Bernsen Foundation Grant

The Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation offers grants to non-profit organizations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, focusing on charitable, educational, literary, religious, and scientific purposes. Organizations must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and submit an abstract to initiate the application process. The foundation prioritizes projects demonstrating clear needs and benefits, with potential support for capital, building, and program funding. Ongoing operational requests are occasionally considered, but individual requests and debt reduction efforts are discouraged.

NOTE: The Foundation's Board meets monthly. Organizations will be notified of approval within 60 days of recieving a completed proposal. Applicants must first complete and submit the Abstract Form. Those whose abstracts are deemed eligible will receive an invitation to submit a full proposal.
The Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation was created in 1968 to provide grants in support of charitable, educational, literary, religious, scientific purposes or, for the prevention of cruelty to children. By policy, the Foundation limits grants to non-profit organizations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the home of Grace and Franklin Bernsen for more than six decades.

Eligibility

Submitting an abstract is the first step to being considered for a grant. The organization must have tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.In both the abstract and the proposal, grant requests must demonstrate a need, a defined benefit, a population to be served, where the proposed services will be provided, how, and at what cost, as well as how said program will be evaluated. Capital, building, and program funding are eligible for support. Ongoing operational requests are occasionally considered. Multi-year-commitments for significant projects are possible at the discretion of Foundation Trustees.

Ineligibility

The Foundation discourages grant requests from individuals or for reduction of existing debt.