Advisory Board
Chair – Hannibal B. Johnson, Author, Attorney & Consultant
Vice Chair – Eunice Tarver, Vice President of Student Success & Equity, Tulsa Community College
Secretary – Ashley Harris Philippsen, Executive Director, ImpactTulsa
Glenda Love Williams, Ret. President & CEO, Ronald McDonald House and Nonprofit Consultant
Moises Echeverria, President & CEO, Foundation for Tulsa Schools
Joseph Bojang, Owner, Web Champs
Danny Williams, Attorney, Frederic Dorwart Lawyers
Jessica M. Lozano-Alvarez, Professional Provider Network Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
Jennifer Loren, Senior Director, Cherokee Film
Staff
Joshua J. Knowles
Program Associate
jknowles@zarrow.org
The Commemoration Fund
Our Mission
We support bold and innovative efforts to correct social, political and economic injustices that impact Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and People of Color in our community. Our grantmaking addresses disparities rooted in white supremacy and systemic racism with sustainable, collaborative solutions.
The Commemoration Fund grant cycle is now open and remains open until February 1, 2024 for new applications. For grantee or applicant questions, please contact Joshua J. Knowles at jknowles@zarrow.org.
If you have previously applied to a Zarrow Foundation online, please log in using your existing applicant account. If you are a new applicant, you will be prompted to create an account upon beginning your application. Once you have begun your application, you can return to it by using the Account Log In button.
Background
The Zarrow Families Foundation was originally established as a corporate charitable giving vehicle that evolved into a fund where brothers Henry and Jack Zarrow could do collaborative grantmaking outside their well-known individual foundations.
Current trustees honor their fathers by directing all future grantmaking to positively impact Black, Indigenous, Latinx and People of Color.
As an organization dedicated to equity and dismantling oppression in its many forms, the Commemoration Fund supports the use of Latinx as a model of the forward-working and inclusive trend in spoken and written language and affirms individuals of different gender identities.
Founders
Mr. Henry Zarrow, 1916-2014
Mr. Jack Zarrow, 1925-2012
Mr. Scott Zarrow, 1958-2012
Trustees
Ms. Judy Kishner
Ms. Gail Richards
Mr. Stuart Zarrow
Grant Application Guidelines
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The Commemoration Fund grant cycle will open again in November 2023 and remain open for a few months for new applications.
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- For inquiries, please email Joshua J. Knowles at jknowles@zarrow.org.
- Grants will support work that is innovative in correcting social, cultural, political, or economic injustices impacting Black, Indigenous, Latinx, or other People of Color in our community.
- Grants may support: 1) general operations, 2) a specific program or facility, 3) equipment or vehicle purchase, 4) organizational capacity building, or 5) other efforts that aim to address a disparity rooted in white supremacy and systemic racism.
- Grants will NOT be considered for dinners, runs/walks, special events, political events, or fundraisers. Grants will not be made directly to a church unless an independently governed 501c3 public charity is in place.
- Eligible requests may range from $3,000 to $100,000.
- Preference will be given to one-year grants. Multi-year grants will be considered, up to three years, but must demonstrate substantial and transformative impact.
- Applicants should be able to identify how efforts will be sustained beyond the term of the grant.
ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS WILL…
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- Have 501(c)3 public charity status, with an IRS determination letter that is either permanent or provisional
- Operate in Tulsa County
- Be able to demonstrate programs and/or services focusing on Black, Indigenous, Latinx, or other People of Color
- Be able to demonstrate budget and financial management necessary to administer and account for grant funds. Audited or CPA-prepared financial statements are preferred if available but not required.
For Applicants, preference will be given to:
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- Nonprofits with minority leadership at the executive and board level
- Nonprofits headquartered and operating in minority-majority communities of Tulsa County
Additional Application Documentation to include the following:
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- A copy of the applicant’s latest 990 tax filing, including all attachments
- A listing of the applicant’s Board of Directors (including Board Composition)
- A listing of the applicant’s Leadership Team (including Team Composition)
- Financial Information, including:
- Most Recent Audited Financial Statements and/or Fiscal-Year-Ending Financial Statements
- Final Operating Statement, including Actual Expenditures vs. Budget
- Organization’s budget for the current fiscal year
- A budget for the specific project or program, with grant request identified if only part of a larger budget
- A list of major donors from last fiscal year with grant amounts
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants will have the opportunity to apply and submit applications electronically. For grantee or applicant questions, please contact Joshua J. Knowles at jknowles@zarrow.org.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Commemoration Fund requires that all nonprofit entities receiving grants adhere to the latest version of the Equal Employment Opportunity statement as provided on the EEOC website.
2023 Grant Recipients
Toward addressing disparities rooted in white supremacy and systemic racism, the Commemoration Fund is proud to announce grants in support of:1st Step Male Diversion Program, Inc.
Purchase of a new 10-person van to transport program participants to daily classes, counseling sessions, court appearances, and supportive activities
The Bail Project, Inc.
Support for the Tulsa-affiliate of this national organization that provides voluntary community-based pretrial support and bail assistance for people who cannot afford bail
BeHeard
Support for mobile resource center to provide showers, haircuts, and laundry services for people experiencing homelessness
Birthright Living Legacy
Support for grassroots effort providing fatherhood programming and family supports
Casa de la Cultura
Support for engaging programs designed for the preservation, promotion, and advancement of the Latinx culture and arts
Catholic Charities Tulsa
Support for Immigration Legal Services, a nonprofit clinic offering removal defense and assistance to asylum seekers
Community Health Connection, Inc.
Grant funds for a pilot program benefiting Latinx patients diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes
Crossover Community Impact, Inc.
Support for StreetLeader Program, offering employment opportunities for teenagers in North Tulsa
Downtown Tulsa Partnership
Grant funds for PopUp Downtown, an initiative to match under-represented entrepreneurs with commercial space
East Tulsa Main Street
Support for community engagement and business support programs in the Tulsa Global District
Foundation for Tulsa Schools
Support for CHAMPS Male Mentoring Program to serve Black and Latinx students with a culturally informed lens
Guiding Right, Inc.
Grant funds for BePrEPARED, an effort to raise awareness of PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and reduce the risk of HIV for Black women in Tulsa
J.A.M.E.S., Inc.
Support for case management and scholarship opportunities for adolescent parents
Jewish Federation of Tulsa
K-12 field trip support for Sherwin Miller Museum’s exhibit that invites students to explore the role of white supremacy in the Jewish holocaust and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
La Cosecha
A purchase of a forklift and other capital improvements to distribute food primarily to economically under-resourced Latinx residents in Tulsa
Leadership Tulsa, Inc.
Funding for expansion of the after-school development program focused on building the next generation of diverse civic and community leaders
Meals on Wheels Metro Tulsa, Inc.
Support for food distribution, language translation, and development of strategic relationships in East Tulsa
Met Cares Foundation, Inc.
Grant funds for The Hometown Collective, an initiative to provide North Tulsa high school students with internships within in-demand industries
New Hope Oklahoma, Inc.
Program support to interrupt the cycle of incarceration through after-school programs and summer camps for children of justice-involved parents
Oklahoma Assoc. of Conservation Districts
Funding for the FreshRX ‘Food is Medicine’ designed to improve health metrics for people living with Type 2 diabetes in North Tulsa with locally-sourced fresh foods
Restorative Justice Institute of Oklahoma
Support for training in restorative practices designed to reduce trauma, dehumanization, and recidivism in schools and organizations
Speaks 4 You, Inc.
Grants funds to offer comprehensive scholarship literacy resources to underserved students of color
Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease
Support for a comprehensive continuum of care for Sickle Cell Disease which impacts Black people at disproportionate rates
Theatre North
Support for a long-established North Tulsa, Black-led theatre program that stages and presents plays reflecting the Black experience
Thunder Fellows
Funding to build new opportunities in sports, entertainment, and technology for Black high school and college students in the Tulsa area
Tri-City Collective, Inc.
Support for this award-winning professional broadcast journalism effort that engages the local public on issues important to communities of color
Tulsa Bike Share, Inc.
Grants funds toward repair, recovery, and replacement of damaged bikes in Greenwood, Kendall Whittier, and the Phoenix District
Tulsa Children’s Museum
Funding to extend STEAM Pathways to a multi-event in-school model in North Tulsa elementary schools
Urban Coders Guild, Inc.
Support for a creative after-school tech-training program for middle and high school students of color to develop a more inclusive tech ecosystem
Women Empowering Nations, Inc.
Support to relaunch the Girls Leading Our World Tulsa project to provide leadership and career development programming to Black high school girls