Philanthropy

By Kristi Eaton

Tulsa’s trademark of “America’s Most Generous City” didn’t occur by happenstance according to Phil Lakin Jr., CEO of Tulsa Community Foundation, which houses around 2,000 donors who support various causes in the city, state and across the U.S.

“I always used those words in describing Tulsa. I make lots of presentations ... and I’d always say, ‘America’s Most Generous City.’ And then I said, ‘Well, you know what, I’ve got to back it up,’” he said of the 2012 trademark. At the time, Tulsa had the largest community foundation in the country — bigger than New York City and foundations in California, he noted.

“We’re second largest right now,” Lakin said. “We’re just behind Silicon Valley.” In 2018 readers of the Chronicle of Philanthropy voted Tulsa as the best U.S. city for philanthropy.

One of the most well-known philanthropies based in Tulsa is George Kaiser Family Foundation, which focuses on criminal justice reform, health and well-being, early childhood initiatives and more. It also spearheaded the creation of Gathering Place, as well as one of the first — if not the first — remote worker program. Tulsa Remote has attracted more than 2,000 remote workers to move to Tulsa to live and work.

Lakin noted other local organizations with a large following and donors, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the Mental Health Association Oklahoma and others.

Tulsa Area United Way, he noted, also is a big community supporter. But in 2022, TAUW ran into some speed bumps on its way to raising more than $25 million. It felt the effects of inflation during the fundraising season.

“The affordability of everyday items changed,” said Cynthia Qualls, chief resource development officer. “People are generous and still gave but may have given the same amount, since they are used to that in the budget, but didn’t increase their gift like they would have in the past.”

Additionally, the adoption of remote workplaces has meant fewer chances to hold educational sessions, special events or demonstrate the direct impact of TAUW to employees.

Still, despite the difficult economic conditions, the organization worked hard and launched new revenue generating innovations — from yard signs with QR codes to selling Tulsa Flag “Live United” T-shirts. “We’ve also continued to increase the number of online campaigns and methods to gather stakeholder data for more effective outreach all year long,” Qualls said.

New Center Helps Citizens Build Financial Stability

In December 2020, the City of Tulsa partnered with Goodwill Industries to open a Financial Empowerment Center that offers anyone who lives or works in Tulsa access to free, professional, individualized financial counseling.

“FEC services are for everyone in any stage of their financial journey — from those who are struggling financially and need help building a path to financial freedom, to those who may be financially stable but want to know how to effectively plan for the future, and those who fall anywhere in between,” said Krystal Reyes, chief resilience officer for the City of Tulsa. “Counseling sessions can be done virtually, over the phone or in person.”

Counselors are bilingual in English and Spanish or Zopau (the Zomi language). Since launching, the FEC has worked with 500 clients and conducted over 1,600 sessions, Reyes said.

Outcomes include: reducing delinquent accounts; reducing non-mortgage debt; accessing a public support program; increasing the amount set aside for the future; opening a safe and affordable bank account; increasing credit score by at least 35 points; and adopting new savings behaviors.

“Financial stability is at the heart of residents’ well-being and resilience,” Reyes said. “We truly believe that financial counseling is a public service that should be available to anyone.”