahoma County and the Homeless Alliance, Inc.
Grants for Criminal Justice Reform
The Inasmuch Foundation recently added criminal justice reform as an area of grantmaking interest for its human services grantmaking. Early grantmaking in this area will focus on sentencing reform, career skills training programs and initiatives that “challenge racial disparity within the prison system.”
Grants for K-12 Education
Education is a smaller area of giving for the Inasmuch Foundation, although recent tax filings suggest a broad interest in early childhood, K-12 and higher educational initiatives. Recent grantees include the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, the STEAM Engine, Dove Schools and the Oklahoma Autism Center.
Important Grant Details:
The Inasmuch Foundation makes between $15 an $20 million in grants each year, with most grants serving organizations in the state of Oklahoma. Grants range from $5,000 to over $1 million, with an average grant size of about $20,000. Journalism is the foundation’s largest and most geographically diverse area of grantmaking, with several grants going to national organizations involved in investigative reporting. Grantmaking for health, human services and education tends to remain in Oklahoma. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s news page or its recent tax filings.
Inasmuch runs two annual grantmaking cycles each year. For its spring cycle, grant requests must be received via its online Grant Request System by February 15. The foundation’s summer grantmaking cycle is open to application by invitation only. The foundation provides detailed guidelines for eligibility by grant amount on its requests and FAQ pages. General inquiries may be submitted to the foundation staff via its contact page, email or telephone at (405) 604- 5292.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
