Sarkeys Foundation

What Sarkeys Foundation does

Sarkeys Foundation is a private, Oklahoma-incorporated charitable foundation established in 1962 by Sarkeys J. Sarkeys with an initial contribution of 2,750 shares of stock from Sarkeys, Inc. The foundation's primary activity is grantmaking to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are headquartered in and serve Oklahoma, with a stated preference for direct services to underserved populations across education, social and human services, and cultural programs of state significance. Since founding, it has awarded over $120 million in cumulative grants and currently holds approximately $100 million in assets.

Grantmaking is operated through a formal two-stage process: organizations submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) by semi-annual deadlines of June 1 and December 1 via the Grant Interface online portal, with selected applicants invited to submit full proposals reviewed at quarterly board meetings in April and October. The underlying technology stack is modest — a third-party online grant management platform (Grant Interface) handles application intake and follow-up reporting, with no disclosed AI/ML, proprietary data assets, or custom technology development.

The foundation operates without traditional revenue; its income is derived from returns on its approximately $100 million endowment, and all grants are distributed at no cost to recipients. Beyond grantmaking, Sarkeys offers a free, full-service meeting facility in a renovated former church at 530 East Main Street in Norman, Oklahoma (capacity for 150+ theatre-style or 100 classroom-style seating), a Resource Library, and the biennial Southwest Regional Leadership Forum. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees currently chaired by Elizabeth Base (since February 2025), with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director Kim Henry and a staff of approximately eight people including program officers, a Director of Grant Management, and a Director of Marketing.

Name

Sarkeys Foundation

Legal name

Sarkeys Foundation

Website

https://sarkeys.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sarkeys Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 1962 that awards grants from its approximately $100 million endowment to 501(c)(3) nonprofits headquartered in and serving Oklahoma, while also offering free meeting facilities and the biennial Southwest Regional Leadership Forum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Charitable grantmaking
• Nonprofit funding
• Foundation grants
• Philanthropy services
• Nonprofit support

Headquarters

HQ city

Norman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Distribution: As a private charitable foundation, Sarkeys Foundation generates no traditional revenue. The foundation distributes grants from its approximately $100 million endowment to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma. Income is derived from investment returns on foundation assets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sarkeys Foundation is a private charitable foundation that awards grants from an approximately $100 million endowment to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations headquartered in Oklahoma. Beyond grantmaking, the foundation provides free meeting and conference facilities in its renovated Norman, Oklahoma headquarters, hosts the Southwest Regional Leadership Forum for nonprofit capacity building, and maintains a resource library for Oklahoma nonprofits.

Product overview

Sarkeys Foundation operates as a traditional nonprofit charitable foundation established in 1962, offering a unified portfolio of services to Oklahoma nonprofits: nonprofit grantmaking (its primary activity), free meeting room facilities, educational training through the Southwest Regional Leadership Forum, and access to a Resource Library. The foundation does not operate as a technology platform or SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nonprofit Grantmaking Program Awarding grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations headquartered and serving Oklahoma, with focus areas including education, social and human service needs, and cultural and humanitarian programs of state significance. Organizations submit a Letter of Inquiry by December 1st or June 1st, followed by a full application if selected. Grant decisions are made at quarterly board meetings in April and October.
• Sarkeys Meeting Room Free meeting facility available to nonprofit organizations in downtown Norman, Oklahoma, featuring a large flexible meeting space seating over 150 theatre-style or 100 classroom-style, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, and a catering kitchen. Reservations are coordinated through the Events Manager during business hours.
• Southwest Regional Leadership Forum Educational and training opportunity held biennially in the fall of odd-numbered years for nonprofit professional staff development, board members, and volunteers in the Southwest region.
• Resource Library Resource materials and reference materials available in the building adjacent to the Conference Center for nonprofit organizations to support their operations and programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $120 million in grants awarded to Oklahoma nonprofits since founding in 1962
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The McCasland Foundation: Oklahoma-based private foundation funding education, health, and community services; similar private foundation model serving Oklahoma nonprofits.
• The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation: Oklahoma-based private foundation supporting education, social services, and Jewish community programs; closely comparable in scale, Oklahoma-only mandate, and human services grantmaking.
• The Helmerich Foundation: Tulsa-based private foundation funding education, community services, and cultural programs in Oklahoma; comparable in model, regional focus, and topical priorities to Sarkeys.
• Kirkpatrick Family Fund: Oklahoma City-based private foundation focused on education, arts, and community enhancement; directly comparable in scope, geography, and Oklahoma nonprofit grantmaking.
• Inasmuch Foundation: Oklahoma-based private foundation of comparable scale also funding education, community services, and press/civic initiatives; closely comparable in geographic mandate and grantmaking scope.
• Oklahoma City Community Foundation: Community foundation serving central Oklahoma with multi-program grantmaking; comparable mission of pooling charitable capital to support Oklahoma nonprofits, though structured as a community fund rather than a single private foundation.
• The E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation: Oklahoma City-based private foundation funding education, the arts, and human services; comparable in scope, Oklahoma geography, and grantmaking priorities.
• The Kerr Foundation: Oklahoma-based private foundation funding education, health, and human services; highly comparable private foundation model with similar Oklahoma geographic focus and program areas.

Broad incumbents

• The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Large U.S. private foundation providing grants across education, environment, and other fields; relevant as a benchmark for scaled, multi-focus private foundation grantmaking operations.
• The Schusterman Foundation: Larger Oklahoma-connected private foundation with national and international grantmaking in education, Jewish life, and entrepreneurship; comparable model but at significantly greater scale and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sarkeysfdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sarkeys-Foundation-139638042731774
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sarkeys-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sarkeys Foundation