The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation

What The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation does

The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation is a private, family-founded grantmaking foundation established in 2007-2008 following the deaths of its namesakes, Sharna Newman Frank (1928-2007) and Irvin Edward Frank (1929-2008), native Oklahomans and University of Oklahoma graduates. The foundation's purpose is to continue the founders' lifelong philanthropy by distributing operational grants from an endowment to qualifying IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Geographic focus is the Greater Tulsa area with primary preference for the City of Tulsa, with limited additional funding in Israel for organizations with annual budgets of $1,000,000 or less.

The foundation's core activity is grantmaking rather than product or service delivery; it has no technology stack, proprietary products, or commercial revenue streams. Programmatic focus areas include social services for individuals living in poverty (including those with physical or mental health challenges), K-12 and afterschool programming for at-risk youth, non-hospital healthcare including mental health and crisis intervention, and limited arts organization support. A stated differentiator is the foundation's deliberate avoidance of capital or building-campaign funding in favor of operational grants, and its prioritization of smaller organizations where its funding will have meaningful impact.

The operating model is structured around biannual board review cycles (June and November trustee meetings), with prospective grantees required to submit a one-page letter of inquiry for prior approval before applying. In fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the foundation awarded grants to over 100 501(c)(3) organizations. The board of trustees includes May Sheehan (President), Sanford R. Cardin, Dr. Jacob Howland, Jon Stolper, and David Finer, supported by advisory trustees Lori Frank, Julie Frank, and Bradley Frank. Operations are run from a single office at 3336 E. 32nd Street, Suite 106, Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a staff in the 11-50 range.

Name

The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation

Legal name

The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation

Website

https://sifrankfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation is a Tulsa-based private family foundation that distributes operational grants from an endowment to over 100 Jewish and non-Jewish 501(c)(3) organizations annually in the Greater Tulsa area and Israel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Private foundation grantmaking
• Charitable grant distribution
• 501(c)(3) funding
• Jewish community philanthropy
• Social services grants

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment Distribution: The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation is a private foundation that distributes grants from its endowment to charitable organizations. The foundation does not generate revenue through products or services but rather distributes funds for operational purposes to Jewish and non-Jewish 501(c)(3) organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation is a private foundation that distributes grants from its endowment to charitable organizations. The foundation provides operational grants (not capital or building campaign support) to IRS Section 501(c)(3) organizations in the Greater Tulsa area with primary preference for the City of Tulsa, and limited funding to organizations in Israel with annual budgets of $1,000,000 or less. The foundation supports both Jewish and non-Jewish charitable organizations across social services, education, health care, and arts.

Product overview

The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation is a private grant-making foundation established to continue the lifelong philanthropy of its founders Sharna and Irvin Frank. The foundation exclusively supports 501(c)(3) organizations in the Greater Tulsa area with a primary preference for the City of Tulsa, and provides limited funding in Israel. The foundation does not offer technology products or services but rather provides operational grants to charitable organizations. The foundation's areas of support include Social Services (programs for individuals living in poverty, including those with physical or mental health challenges), Education (K-12 and afterschool programming designed to assist at-risk youth), Health Care (non-hospital programs for those in poverty, including mental health and crisis intervention services), and Arts (support for various arts organizations on a limited basis).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Operational Grants to 501(c)(3) Organizations Operational grants awarded to IRS Section 501(c)(3) charitable organizations in the Greater Tulsa area for social services, K-12 and afterschool education programs, non-hospital healthcare including mental health services, and limited arts organization support. The board of trustees reviews applications twice yearly (June and November).
• Israel-Based Organizational Grants Limited funding provided to Israeli charitable organizations with overall annual budgets of $1,000,000 or less. These grants support both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations operating in Israel.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grants provided to over 100 501(c)(3) organizations in fiscal year ended June 30, 2025

Named customers10 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 indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Tulsa Community Foundation: Tulsa's primary community foundation and a frequent pass-through/fiscal sponsor for area giving (the Frank Foundation itself grants through TCF for several funds). Comparable as a Tulsa-anchored grantmaking entity serving the same regional nonprofit pool.
• Mabee-Bell Foundation: Tulsa-based family foundation funding Oklahoma nonprofits in education, health, and human services. Comparable in Oklahoma geographic focus, family-foundation structure, and operating-grant orientation.
• Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies: Jewish family philanthropy with strong Tulsa/Oklahoma roots and significant Israel programming. Comparable in dual Jewish-and-secular giving priorities, Israel-focused funding, and family-foundation governance.
• Sarkeys Foundation: Oklahoma-based family foundation supporting education, social services, and arts/humanities. Comparable in regional focus, mid-sized private-foundation scale, and multi-cause grantmaking to Tulsa-area nonprofits.
• The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation: A major Tulsa-based Jewish family foundation making grants to social services, education, and Jewish causes in Oklahoma and Israel. Closely comparable to the Frank Foundation in geography, faith-aligned giving, and operational-grant philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Tulsa Area United Way: Tulsa's primary community fundraising vehicle; an existing Frank Foundation grantee (FY2025). Comparable as a Tulsa-anchored pooled funder of the same local social-services nonprofit ecosystem.
• The Kresge Foundation: Large U.S. private foundation with comparable multi-cause (social services, education, health, arts) operating-grant priorities but at materially greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC): A large established Jewish international grantmaking and humanitarian organization that receives Frank Foundation funding. Comparable in Jewish-identity-based international grantmaking with a U.S. donor base.

Emerging players

• Birthright Israel Foundation: Focused Jewish education philanthropy funded in part by U.S. family foundations including the Frank Foundation. Comparable as a U.S.–Israel Jewish philanthropic channel with overlapping donor communities.

Regional players

• Jewish Federation of Tulsa: Tulsa's central Jewish communal funding vehicle; complements the Frank Foundation within the same regional Jewish philanthropic ecosystem and serves overlapping grantees in Tulsa and Israel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation