Commonwealth Foundation
Commonwealth Foundation is a private foundation based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its 2025 filing reports 17 grants totaling $552,500 to organizations including educational, cultural, environmental, legal-services, housing, and health-care grantees.
Commonwealth Foundation at a glance
In short: Commonwealth Foundation gave $553K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $33K), mostly in Oklahoma. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $552,500
- +13.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- -15.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $32,500
- +33.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $10,519,092
- -3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (3 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Oklahoma (91% 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 Commonwealth Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit the requested letter and 501(c)(3) letter to Randi S. Wightman.
- Contact
Application contact: Randi S Wightman
Mailing address: 2125 E 32Nd Pl, Tulsa, OK 74105-2221
Phone: (918) 744-5222
Email: jturner@firststuartcorp.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Commonwealth Foundation
Who Commonwealth Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Oklahoma Educational Television Authority ($75K). Together the top 10 received $465K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 82 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oklahoma and 9% to recipients in Kansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Commonwealth 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 $34K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 45% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $298K (2021) to $553K (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $553K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Educational Television Authority Oklahoma City, OK | General Fund | $75,000 |
| The Gilcrease Museum Management Trust Tulsa, OK | General Fund | $75,000 |
| The University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK | General Fund | $75,000 |
| George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center Bartlesville, OK | Fred N Wightman Endowed Fund for Ecological Stewardship | $50,000 |
| Green Country Habitat for Humanity Tulsa, OK | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Great Plains Overland Park, KS | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Tulsa Lawyers for Children Inc Tulsa, OK | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Tulsa Opera Inc Tulsa, OK | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Museum of Tulsa History Tulsa, OK | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Tulsa Ballet Tulsa, OK | General Fund | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Commonwealth Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,519,092 | $380,861 | $714,102 | $552,500 | 17 | $552,500 | $225,395 | $591,824 |
| 2024 | $10,841,640 | $515,220 | $620,251 | $485,500 | 20 | $485,500 | $380,469 | $542,336 |
| 2023 | $10,807,033 | $-263,430 | $466,481 | $418,000 | 15 | $418,000 | $290,262 | $486,148 |
| 2022 | $11,677,186 | $746,052 | $451,210 | $381,000 | 12 | $381,000 | $675,842 | $491,278 |
| 2021 | $11,513,078 | $1,481,399 | $313,000 | $298,000 | 18 | $298,000 | $1,466,399 | $510,386 |
| 2020 | $10,256,902 | $819,263 | $363,560 | $354,000 | 20 | — | $809,703 | $412,689 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Commonwealth Foundation reported a distributable amount of $592K 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
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for varied organizations. For example, The University of Tulsa describes its mission as a student-centered research university that cultivates learning and prepares people to contribute to campus, community, and the world. The Gilcrease Museum Management Trust says it brings art, history, and people together to explore the diverse heritage of the Americas. Tulsa Lawyers for Children says it recruits, trains, and assists volunteers representing children in abuse and neglect cases.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 17 grants totaling $552,500. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $75,000, with a median of $20,000. Its largest listed grants were $75,000 each to Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, The Gilcrease Museum Management Trust, and The University of Tulsa. Other notable grants included $50,000 each to the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center, Green Country Habitat for Humanity, and Planned Parenthood Great Plains.
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It asks applicants to contact Randi S. Wightman and submit a letter detailing the organization, purpose, requested amount, and intended use, along with a copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) letter. Applicants must be entities described in IRS sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Randi S. Wightman, Malcolm S. Wightman, and Kathleen W. Vaughn as trustees.
Commonwealth Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kathleen W. Vaughn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Malcolm S. Wightman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Randi S. Wightman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Fred N. Wightman (2020–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Commonwealth Foundation
How much does Commonwealth Foundation give each year?
Commonwealth Foundation gave $553K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $486K across 20 grants.
What is Commonwealth Foundation's typical grant size?
Commonwealth Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $32,500, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Commonwealth Foundation that year got $34K on average.
Where does Commonwealth Foundation give grants?
Commonwealth Foundation gives mostly in Oklahoma: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kansas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tulsa, OK (13 grants).
Does Commonwealth Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of Commonwealth Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Commonwealth Foundation's largest grantees?
Commonwealth Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Oklahoma Educational Television Authority ($75,000), The Gilcrease Museum Management Trust ($75,000) and The University of Tulsa ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Commonwealth Foundation?
Commonwealth Foundation reported $10.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $553K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $592K (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 Commonwealth Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for varied organizations. For example, The University of Tulsa describes its mission as a student-centered research university that cultivates learning and prepares people to contribute to campus, community, and the world. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Commonwealth Foundation?
Submit the requested letter and 501(c)(3) letter to Randi S. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Commonwealth Foundation's EIN?
Commonwealth Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-1463741. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Commonwealth Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Commonwealth Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/commonwealth-foundation-morg_a6dd10aebae7490ab9f01b838cc3ce51
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_731463741_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Commonwealth Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/commonwealth-foundation-morg_a6dd10aebae7490ab9f01b838cc3ce51},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Commonwealth 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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