What Tulsa Community Foundation does

Tulsa Community Foundation (TCF) is an independent 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1998 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Tulsa became the last of the 50 major U.S. metropolitan areas to form a community foundation. TCF provides charitable giving infrastructure for individual donors, families, professional advisors (wealth managers, estate planners, CPAs, tax planners), and more than 300 nonprofit organizations across Oklahoma and the broader United States. Its product set spans donor advised funds (minimum $5,000), designated funds, field of interest funds, scholarship funds, discretionary funds, private foundation transfers, agency endowment funds, agency reserve funds, and fiscal sponsorship funds, supported by a digital donor portal for fundholders.

The foundation operates on a fund management and administrative fee model, with fees described as among the lowest in the country for community foundations. Technology infrastructure is built on third-party platforms: Blackbaud for donor management and online giving, Bank of Oklahoma for investment management through index funds, and GuideStar by Candid for nonprofit research; TCF itself does not disclose proprietary AI or technology differentiation beyond shared services like 501tech. Grantmaking volume exceeds $300 million annually, with cumulative grants surpassing $4 billion since inception, approximately $20 million in annual scholarship aid, and over $2 million in disaster relief distributed in 2024.

TCF's growth is anchored by long-tenured leadership: CEO Phil Lakin Jr. has led the foundation since its 1998 founding, supported by COO Jeff Stava and CDO Mike Dodson. The foundation shares close institutional ties with the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) and has co-funded major community initiatives including the $400 million Gathering Place riverfront park and the first Educare early childhood facility in Tulsa with Tulsa Public Schools. It is accredited under the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations administered by the Council on Foundations, and it convenes regional stakeholders through the Funders' Roundtable, disaster relief coordination, and PPREP membership.

Name

Tulsa Community Foundation

Legal name

Tulsa Community Foundation

Website

https://tulsacf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tulsa Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that manages over $6 billion in charitable assets across 2,000+ funds, serving individual donors, professional advisors, and 300+ nonprofit organizations through donor advised funds, endowments, scholarships, and disaster relief programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Charitable giving management
• Nonprofit endowment services
• Philanthropic advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fund Management and Administrative Fees: TCF generates revenue through management fees charged on charitable funds. The foundation maintains some of the lowest fees in the country for fund administration, investment management, and grantmaking services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tulsa Community Foundation is a community foundation that administers charitable giving vehicles including donor advised funds, designated funds, field of interest funds, scholarship funds, and agency funds for nonprofits. It provides fund administration, investment management (via Bank of Oklahoma), grantmaking services, philanthropic advisory, and shared technology services (501tech) to individual donors, families, professional advisors, and nonprofit organizations in northeastern Oklahoma and across the United States.

Product overview

Tulsa Community Foundation offers a comprehensive suite of charitable giving vehicles and fund management services. The core portfolio includes Donor Advised Funds (DAF), Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, Scholarship Funds, Discretionary Funds, and Private Foundation Transfer services for individual donors. For nonprofit organizations, TCF provides Agency Funds, Agency Reserve Funds, and Fiscal Sponsorship Funds. Supporting infrastructure includes a digital donor portal for fund management and shared services like 501tech for technology support and the Planned Giving Legacy Partnership. TCF manages over 2,000 funds and processes more than $300 million in grants annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds (DAF) A flexible charitable giving account allowing donors to contribute assets, receive immediate tax deductions, and recommend grants to nonprofits over time. Requires a minimum $5,000 to start. Targeted at high-net-worth individuals and families seeking personalized charitable giving solutions.
• Designated Funds Donor-designated funds that provide perpetual support to specific charitable organizations or causes. Minimum $5,000 to establish. Targeted at donors wanting to support specific nonprofits in perpetuity.
• Field of Interest Funds Funds that support a donor-designated cause area (e.g., elderly, healthcare, arts, education) with TCF identifying effective nonprofits to receive grants. Targeted at donors wishing to support a broad cause area rather than specific organizations.
• Scholarship Funds Donor-established funds for educational scholarships with customizable selection criteria, managed by TCF's application and award process. Provides approximately $20 million annually in educational aid through 40+ scholarship funds. Targeted at donors wishing to fund student scholarships.
• Discretionary Fund Funds allowing TCF to address community needs as they emerge, with awards distributed on a competitive basis through nonprofit agency applications. Targeted at donors who want to support flexible community-led grantmaking.
• Private Foundation Transfer Service enabling donors to transfer private foundations to TCF as a donor advised fund, reducing administrative overhead and excise taxes. Targeted at donors with existing private foundations seeking lower-cost administration.
• Agency Funds Permanent pool of assets for nonprofit organizations with TCF handling financial management; annual distributions made to the agency. Targeted at 300+ nonprofit organizations in the region seeking endowment management.
• Agency Reserve Funds Funds establishing operating dollars for agencies, with the agency's board having fiduciary responsibility for distributions and investments. Targeted at nonprofits needing operating reserves.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Funds Administrative services for unincorporated groups or projects intending to establish 501(c)(3) status, handling donations, receipting, and payments. Targeted at emerging nonprofit projects without their own tax-exempt status.
• 501tech Shared Services Shared service providing nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma with donor-subsidized or partner-discounted technology expertise, products, and services. Targeted at Oklahoma nonprofits needing affordable technology support.
• Planned Giving Legacy Partnership Program administered by TCF to encourage agencies to build endowment gifts through planned giving, working with The Advancement Group. Targeted at nonprofits and their donors seeking planned giving services.
• Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Programs Emergency assistance and disaster relief programs coordinated with Tulsa Area United Way, employers, and national disaster networks. Distributes over $2 million in emergency assistance (2024). Targeted at individuals, families, and communities facing emergencies or disasters.
• Philanthropic Advisory Services Personalized philanthropic advisory services including donor engagement, fund structuring, legacy planning, and exclusive donor events for individuals, families, businesses, and professional advisors. Targeted at donors seeking guided charitable planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6+ billion in charitable assets managed
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGKFF is a major affiliated entity of TCF, sharing leadership (CEO Phil Lakin Jr. serves as chairman of GKFF board). The foundations co-fund initiatives including Gathering Place (100-acre, $400M riverfront park), downtown revitalization projects, and community beautification efforts. Jeff Stava serves as executive director of GKFF and manages its real estate portfolio.
• Bank of Oklahoma (BOK)coreTechnology or IntegrationBank of Oklahoma provides investment management for TCF funds through index funds. The Finance and Investment Committee routinely reviews management of investment assets. Certain client assets may be held outside BOK when criteria are met.
• 300+ Nonprofit Organizations (Agency Funds)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCF serves more than 300 nonprofit organizations through agency endowment funds, reserve funds, and fiscal sponsorship. Partner nonprofits include major organizations such as Tulsa Area United Way, Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, American Red Cross, Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, and many others listed on the nonprofit funds page.
• Tulsa Area United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCF partners with Tulsa Area United Way during regional disaster response efforts, coordinating donation collection and distribution to vetted organizations providing immediate and long-term relief assistance.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nature Conservancy owns and manages the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. TCF administers the Delores and Jerry Etter Graduate Research Scholarships supporting research at the Preserve.
• Tulsa Public Schools (TPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCF and GKFF partnered with TPS to create the first Educare Facility in Tulsa, an early childhood education initiative supporting Tulsa’s youngest citizens.
• Community Action Project of Tulsa CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with TCF and GKFF in creating the first Educare Facility in Tulsa to support early childhood development and education in the community.
• 501techcoreTechnology or Integration501tech provides eligible nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma with high quality, donor-subsidized or partner-discounted technology expertise, products and services. Part of TCF’s shared services offerings.
• The Advancement Group (Legacy Partnership Program)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTCF works with The Advancement Group through the Legacy Partnership Program to provide planned giving services to agencies and donors, helping build endowment gifts through planned giving.
• Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency, and Emergency Partnership (PPREP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCF is an active member of PPREP created by the Funders Network to support community foundation disaster preparedness and strengthen relationships between community members and organizations.
• Arts Alliance TulsaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCF initiated and incubated Arts Alliance Tulsa to help sustain Tulsa’s nonprofit arts community through united fundraising and support. The organization is now independent.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Large-scale community foundation heavily weighted toward DAFs and high-net-worth tech donors. Direct competitor for DAF assets among wealth-advisor-driven donor pools, with much larger AUM.
• California Community Foundation: Multi-billion-dollar community foundation operating with a comparable product portfolio (DAFs, scholarships, agency funds) and competing for similar professional-advisor-driven donor segments.
• New York Community Trust: One of the oldest and largest U.S. community foundations, with comparable products, scale, and a long track record of grantmaking excellence in a major metropolitan market.
• Cleveland Foundation: Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is the oldest and one of the largest U.S. community foundations, managing multi-billion-dollar assets and processing hundreds of millions in annual grants. Most direct structural and operational analog to Tulsa Community Foundation.
• Chicago Community Trust: Major multi-billion-dollar community foundation with a similar mix of DAFs, agency endowments, scholarships, and disaster-response capabilities, plus strong professional-advisor partnerships.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in the U.S., similarly Midcontinent, headquartered in a metro area, with comparable DAF/scholarship/agency fund product mix and professional-advisor distribution model.
• Greater Houston Community Foundation: Among the largest U.S. community foundations, serving a regional economy with strong energy-sector ties — directly comparable to TCF's energy-influenced Tulsa market footprint and donor profile.
• The Boston Foundation: Major U.S. community foundation with a broad product suite including DAFs, agency funds, and scholarships, operating in a metropolitan market — directly comparable to TCF.

Broad incumbents

• National Philanthropic Trust: One of the largest independent DAF sponsors in the U.S., serving both institutional donors and HNW individuals nationally. Comparable DAF product set with very low fees and national scale.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest commercial DAF sponsor in the U.S. with national reach, brokerage integration with Fidelity, and aggressive low-fee structure. Direct competitor for DAF market share, especially among mass-affluent donors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tulsacf
• Facebookfacebook.com/TulsaCF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tulsa-community-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tulsa Community Foundation