George Kaiser Family Foundation
The George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a private grantmaking foundation based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, established in 1999 by George B. Kaiser, Chairman of BOK Financial Corporation and President/CEO of GBK Corporation. As one of Oklahoma's largest private foundations, GKFF operates with a mission rooted in Kaiser's belief that "no child is responsible for the circumstances of their birth and should not be penalized for them." The foundation works to break cycles of poverty through evidence-based, operationally-involved investments across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.1B
+3.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$99.9M
-29.0% YoY
Grant Count
383
-26.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$261K
-3.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
GKFF's core mission centers on providing equal opportunity for young children and breaking cycles of poverty. The foundation's primary funding areas include:
- Early childhood education
- Community health and maternal/child health
- Social services and parental involvement
- Civic enhancement and community development
- Arts, culture, and direct service programs
- Alternatives to incarceration
The foundation's programs impact approximately 40,000 children living in poverty annually.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
varies significantly by program, from approximately $150,000 to multi-million dollar awards
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
GKFF primarily funds in the Greater Tulsa area and Oklahoma, with some statewide Oklahoma initiatives. The foundation also supports work in the District of Columbia and North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $4.94 billion (2023)
- Total assets: $5.1 billion (reported in alternative filings)
- Annual revenue: $736 million (2023)
- Total expenses: $263 million (2023)
- Total liabilities: $210 million (2023)
Tax Status:
- 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
- EIN: 73-1574370
- Tax-exempt since February 2000
- Donations are tax-deductible
Rating: The foundation holds an 86% score with a Three-Star rating based on Accountability & Finance metrics.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,090,304,364 | $4,939,370,305 | $4,921,816,352 |
| Revenue | $549,695,640 | $736,156,680 | $813,108,548 |
| Expenses | $274,018,679 | $263,309,460 | $241,426,057 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $91,037,757 | $23,575,199 | $261,529,723 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from George Kaiser Family Foundation
GKFF Accelerator Grants
George Kaiser Family Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
GKFF Artists Creative Fund Grant
George Kaiser Family Foundation
Amount
US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
GKFF Tulsa Artist Fellowship Grant
George Kaiser Family Foundation
Amount
More than US $150,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Ken Levit – Executive Director
Ken Levit serves as Executive Director of GKFF. Prior to this role, he was president of the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa (2001-2006) and served as special counsel to CIA Director George Tenet (1998-2000). Levit practiced corporate law at Crowe & Dunlevy in Tulsa (1995-1998) and has been involved in numerous civic activities, including co-chairing Teach for America-Oklahoma and serving on the boards of the Woody Guthrie Center and Tulsa River Parks Authority. He earned his law degree from Yale Law School (1994) and his undergraduate degree from Brown University (1987). In 2024, Levit was appointed to The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education by Governor Kevin Stitt.
Organizational Structure: The foundation employs 44 staff members across executive, program, business operations, grants, accounting, and investment departments.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederic Dorwart | Board of Dir. | 5 | — |
| Phil Lakin | Board of Dir. | 10 | — |
| Emily L Kaiser | Board of Dir. | 1 | — |
| Leah M Kaiser | Board of Dir. | 1 | — |
| Philip A Kaiser | Board of Dir. | 1 | — |
| Chester Cadieux III | Board of Dir. | 1 | — |
| Ken Levit | Exec. Director | 40 | $719,500 |
| Ray Owens | Board of Dir. | 1 | — |
| Rose Washington-Jones | Board of Dir. | 1 | — |
| Lisa Lambert | Chief Inv. Off.-Private Markets | 40 | $1,021,583 |
| John Budd III | Chief Op Officer | 40 | $443,552 |
| John Robson | Chief Acct Officer | 40 | $235,857 |
| Reid Spears | Sr Program Officer | 40 | $377,814 |
| Annie Van Hanken | Sr Program Officer | 40 | $403,142 |
| William J Stava III | Sr Program Officer | 35 | $491,562 |
| Amy Santee | Chief Program Officer | 40 | $367,247 |
| Benjamin Stewart | Senior Program Officer | 40 | $367,491 |
Contact Information
- Website: gkff.org
- Email: inquiries@gkff.org
- Phone: 918-494-8823
- Address: 7030 S Yale Ave Ste 600, Tulsa, OK 74136-5749
- Accelerator Grants Program: gkffaccelerator.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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—
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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