Avedis Foundation
Avedis Foundation is a private foundation based in Shawnee, Oklahoma, established in 2012. Its stated vision is to measurably improve health, wellness, and quality of life in Pottawatomie County and surrounding communities. It supports eligible organizations and collaborative efforts, and also operates initiatives including the Avedis Nonprofit Leadership Institute and Avedis Speaker Series.
Avedis Foundation at a glance
In short: Avedis Foundation gave $2.4M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $135K), mostly in Oklahoma. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,423,042
- +24.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -30.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $134,613
- +80.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,732
- Total assets
- $108,216,715
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (3 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Oklahoma (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Avedis Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website describes an online grant request process with two annual cycles and recommends that prospective applicants meet with the Program Director before submitting. Applications may be followed by a site visit and are reviewed for eligibility, alignment with priorities, and potential community impact before staff recommendations go to the board. The guidelines exclude, among other things, individuals, political purposes, out-of-area projects, start-up funding for new organizations, general operating expenses, feasibility studies, and direct support for government agencies’ normal responsibilities.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists proposal deadlines of January 15 and August 15. Small grants may be considered more often on a discretionary basis.
- Deadline
- The website lists proposal deadlines of January 15 and August 15.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1500 E Independence Street, Shawnee, OK 74804
Phone: (405) 273-4055
Website: https://avedisfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Avedis Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Oklahoma State Department of Educaction ($778K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
130 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 130 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies Pottawatomie County and surrounding communities—including Seminole, Meeker, Chandler, Prague, and Little Axe—as its service area. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Oklahoma.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Avedis Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 17 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $36K; repeat grants $165K. How we count
Medians: $24K first-time, $96K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2021) to $3.5M (2023). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State Department of Educaction Oklahoma City, OK | Project Respect Matching Grant | $777,974 |
| Communities Foundation of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, OK | Daf recommended grant: community renewal of Pottawatomie county - operating grant | $500,000 |
| City of Shawnee Shawnee, OK | Splash Pads | $191,000 |
| Community Market Potttawatomie County Shawnee, OK | Operating Grant | $167,525 |
| St Anthony Foundation Oklahoma City, OK | Shawnee Cancer Center Gift | $140,000 |
| Shawnee Public School District Shawnee, OK | Shawnee Artificial Turf Field | $100,000 |
| Gateway to Prevention and Recovery Inc Shawnee, OK | Expect hope campaign: gateway to recovery & prevention campus expansion phase 2 | $100,000 |
| Gateway to Prevention and Recovery Inc Shawnee, OK | Salary Boost | $93,125 |
| Project Safe Shawnee, OK | Security & Sustainability Investments | $91,464 |
| Jasmine Moran Children's Museum Seminole, OK | Nature Tales Trail | $60,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Avedis Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation reported 18 grants in 2025, 26 in 2024, and 31 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $108,216,715 | $4,064,356 | $5,999,247 | $2,423,042 | 18 | $5,368,628 | $3,571,054 | $5,134,153 |
| 2024 | $103,202,911 | $4,594,596 | $4,533,327 | $1,942,354 | 26 | $3,885,969 | $4,461,370 | $4,809,722 |
| 2023 | $98,992,251 | $607,109 | $4,896,007 | $3,452,148 | 31 | $5,564,341 | $1,463,284 | $4,687,087 |
| 2022 | $97,303,016 | $9,866,540 | $6,633,013 | $3,169,760 | 31 | $5,482,991 | $10,258,871 | $5,019,545 |
| 2021 | $118,404,781 | $10,006,887 | $4,792,692 | $1,679,816 | 24 | — | $9,789,407 | $5,174,583 |
| 2020 | $101,198,799 | $652,790 | $5,362,119 | $2,302,306 | 37 | — | $1,800,943 | $4,888,833 |
| 2019 | $104,160,535 | $5,039,291 | $6,566,164 | $2,325,372 | 22 | — | $4,355,331 | $4,821,882 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Avedis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s vision is to measurably improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of people in Pottawatomie County and surrounding communities. Its website says it funds programs aligned with that vision, with grants most often in health and wellness, social services, civic and community, and education. It supports public agencies, educational institutions, municipalities, eligible nonprofits, and other nontaxable entities. Collaborative projects involving two or more eligible organizations receive priority.
Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Communities Foundation of Oklahoma describes its mission as serving philanthropic needs across Oklahoma, while Jeremiah House says it works to build and restore the lives of men experiencing addiction. Oklahoma Arts Institute says it provides multidisciplinary arts experiences that develop talent and inspire lifelong interest in the arts.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $2,423,042. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $777,974, with a median grant of $75,732. The largest listed awards included $777,974 to Oklahoma State Department of Education for a Project Respect matching grant; $500,000 to Communities Foundation of Oklahoma for a donor-advised-fund-recommended operating grant to Community Renewal of Pottawatomie County; and $191,000 to the City of Shawnee for splash pads. Other notable awards included $167,525 to Community Market Pottawatomie County for an operating grant and $140,000 to St. Anthony Foundation for a Shawnee Cancer Center gift.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kathleen S. Laster as President/CEO; Jill Spencer as Chair of the Board; Angela A. Mohr as POGO Committee Chair; John A. Robinson as Vice President/Treasurer; Nicholas Charles Atwood as Governance Committee Chair; and Stephen Trotter as Assistant Secretary and Audit Chair. Directors listed are Sudhir Kumar Gupta, Joe Hodges, Jeffrey A. Madison, and Sarah Steely.
Avedis Foundation is led by Kathleen S. Laster, President & CEO on filings since 2019; all 16 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kathleen S. Laster
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$202K (2019) → $284K (2025)
Jill Spencer
Chair of the Board
Vice Chair & Finance Chair → Finance Chair, 2024
Finance Chair → Chair of the Board, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$7K (2019) → $20K (2025)
Josh Trimble
Mission Advocacy Committee Chair
Director → Mission Advocacy Committee Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$7K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Mark L. Finley
Finance Committee Chair
Chair of the Board → Director, 2022
Director → Finance Committee Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$13K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Stephen Trotter
Assistant Secretary & Audit Chair
Audit Chair → Assistant Secretary & Audit Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$10K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Angela A. Mohr
Pogo Committee Chair
Director → Vice President, Secretary & Mission Adv. Chair, 2022
Vice President, Secretary & Mission Adv. Chair → Pogo Committee Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$4K (2020) → $10K (2025)
Tina Kaye Hanna
Governance Chair
Director → Governance Chair, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$5K (2021) → $10K (2025)
Nicholas Charles Atwood
Governance Committee Chair
Director → Governance Committee Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$10K (2023) → $10K (2025)
Joe Hodges
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$9K (2019) → $9K (2025)
Michael P. Warwick
Director
Vice President & Secretary → Chair of the Board, 2022
Chair of the Board → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$10K (2019) → $2K (2025)
Sudhir Kumar Gupta
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$10K (2019) → $9K (2025)
Marissa Denee Lightsey
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$5K (2021) → $9K (2025)
Sarah Steely
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$10K (2022) → $8K (2025)
Jeffrey A. Madison
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$10K (2023) → $10K (2025)
Lynann Sterk-Brooks
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$750 (2025)
John A. Robinson
Vice President & Treasurer
Vice President, Treasurer & Finan → Vice President, Treasurer & Finance Chair, 2020
Vice President, Treasurer & Finance Chair → Vice President & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$10K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Former officers (12)
- Former: Angela A. Mohr Vice Pressecretary (2023) — Pogo Committee Chair
- Former: Jill Spencer Vice Chair Finance Cha (2023) — Finance Chair
- Former: John A. Robinson Vice Prestreasurer (2023) — Vice President & Treasurer
- Former: Kathleen S. Laster Presceo (2023) — President & CEO
- Former: Michael P. Warwick Chair Of The Boar (2023) — Chair of the Board
- Former: Stephen Trotter Asst Secretary Au (2023) — Assistant Secretary & Audit Chair
- Former: Tina Kaye Hanna Governance Chair (2023) — Governance Chair
- Former: Charles E. Skillings (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Lawrence Stasyszen (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Sarah Haselwood (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Joseph Vorndran (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Charles L. Sheilds (2019) — Vice President & Assistant Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $284K, to Kathleen S Laster (President/CEO). 16 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Avedis Foundation
How much does Avedis Foundation give each year?
Avedis Foundation gave $2.4M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.9M across 26 grants.
What is Avedis Foundation's typical grant size?
Avedis Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $75,732, and its average grant was $134,613, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Avedis Foundation that year got $36K on average.
Where does Avedis Foundation give grants?
Avedis Foundation gives mostly in Oklahoma: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Shawnee, OK (12 grants) and Oklahoma City, OK (5 grants).
Does Avedis Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 17% of Avedis Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Avedis Foundation's largest grantees?
Avedis Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Oklahoma State Department of Educaction ($777,974), Communities Foundation of Oklahoma ($500,000) and Gateway to Prevention and Recovery Inc ($193,125 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Avedis Foundation?
Avedis Foundation reported $108.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Avedis Foundation fund?
The foundation’s vision is to measurably improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of people in Pottawatomie County and surrounding communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Avedis Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Avedis Foundation's EIN?
Avedis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-1347360. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Avedis Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Avedis Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Avedis Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/avedis-foundation-morg_26c5316bb8514a838431ac87389b79d1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_731347360_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Avedis Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/avedis-foundation-morg_26c5316bb8514a838431ac87389b79d1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Avedis Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Avedis Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?