Cherokee Strip Community Foundation
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation (CSCF) is a public charity based in Enid, Oklahoma. It supports charitable giving across Northwest Oklahoma through grants, scholarships, and the administration of charitable funds. The organization’s website says it was established in 2000 as the Enid Community Foundation for Excellence and adopted its current name in 2009; its 2024 filing lists 1998 as its year formed.
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Cherokee Strip Community Foundation gave $920K across 44 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in Oklahoma. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $919,947
- +5.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 44
- +4.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,908
- +0.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $14,517
- Total assets
- $29,482,562
- +1.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (16 of 44, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Oklahoma (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cherokee Strip Community Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests for its competitive grant programs. Applications are submitted online through its grant application system. The annual competitive grant application asks for a project description, budget, evidence of organizational capacity, and measures of success and community impact for the Community Catalyst Grants. Applicants for CIP must apply for projects benefiting Cimarron or Texas County; the program allows one application per organization per cycle.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists September 18 as the annual competitive grant-cycle deadline, with decisions expected by mid-November. CIP’s listed 2025 deadlines of May 15 and November 1 are past. The Community Catalyst Grants deadline of June 30, 2026, is also past.
- Deadline
- The website lists September 18 as the annual competitive grant-cycle deadline, with decisions expected by mid-November.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 263, Enid, OK 73702
Phone: (580) 548-6330
Website: https://cherokeestripcf.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
16 open opportunities from Cherokee Strip Community Foundation
Allen Family Opportunity Scholarship
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Annual Competitive Grants
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bernard Mayer Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Cherokee Strip Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center ($98K). Together the top 10 received $506K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
211 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 180 grants of 211 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website lists its service area as Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Ellis, Woodward, Woods, Alfalfa, Major, Grant, Kay, Noble, and Garfield Counties in Oklahoma. The CIP program specifically serves projects benefiting communities in Cimarron and Texas Counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Cherokee Strip Community Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 44 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $15K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 $741K (2022) to $2.6M (2021). In 2024 it made 44 grants totaling $920K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center Enid, OK | — | $98,301 |
| Curator of Collections at CSRHC Enid, OK | — | $58,478 |
| Enid Arts & Sciences Foundation DBA Leonardo's Children's Museum Enid, OK | — | $55,532 |
| The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma Tulsa, OK | — | $53,753 |
| Enid Public School Foundation Inc Enid, OK | — | $53,073 |
| Denny Price Family YMCA of Enid Enid, OK | — | $51,312 |
| Texhoma Volunteer Fire Department Texhoma, OK | — | $50,000 |
| Cimarron County Sheriff's Office Boise City, OK | — | $34,000 |
| Cimarron Council Boy Scouts Enid, OK | — | $26,368 |
| St Francis Xavier Catholic Church Enid, OK | — | $24,929 |
Ready to take the next step with Cherokee Strip Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $29,482,562 | $2,498,667 | $1,795,443 | $919,947 | 44 | $1,459,374 |
| 2023 | $29,140,229 | $1,211,673 | $1,544,650 | $874,899 | 42 | $-1,038,011 |
| 2022 | $26,497,901 | $3,966,515 | $1,774,121 | $741,147 | 28 | $2,731,670 |
| 2021 | $32,321,752 | $9,292,511 | $3,795,334 | $2,604,006 | 43 | $1,509,553 |
| 2020 | $31,068,671 | $2,836,592 | $2,072,374 | $1,360,264 | 54 | $2,162,932 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
In its 2024 filing, CSCF describes its mission as the administration of endowments and other funds with the goal of enhancing value. Its website says its work includes supporting education, strengthening nonprofits, and advancing community well-being.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it distributes funds from endowed and donor-advised funds and makes competitive grants for special projects, innovative programs, technology, and capacity building. The organizations it supported in 2024 included education, youth learning, recreation, rural healthcare, senior services, and hunger-relief organizations. For example, Enid Public School Foundation describes its mission as supporting quality education and expanding opportunities for Enid Public School students; Rural Health Projects describes its mission as improving access to and quality of healthcare for rural Oklahomans.
Grantmaking
The 2024 filing lists 44 grants totaling $919,947, with a median grant of $14,516 and grants ranging from $5,037 to $98,301. Separately, the foundation reported in its 2024 filing that it awarded $1,152,000 in grants to support 114 local nonprofits. These are distinct figures reported in different parts of the filing.
Among the largest itemized 2024 grants were $98,301 to Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, $58,478 to its Curator of Collections, $55,532 to Enid Arts & Sciences Foundation (doing business as Leonardo’s Children’s Museum), $53,753 to The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma, $53,073 to Enid Public School Foundation, and $51,312 to Denny Price Family YMCA of Enid. The filing shows 99% of grant dollars going to recipients in Oklahoma and 1% to recipients in Texas.
The foundation describes its annual competitive grant cycle as open to nonprofits benefiting Northwest Oklahoma residents. Eligible proposals may seek support for special projects, innovative programs, technology, or capacity building. The foundation generally does not fund medical or scholarly research, membership fees, fundraising activities or events, debt reduction or operational deficits, sectarian religious purposes, group travel, capital debt reductions, individuals, or political projects.
The Community Investment Program (CIP) supports projects benefiting communities in Cimarron or Texas County, Oklahoma. Applicants may be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a government entity, including a local or tribal government or school district; individuals and for-profits are ineligible. Grants may be up to $50,000. The website describes priorities such as broad community impact, addressing community problems, leveraging other support, and innovative approaches to community and economic development.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Carrie Sanders as Executive Director; Jeff Funk as President and Board Chair; Michael Rickman as Past-President; Jessica Caruthers as Vice President; Maria Palma as Secretary; and Sam Robinson as Treasurer. It also lists Cheryl Bryan, Hallie Caldwell, Norma Cossio, and Lucas Dillingham as directors.
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation is led by Carrie Sanders, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Carrie Sanders
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$23K (2020) → $96K (2024)
Jeff Funk
President & Board Chair
Director → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → President & Board Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl Bryan
Director
Trustee → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Randall
Director
Trustee → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Hamilton
Director
President & Board Chair → Past-President, 2023
Past-President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hallie Caldwell
Director
Trustee → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucas Dillingham
Director
Trustee → Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Waddell
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Toles
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Norma Cossio
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Caruthers
Vice President
Trustee → Director, 2022
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Rickman
Past-President
Vice President → President & Board Chair, 2023
President & Board Chair → Past-President, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sam Robinson
Treasurer
Trustee → Director, 2023
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maria Palma
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dustina Chapman
Ex-Officio
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (26)
- Former: Avadelle Hibbets (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Sheryl Benbrook (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Hannah Fryer (2023) — Director
- Former: Lisa Powell (2023) — Director
- Former: Bill Shewey (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Karig Culver (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Mandy Mayberry (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Marcy Price (2020–2022) — Past-President
- Former: Tim Traynor (2021–2022) — Emeritus Member
- Former: Bob Dense (2022) — Director
- Former: Chrystle Howard (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Dan Schiedel (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: George Pankonin (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jay Bowers (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jonathan Bushman (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Kaleb Hennigh (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Matt Lohman (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Robert Dense (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Sharon Trojan (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Tracy Hiland (2021) — Executive Director
- Former: David Russell (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Keith Schwandt (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Linda Record (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Mary Stallings (2020) — Executive Director
- Former: Steve Glasser (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Willa Jo Fowler (2020) — Trustee
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 $96K, to Carrie Sanders (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Cherokee Strip Community Foundation
How much does Cherokee Strip Community Foundation give each year?
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation gave $920K across 44 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $875K across 42 grants.
What is Cherokee Strip Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $14,517, and its average grant was $20,908, across 44 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cherokee Strip Community Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Cherokee Strip Community Foundation give grants?
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation gives mostly in Oklahoma: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Enid, OK (23 grants), Guymon, OK (4 grants), Boise City, OK (3 grants) and Texhoma, OK (2 grants).
Who are Cherokee Strip Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center ($98,301), Curator of Collections at CSRHC ($58,478) and Enid Arts & Sciences Foundation DBA Leonardo's Children's Museum ($55,532), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cherokee Strip Community Foundation?
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation reported $29.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.5M.
What does Cherokee Strip Community Foundation fund?
In its 2024 filing, CSCF describes its mission as the administration of endowments and other funds with the goal of enhancing value. Its website says its work includes supporting education, strengthening nonprofits, and advancing community well-being. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cherokee Strip Community Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests for its competitive grant programs. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cherokee Strip Community Foundation's EIN?
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-1547637. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Cherokee Strip Community Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 4, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cherokee Strip Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cherokee Strip Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cherokee-strip-community-foundation-morg_d046cad122f84a8fa60929f6a87ac9c9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_731547637_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cherokee Strip Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cherokee-strip-community-foundation-morg_d046cad122f84a8fa60929f6a87ac9c9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 Cherokee Strip Community 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.
Cherokee Strip Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?