Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation focuses grantmaking around the Tulsa area, but also throughout the state of Oklahoma, for social services, homelessness, housing, basic human needs, mental health, indigent healthcare initiatives, and community empowerment.
FUNDING AREAS: Social services, homelessness, housing, basic human needs, mental health, indigent healthcare initiatives, community empowerment, Israel
IP TAKE: For nonprofits that has several projects going on and that are unsure which one to submit to AHZ for funding, contact Executive Director Bill Major with a prospective proposal to get a better sense of which one the foundation will prefer.
PROFILE: Incorporated in the 1980s, the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation is one of the top grantmakers in the state of Oklahoma. The son of Latvian immigrants, Henry Zarrow opened his own grocery store in West Tulsa as a 13-year-old boy. He got into the used pipe business and established Sooner Pipe & Iron, later known as Sooner Pipe and Supply. The successful businessman and his wife, Anne, were passionate about alleviating poverty during their lifetimes. Anne passed away in 2000 and Henry in 2014. Today, the foundation aims to “lift our neighbors out of poverty by supporting housing and shelter resources, social services and basic human needs, mental health and indigent healthcare initiatives, and programs that empower and inspire community members to improve their lives.”
Foundation grantmaking is focused on nonprofits that work to improve the physical and intellectual lives of local people. Over the years, most Zarrow support has been centered on children’s issues, education, poverty, homelessness, and Jewish causes. Tulsa Public Schools has been a steady recipient of foundation funding. The Zarrow International School is located in Tulsa and has an emphasis on Spanish language immersion and international exchanges. Other past grantees include Tulsa-based Domestic Violence Intervention Services, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City, and LIFE Senior Services in Tulsa. It also contributes to Jewish causes and projects that enrich the local culture.
Foundation grants are often between $500,000 and $750,000. The funder does not have an online grants database to review a list of past grantees. Most foundation grantmaking takes place around Tulsa, but also throughout Oklahoma and in Israel as well. The foundation awards general operating and program support as well as capital grant support within the state of Oklahoma.
The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation considers online grant requests during the months of February and September, meaning that application deadlines fall on January 15 and July 15 of each year. Direct general questions to the staff at 918-295-8004 or via online form.
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