Hardesty Family Foundation

What Hardesty Family Foundation does

The Hardesty Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in December 2005 by F. Roger Hardesty and Donna J. Hardesty in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Foundation provides financial support to Tulsa-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations through three grant categories: capital grants (its primary focus), general operating grants, and programmatic grants. Applications are accepted by invitation only, with the five-member Board of Directors (Roger Hardesty, Donna Hardesty, Michelle Hardesty as Executive Director, Connor Hardesty, and Marilyn Cox) making final decisions at quarterly Board meetings; applicants are notified within 10 days. The Foundation prioritizes organizations addressing arts, animal welfare, workforce development, civic projects, mental health, addiction recovery, and services for individuals with developmental, intellectual, and physical challenges. It explicitly does not fund start-up ventures and restricts grants primarily to the Tulsa metropolitan area, with out-of-Tulsa grants considered only when Director-driven and described as extremely rare.

The Foundation's product surface is non-technical: it consists of grant programs managed through a YourCause online grants portal, a website, and a social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Its signature programmatic initiative is the Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation Program, launched in 2016, which has distributed over $412,000 across 25+ partner organizations for trauma-informed yoga, addiction recovery yoga, adaptive yoga, and geriatric yoga. Notable capital grants include $2 million to Oklahoma State University for a Tulsa research center (2020), $1 million to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (2020), $1 million to A New Leaf (2019), a $500,000 grant to The Spring's Roots of Renewal campaign (2025), and a $100,000 donation to the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma (2025). The Foundation has funded 40+ named capital projects since 2006, with a forward pipeline extending to the Family Safety Center Hardesty Wellness Center (February 2026) and Philbrook Museum Hardesty Great Lawn (2027).

The Foundation is operated by a small core staff (Michelle Hardesty as Executive Director, Dana Wilkes as Program Manager, Jayden Sadler as Communications Manager) and is sustained by an endowment rather than commercial revenue. There is no parent company, no external institutional ownership, and the Foundation is intended to operate in perpetuity as a general-purpose private foundation. Roger Hardesty, the founder and CEO of United States Aviation and The Hardesty Companies, was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2022, providing the Foundation with significant community credibility in the Tulsa market.

Name

Hardesty Family Foundation

Legal name

Hardesty Family Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://hardestyfamilyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Hardesty Family Foundation is a Tulsa-based private family foundation established in 2005 that distributes invitation-only capital, operating, and programmatic grants to Tulsa-area 501(c)(3) nonprofits, with a signature Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation program and a 40-project capital-grant portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Private family foundation
• Grantmaking services
• Philanthropic funding
• Nonprofit capital grants
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment/Investment Returns: As a private family foundation established in 2005, the Hardesty Family Foundation operates from an endowment/investment portfolio. The foundation distributes grants from investment returns rather than generating revenue through commercial operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Hardesty Family Foundation is a private family foundation that provides financial support to Tulsa-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations through three grant types: capital grants (its primary focus), programmatic grants, and general operating grants. The foundation also operates a signature Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation Program that funds trauma-informed, addiction recovery, adaptive, and geriatric yoga initiatives across the Tulsa community. All grant applications are by invitation only, with decisions made collaboratively by at least two Board members.

Product overview

The Hardesty Family Foundation operates as a general-purpose private foundation established in 2005, focused on providing financial support through three main grant types: general operating grants, programmatic grants, and capital grants. The foundation's signature program is its Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation Initiative, which provides specialized training and funding for trauma-informed yoga, addiction recovery yoga, adaptive yoga, and geriatric yoga. Grant operations are managed through an Online Grants Portal. The foundation prioritizes Tulsa-area 501(c)(3) organizations addressing arts, animal welfare, workforce development, civic projects, mental health, wellness, recreation, and addiction recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Grants Portal Online platform used to manage the foundation's invitation-only grant application workflow, including submissions, progress reports, final reports, and tax acknowledgement forms for Tulsa-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
• Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation Program Signature program providing trauma-informed yoga training, addiction recovery yoga, adaptive yoga, and geriatric yoga support to local teachers and partner organizations across the Tulsa community.
• Capital Grants Funding for capital campaigns and major construction projects at Tulsa-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations; the foundation's primary grantmaking focus and the category that has funded over 40 named capital projects since 2006.
• General Operating Grants Unrestricted funding support for the general operations of Tulsa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations addressing essential community needs.
• Programmatic Grants Funding specifically designated for particular programs or initiatives at Tulsa-area nonprofit organizations, requiring detailed program-specific reporting and outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ capital projects funded in Tulsa area since 2006
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers31 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Parkside Psychiatric Hospital & CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create a trauma-informed yoga video series for the public, involving local yoga teachers and videographer Ed Taylor.
• Center for Individuals with Physical ChallengescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner providing adaptive yoga programs for individuals with physical challenges.
• ClarehouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner organization serving the Tulsa community.
• CSC (Counseling and Recovery Services)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner providing mental health and recovery services.
• Common Good TulsaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner organization in Tulsa.
• Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term yoga partner supporting trauma survivors through yoga programming.
• Education in Recovery (EIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner providing educational services in recovery settings.
• GRAND Addiction RecoveryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner focused on addiction recovery programs.
• Holland HallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution yoga partner.
• Humble Warrior CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner organization.
• Little Light HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner serving individuals with special needs.
• Mental Health Association OklahomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner addressing mental health through mindfulness practices.
• ParksidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner for trauma-informed yoga video series and training.
• Resonance TulsaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner organization.
• Saint Simeon'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior services yoga partner.
• St. Philip Catholic ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner at local congregation.
• Street SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner for youth yoga programs.
• Sundara Yoga TherapycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of trauma-informed yoga therapy trainings; conducted 2023 training for yoga teachers.
• The Grief CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner serving those dealing with grief.
• Tulsa Area United WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization.
• Tulsa BotanicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner at botanical garden venue.
• Tulsa CaresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIV/AIDS services organization yoga partner.
• Magic City BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent bookstore partner.
• Tulsa OperaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts partner offering yoga programming.
• Women in RecoverycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga partner for women in recovery programs addressing addiction.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• William K. Warren Foundation: Tulsa-based private foundation supporting healthcare, education, and community initiatives across Oklahoma. Comparable as a family-controlled general-purpose foundation funding capital projects and nonprofit programs in the same region.
• Tulsa Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Tulsa area with grantmaking, donor-advised funds, and endowment services. Comparable as a Tulsa-based intermediary foundation, though operating as a community foundation rather than a private family foundation.
• Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation: Tulsa-anchored family foundation with national reach focused on education, Jewish community, and social justice. Comparable as a major Oklahoma-headquartered family foundation with a multi-cause grantmaking portfolio.
• Sarkeys Foundation: Oklahoma-based private foundation providing grants to nonprofits in arts, education, social services, and health. Comparable regional peer with a similar general-purpose family foundation structure and capital-campaign orientation.
• Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma: Oklahoma grantmaking organization funding community-based programs and capital projects. Comparable as a state-focused foundation deploying multi-year grants to nonprofits.
• George Kaiser Family Foundation: Major Tulsa-based philanthropic foundation with a similarly broad focus on early childhood, education, community development, and social services in the Tulsa area. Directly comparable as the largest local peer family foundation operating in the same geographic footprint.
• Zarrow Family Foundations: Tulsa-based family foundation network supporting education, social services, and community initiatives. Comparable as another family-controlled Oklahoma foundation funding nonprofit capacity and capital campaigns.
• McCasland Foundation: Oklahoma-based private foundation supporting a wide range of community programs and capital projects within the state. Comparable as a regional family foundation with a similar general-purpose grantmaking approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HardestyFF
• Instagraminstagram.com/Hardesty_Family_Foundation

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

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Hardesty Family Foundation