George Kaiser Family Foundation

Name

George Kaiser Family Foundation

Legal name

George Kaiser Family Foundation

Website

https://gkff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Early Head Start & Publicly Funded Infant/Toddler Programs (EDACAGAH)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Early childhood education
• Community development
• Criminal justice reform
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GKFF is a private charitable foundation that provides grants and operates community programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, organized around four strategic pillars: Early Childhood Development and Education, Community Well-being and Justice, City Vibrancy, and Strong Neighborhoods. The foundation partners with more than 70 nonprofit organizations to deliver early childhood education, alternatives to incarceration, housing development, arts and culture venues, and workforce/economic mobility initiatives. It also funds large-scale capital projects such as the Tulsa Arts District revitalization (nearly $250 million) and the 36N Envision Comanche mixed-income housing project ($190 million).

Product overview

The George Kaiser Family Foundation is a charitable foundation that does not operate a traditional software product or platform. Instead, it funds and operates a portfolio of community programs and initiatives focused on four strategic pillars: Early Childhood Development and Education, Community Well-being and Justice, City Vibrancy, and Strong Neighborhoods. The foundation's programs include early childhood education centers (Tulsa Educare), remote worker attraction (Tulsa Remote), housing development (InvestNorth), criminal justice reform (Women in Recovery), arts and culture venues (The Woody Guthrie Center, The Bob Dylan Center, The Gathering Place), and social services (Safety Net Grants, Accelerator Grants). These initiatives work together to create equal opportunities for all Tulsans, particularly children born into poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tulsa Remote The country's largest worker relocation initiative, attracting remote workers to Tulsa with $10,000 grants and integrating them into the community to drive economic growth and city vitality. Since 2018, the program has brought over 3,300 remote workers to Tulsa.
• Tulsa Educare Operates four early childhood centers providing year-round, full-day education for children from 6 weeks to 4 years old, while supporting parents and families to foster growth and learning.
• InvestNorth A collaborative, community-led initiative to drive transformational opportunities for families and children in north Tulsa neighborhoods through housing, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization.
• Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST) An initiative that disrupts intergenerational poverty by supporting early brain development, expanding access to quality early childhood programs, and connecting families to improve conditions for success.
• Safety Net Grants Grant funding to over 70 nonprofit organizations in Tulsa addressing urgent needs of children and families in poverty, providing essential services including housing, food, healthcare, behavioral health, and youth development.
• Women in Recovery An alternative to incarceration providing research-based mental health support, substance abuse treatment, education, job training, and family reunification to break generational cycles of incarceration in Tulsa.
• The Gathering Place A world-class park along the Arkansas River offering gardens, trails, playgrounds, and free cultural programming that has become a Tulsa treasure and a nationally recognized public amenity.
• The Bob Dylan Center A cultural institution housing over 100,000 items from Bob Dylan's career, inspiring creativity through exhibits, performances, and public programs.
• The Woody Guthrie Center A museum honoring folk musician Woody Guthrie's legacy through exhibits, youth programs, and archives, celebrating his impact on American history, democracy, and activism.
• Tulsa Arts District A revitalized arts district reflecting GKFF's commitment to enhancing life in Tulsa, with nearly $250 million invested in revitalization projects contributing to culture, growth, and economic vibrancy.
• Good Jobs Initiative Connects workforce organizations, educational partners, employers, and job seekers in Tulsa to build stronger pathways to employment using collaboration and data to drive economic mobility.
• Accelerator Grants One-time grants increasing access to funding and support for historically underserved and underfunded nonprofit organizations that currently do not receive GKFF funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% decrease in women sent to prison in Tulsa County since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Tulsa RemoteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Tulsa Remote is the country's largest worker relocation initiative, attracting remote workers to Tulsa with $10,000 grants. Since 2018, the program has brought over 3,300 remote workers to Tulsa, generating over $4 in economic benefits for every dollar spent. GKFF funds this initiative to drive economic growth and talent attraction.
• National Educare NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGKFF operates Tulsa Educare, which operates four early childhood centers making Tulsa home to the most Educare centers in the country. GKFF participates in the National Educare Network which operates 25 schools across 15 states to drive system-wide change in early childhood education.
• InvestNorthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestNorth is a collaborative, community-led initiative to drive transformational opportunities for families and children in north Tulsa neighborhoods. GKFF supports housing developments, public amenities, and social services to help communities thrive.
• Capital HomesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for Flat Rock Ridge residential neighborhood providing pathways to home ownership for low-income residents in north Tulsa.
• Green Country Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for Wilshire Trails 30-home neighborhood development near Educare and other north Tulsa amenities.
• City Lights FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper partner for City Lights Village 23-acre master-planned community dedicated to empowering vulnerable Tulsans experiencing housing insecurity with affordable housing and supportive services.
• Tulsa Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTulsa Housing Authority property The Phoenix at 36N is part of the $190 million Envision Comanche project transforming the 36th Street North corridor. GKFF supports this major mixed-income housing initiative.
• Tulsa Community FoundationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLearning and Development Specialist position hosted at Tulsa Community Foundation for workforce development initiatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Walton Family Foundation: Private family foundation with a place-based focus on the Northwest Arkansas region and a major emphasis on K-12 education reform, mirroring GKFF's combination of geographic concentration and education-centric grantmaking.
• Emerson Collective: Place-based organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs that invests in education, immigration, and community development — comparable for operating model that mixes direct programs and grantmaking with social-change orientation.
• Knight Foundation: Foundation investing in the arts, journalism, and the success of cities where the Knight brothers published newspapers. Comparable for its city-vibrancy pillar, arts-and-culture grantmaking, and place-based strategy.
• Annie E. Casey Foundation: Large private foundation focused on children, families, and community change through place-based initiatives (Baltimore and select cities). Highly comparable in mission, scale, and place-based operating model to GKFF.
• Kresge Foundation: National private foundation with major place-based programs in Detroit and other U.S. cities, focused on expanding opportunity for low-income people. Comparable for city-focused grantmaking, low-income family support, and arts investment.
• Heinz Endowments: Place-based private foundation supporting Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania communities in children/youth/families, arts, and economic opportunity. Mirrors GKFF's place-based, multi-pillar community strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Large philanthropic vehicle with extensive investments in cities, arts, education, and public health. Overlaps with GKFF on city-vibrancy, arts, and education, but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth.

Regional players

• Tulsa Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Tulsa region, geographically overlapping GKFF. Operates a different model (community/public foundation vs. private family foundation) but is a complementary capital partner in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gkff
• Facebookfacebook.com/gkfforg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments24 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about George Kaiser Family Foundation