Sarkeys Foundation
Sarkeys Foundation is a private foundation based in Norman, Oklahoma, that makes grants to eligible charitable organizations serving Oklahomans. The foundation says its purpose is to help improve quality of life in Oklahoma, with support focused on education, social and human services, and cultural and humanitarian programs of state significance.
Sarkeys Foundation at a glance
In short: Sarkeys Foundation gave $4.4M across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $4.4M), mostly in Oklahoma. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,376,104
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- -99.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,376,104
- +12206.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,376,104
- Total assets
- $126,392,663
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Oklahoma (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Sarkeys Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts online applications through a letter-of-inquiry process. It asks applicants to call and speak with its executive director or a program officer before submitting an LOI to discuss eligibility. Successful LOIs are invited to submit a full application for trustee review. The application materials listed on the filing include the organization’s name and contact information, a description of the organization and proposed project, the requested amount, total project cost, and federal tax ID number. Organizations are limited to one application per calendar year or 12-month period. An organization with a current grant may not apply for additional funding until the final payment has been received and expended.
- Review Cycle
- The recurring LOI deadlines are June 1 for the August 1 grant deadline and December 1 for the February 1 grant deadline; submissions are due by 5 p.m. The next listed cycle is December 1, 2026, for the February 1, 2027 grant deadline. The foundation says deadlines falling on a weekend or holiday extend to the following Monday.
- Deadline
- The recurring LOI deadlines are June 1 for the August 1 grant deadline and December 1 for the February 1 grant…
- Contact
Application contact: Angela Holladay
Mailing address: 530 E Main Street, Norman, OK 73071
Phone: (405) 364-3703
Website: https://sarkeys.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 Sarkeys Foundation
Who Sarkeys Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was See Attachment ($4.4M).
Grant Size Distribution
506 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 387 grants of 506 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s guidelines require applicants to be headquartered and provide services in Oklahoma. Its FAQ describes eligible organizations as Oklahoma-headquartered 501(c)(3)s that exist to serve Oklahomans. The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oklahoma.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
Cities
How Sarkeys Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 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
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.1M (2020) to $5.5M (2023). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $4.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| See Attachment See Attachment, OK | See Attachment | $4,376,104 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $126,392,663 | $10,542,606 | $6,688,183 | $4,376,104 | 1 | $6,039,312 | $9,885,842 | $6,268,207 |
| 2024 | $119,211,812 | $6,805,810 | $6,203,527 | $4,231,426 | 119 | $5,496,545 | $5,949,182 | $5,953,148 |
| 2023 | $108,417,910 | $6,761,157 | $6,064,211 | $5,477,989 | 152 | $6,897,531 | $6,556,449 | $5,416,722 |
| 2022 | $107,921,674 | $9,604,698 | $7,253,843 | $4,681,806 | 131 | $5,810,437 | $9,010,322 | $5,579,984 |
| 2021 | $129,937,910 | $9,194,983 | $6,682,701 | $4,212,886 | 103 | — | $7,751,923 | $6,259,710 |
| 2020 | $118,803,495 | $6,311,899 | $4,674,602 | $3,071,230 | 1 | — | $4,691,896 | $5,316,208 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sarkeys Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated commitment is to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma. Its grant guidelines identify education, social service and human service needs, and cultural and humanitarian programs of state significance as major areas of support. The foundation says it prefers applicants providing direct services to underserved populations.
Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations headquartered in Oklahoma and providing services in the state. The foundation generally does not support local programs appropriately financed within their communities, direct-mail solicitations or annual campaigns, out-of-state institutions, hospitals, vehicle purchases, grants to individuals, start-up funding, feasibility studies, or direct support to government agencies. Its guidelines also exclude certain other requests, including support for individual schools except those serving a unique unmet need, and religious institutions and their subsidiaries.
Examples on the foundation’s Grants at a Glance page include grants to organizations whose described work includes repairs and home modifications for low-income seniors, youth services, scholarships for deaf or hard-of-hearing students, career-readiness programming, afterschool access for underserved youth, emergency assistance, and family stabilization.
Grantmaking
The 2025 filing reports one grant totaling $4,376,104. The recipient and purpose are listed as “SEE ATTACHMENT,” so the filing data provided here does not identify the recipient or the grant’s purpose. Earlier filings report 119 grants totaling $4,231,426 in 2024 and 152 grants totaling $5,477,989 in 2023. The 2025 filing’s sole itemized grant was $4,376,104; the available information does not establish a typical grant size across the foundation’s grantmaking.
The foundation’s Grants at a Glance page lists, among other examples, $30,000 to Rebuilding Together Inc. for a program to improve aging in place for low-income seniors; $25,000 to Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma for operational support to expand its Embark program; and $100,000 to Western Plains Youth and Family Services for a program supporting family stability and resilience. The page does not state the award years for these examples.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kim Henry as Executive Director; Elizabeth Base as President; Dr. John Bell as Vice President; Dan Little as Secretary; and Terry West, Marilyn Morris, Dan Boren, and Kevin Perry as trustees.
Sarkeys Foundation is led by Elizabeth Base, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); all 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Base
President
Trustee → Secretary-Treasurer, 2024
Secretary-Treasurer → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$15K (2020) → $17K (2025)
Kim Henry
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$209K (2020) → $220K (2025)
Marilyn Morris
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$4K (2020) → $17K (2025)
Terry West
Trustee
Vice President → President, 2024
President → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$15K (2020) → $16K (2025)
Dan Boren
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$10K (2024) → $17K (2025)
Kevin Perry
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$14K (2024) → $16K (2025)
Dan Little
Secretary
President → Trustee, 2024
Trustee → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$15K (2020) → $17K (2025)
John Bell
Vice President
President → Trustee, 2023
Trustee → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$15K (2020) → $17K (2025)
Former officers (4)
- Former: Teresa Adwan (2020–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Blake Virgin (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Joseph Morris (2020) — President
- Former: The Honorable Kris Steele (2020) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $220K, to Kim Henry (Executive Dir.). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Sarkeys Foundation
How much does Sarkeys Foundation give each year?
Sarkeys Foundation gave $4.4M across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.2M across 119 grants.
How large is Sarkeys Foundation?
Sarkeys Foundation reported $126.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.3M (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 Sarkeys Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated commitment is to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma. Its grant guidelines identify education, social service and human service needs, and cultural and humanitarian programs of state significance as major areas of support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sarkeys Foundation?
The foundation accepts online applications through a letter-of-inquiry process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Sarkeys Foundation make grants?
The foundation’s guidelines require applicants to be headquartered and provide services in Oklahoma. Its FAQ describes eligible organizations as Oklahoma-headquartered 501(c)(3)s that exist to serve Oklahomans. The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oklahoma.
What is Sarkeys Foundation's EIN?
Sarkeys Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-0736496. 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sarkeys Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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