Learning Bridge Foundation
The Learning Bridge Foundation is a private foundation based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its primary mission is to provide grants to public charities and scholarships for education and job training for people affected by poverty and discrimination, including people with prior incarceration.
Learning Bridge Foundation at a glance
In short: Learning Bridge Foundation gave $246K across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Oklahoma. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $245,571
- +3.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- -24.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,770
- +37.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,551,705
- +0.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (7 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Oklahoma (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Learning Bridge Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Scholarship applicants should contact Matt Theis for an application. The foundation describes typical applicants as having limited financial resources and/or prior incarceration in Oklahoma’s prison system. Payments are made directly to qualifying colleges, universities, or trade schools. The 2024 filing states that scholarship applicants will have limited financial resources.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Matt Theis
Mailing address: 13802 Crystal Harbor, Pearland, TX 77584
Phone: (918) 688-1301
Website: https://learningbridgetulsa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Learning Bridge Foundation
Who Learning Bridge Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Asbury Theological Seminary (Endowed Charitable Fund) ($90K). Together the top 10 received $176K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
149 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 148 grants of 149 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it works primarily in Oklahoma. In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oklahoma, 18% to Texas, and 4% each to Colorado, New York, and Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Learning Bridge Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 27 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−9%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 98% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $56K (2020) to $270K (2021). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $246K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Asbury Theological Seminary (Endowed Charitable Fund) Tulsa, OK | General Support | $90,000 |
| OSU Foundation (General Scholarship Endowment) Stillwater, OK | General Support | $15,000 |
| Asbury Church (Baltic Seminary) Tulsa, OK | General Support | $10,000 |
| Clarehouse Tulsa, OK | General Support | $10,000 |
| International Project New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Project Santa Christmas Fund (Salvation Army) Tulsa, OK | General Support | $10,000 |
| Texas A&M University (Scholarship) College Station, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| Valiant Cross Academy Montgomery, AL | General Support | $10,000 |
| WPY Mainsprings Tulsa, OK | General Support | $6,000 |
| Horizons International (Lebanon and Andrea Livingston) Boulder, CO | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Learning Bridge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,551,705 | $339,073 | $290,025 | $245,571 | 28 | $245,571 | $294,619 | $251,019 |
| 2023 | $4,516,761 | $160,708 | $289,621 | $236,789 | 37 | $236,789 | $109,876 | $229,952 |
| 2022 | $4,648,794 | $63,023 | $279,147 | $247,750 | 37 | $247,750 | $49,528 | $236,073 |
| 2021 | $4,863,980 | $171,354 | $308,080 | $269,633 | 35 | $269,633 | $135,507 | $265,303 |
| 2020 | $5,000,397 | $125,401 | $78,200 | $55,650 | 12 | — | $105,951 | $250,546 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Learning Bridge Foundation reported a distributable amount of $251K 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
The foundation’s stated mission is to help people caught in cycles of poverty and discrimination gain opportunities through education and job training. It describes its work as offering “second chances” and supporting individuals seeking a better life.
The foundation supports public charities, schools, and educational organizations. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Clarehouse says it provides end-of-life support to guests and families at no cost, while Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance says it creates learning pathways to prepare youth for a STEM-enabled future. Building All Children says it works to support children’s development and individual learning styles.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $245,571. Grants ranged from $730 to $90,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed grant was $90,000 to Asbury Theological Seminary’s Endowed Charitable Fund for general support. Other notable grants included $15,000 to OSU Foundation’s General Scholarship Endowment and $10,000 each to Asbury Church’s Baltic Seminary, Clarehouse, International Project, Project Santa Christmas Fund, Texas A&M University’s scholarship fund, and Valiant Cross Academy.
The foundation’s scholarship guidelines say awards typically range from about $2,500 to $6,000 for tuition, books, and supplies. In unusual cases, support for a bachelor’s degree may range from $10,000 to $20,000. The foundation does not provide loans or fellowships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Drew Phillips as president, Matt Theis as vice-president, and Melinda Phillips as an officer. The foundation’s website identifies Theis as vice-president of grants and programs.
Learning Bridge Foundation is led by Drew Phillips, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Drew Phillips
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Theis
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melinda Phillips
Officer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Learning Bridge Foundation
How much does Learning Bridge Foundation give each year?
Learning Bridge Foundation gave $246K across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $237K across 37 grants.
What is Learning Bridge Foundation's typical grant size?
Learning Bridge Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,770, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Learning Bridge Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does Learning Bridge Foundation give grants?
Learning Bridge Foundation gives mostly in Oklahoma: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tulsa, OK (12 grants), Stillwater, OK (2 grants) and Boulder, CO (2 grants).
Does Learning Bridge Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Learning Bridge Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Learning Bridge Foundation's largest grantees?
Learning Bridge Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Asbury Theological Seminary (Endowed Charitable Fund) ($90,000), OSU Foundation (General Scholarship Endowment) ($15,000) and Asbury Church (Baltic Seminary) ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Learning Bridge Foundation?
Learning Bridge Foundation reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $246K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $251K (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 Learning Bridge Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to help people caught in cycles of poverty and discrimination gain opportunities through education and job training. It describes its work as offering “second chances” and supporting individuals seeking a better life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Learning Bridge Foundation?
Scholarship applicants should contact Matt Theis for an application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Learning Bridge Foundation's EIN?
Learning Bridge Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3338798. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Learning Bridge Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Learning Bridge Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/learning-bridge-foundation-morg_e40af54aaea840259ca9f097d9894094
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453338798_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Learning Bridge Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/learning-bridge-foundation-morg_e40af54aaea840259ca9f097d9894094},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Learning Bridge 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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