Charles W Harris Foundation
The Charles W Harris Foundation is a private foundation based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2024, it gave $512,000 in grants to 30 organizations, mostly in Oklahoma, supporting grantees working in areas including end-of-life care, food assistance, services for homebound and homeless people, community programs, and education.
Charles W Harris Foundation at a glance
In short: Charles W Harris Foundation gave $512K across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in Oklahoma. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $512,000
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- -3.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,067
- -1.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $10,185,444
- -1.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Oklahoma (87% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Charles W Harris Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5319 S Lewis Suite 206, Tulsa, OK 74105
Phone: (918) 760-1474
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Charles W Harris Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was EAA Aviation Foundation Inc ($63K). Together the top 10 received $353K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 99 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oklahoma, 12% to Wisconsin, and 1% to Kansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
How Charles W Harris Foundation gives
- 97% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 2238% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $22K (2021) to $554K (2022). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $512K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| EAA Aviation Foundation Inc Oshkosh, WI | Educational | $62,500 |
| Clarehouse Tulsa, OK | End of Life Care | $50,000 |
| Community Food Bank Eastern Oklahom Tulsa, OK | Food Bank for Needy | $50,000 |
| Meals on Wheels Tulsa, OK | Homebound Services | $50,000 |
| Catholic Charities Tulsa, OK | End of Life Care | $50,000 |
| Iron Gate Tulsa, OK | Food Bank | $25,000 |
| Revitalize T-Town Tulsa, OK | Community Programs | $20,000 |
| Life Senior Services Tulsa, OK | Senior Assistance | $15,000 |
| John 316 Mission Tulsa, OK | Homeless Services | $15,000 |
| Wwii Airborne Demonstration Team Frederick, OK | Educational | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,185,444 | $572,763 | $731,889 | $512,000 | 30 | $512,000 | $477,304 | $535,109 |
| 2023 | $10,344,570 | $196,600 | $776,188 | $535,000 | 31 | $535,000 | $207,418 | $511,907 |
| 2022 | $10,924,158 | $-63,681 | $817,212 | $553,500 | 25 | $553,500 | $163,013 | $529,272 |
| 2021 | $11,805,051 | $608,156 | $28,883 | $21,900 | 7 | $21,900 | $601,625 | $553,048 |
| 2020 | $11,225,778 | $13,720 | $32,611 | $25,000 | 6 | — | $8,328 | $22,813 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Charles W Harris Foundation reported a distributable amount of $535K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No formal foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied charitable purposes. For example, Clarehouse describes its work as providing support to guests and families at no cost at the end of life. Iron Gate says it feeds Tulsa’s hungry and homeless through a community meal, grocery pantry, and kids pantry. John 316 Mission describes its mission as helping homeless and at-risk people meet physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. The WWII Airborne Demonstration Team says it educates the public about World War II airborne units and preserves a living history museum.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $512,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $62,500, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest grants included $62,500 to EAA Aviation Foundation Inc. for educational purposes; $50,000 each to Clarehouse, Community Food Bank Eastern Oklahoma, Meals on Wheels, and Catholic Charities; and $25,000 to Iron Gate. Other notable grants included $20,000 to Revitalize T-Town and $15,000 each to Life Senior Services, John 316 Mission, the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team, Tulsa Boys Home, and Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Elizabeth A Kersey as President and Robyn Owens as Secretary.
Charles W Harris Foundation is led by Elizabeth A. Kersey, President on every filing since 2020; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth A. Kersey
President
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$75K (2022) → $61K (2024)
Robyn Owens
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$59K (2022) → $52K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $61K, to Elizabeth a Kersey (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Charles W Harris Foundation
How much does Charles W Harris Foundation give each year?
Charles W Harris Foundation gave $512K across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $535K across 31 grants.
What is Charles W Harris Foundation's typical grant size?
Charles W Harris Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,067, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Charles W Harris Foundation give grants?
Charles W Harris Foundation gives mostly in Oklahoma: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wisconsin (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tulsa, OK (22 grants).
Does Charles W Harris Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Charles W Harris Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (6 grants), "Community Programs" (5 grants) and "Child Protection" (3 grants).
Who are Charles W Harris Foundation's largest grantees?
Charles W Harris Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include EAA Aviation Foundation Inc ($62,500), Clarehouse ($50,000) and Community Food Bank Eastern Oklahom ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Charles W Harris Foundation?
Charles W Harris Foundation reported $10.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $512K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $535K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Charles W Harris Foundation fund?
No formal foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied charitable purposes. For example, Clarehouse describes its work as providing support to guests and families at no cost at the end of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Charles W Harris Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Charles W Harris Foundation's EIN?
Charles W Harris Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-4536771. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Charles W Harris 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Charles W Harris Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Charles W Harris Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/charles-w-harris-foundation-morg_6cf83306459347de95c1595ad8987e8c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_264536771_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Charles W Harris Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/charles-w-harris-foundation-morg_6cf83306459347de95c1595ad8987e8c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Charles W Harris 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.
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