Creating Impact Through Giving

Join us for a special episode this holiday season as we dive into the Foundation's relationship with the Meals on Wheels of Oklahoma City. Learn from our special guests how we can make an impact, together.Visit occf.org to learn more!

Join us for this Creating Impact Through Giving episode as we dig into the recent opening of the Willa D. Johnson Recreation Center. We bring on Kelley Barnes, Vice President of Community Engagement with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, Councilwoman Nikki Nice, who represents Ward 7 in Northeast Oklahoma City and Melinda McMillan-Miller, Director of Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation.Visit occf.org to learn more!

Join us on the latest Creating Impact Through Giving episode as we dive into iFunds! These funds,  designed to support our community, work to tackle the topics closest to home, fully funded by you, the OKC community!We bring in special guests Kelley Barnes, VP of Community Engagement here at OCCF; Jenean Yanish, CEO of the Health Alliance for the Uninsured; and Star Yellowfish with the Oklahoma City Public School District, Native American Student Services.Visit occf.org to learn more!

This week on the OCCF Pod, we talk with our very own Jess Schwager, Scholarship Programs Director here at the Foundation. We also brought in Kathy Hahn, who started the Elaine Hahn Memorial Business Scholarship, and Jessi Cortez, an Elaine Hahn scholarship recipient!Join us as we dig into higher education funding and all that goes into it.Visit occf.org to learn more!

This month on Creating Impact Through Giving, we meet back up with Trisha Finnegan, President & CEO of OCCF, as she takes us through her journey in the first several months of her time at the Foundation and in the community.Listen in as she discusses her vision for the Foundation, her meetings with community leaders and more!

This month, we're diving deep to learn all about Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and how they can help donors to impact their community while also saving taxes on their IRA distributions. OCCF's Julie Dais and Laura Moon walk Dan through this tricky topic, and OCCF donor Richard Opdyke explains how he is helping students accomplish their goals through QCDs from his IRA. 

You've heard us talk about endowment, but what is it and how does it really work? On this episode, we're taking a deep dive into our Charitable Organization Endowment program with OCCF's Jennifer Meckling, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund matches with Liz Charles and how donors can maximize their impact by giving to organizations participating in the match program with Dr. Joe Leonard. 

'Tis the season to count your blessings and help those around you. Year-end also happens to be the busiest time of year at the Community Foundation and nonprofits all around the community. Listen in as we dive into year-end giving and the importance of investing in the community with OCCF's Vice President of Development Joe Carter and Ron Ward of Ward Construction on this month's podcast. 

Have you ever wondered how to find a nonprofit to support? On this episode, we're diving into GiveSmartOKC, the Community Foundation's online platform to help donors research and make informed decisions about their charitable giving.

In this episode, we're sitting down with OCCF Vice President of Development Joe Carter, Kendall King with Castle Point Wealth Advisors and Kendra Robben with Robben Law to discuss the significant role professional advisors play at the Community Foundation and what this means for donors. 

In this episode, we're sitting down with OCCF's new President and CEO, Trisha Finnegan, for a one on one to learn about her background and vision for the future of OCCF. 

If you look around the OKC metro today, you'll notice how beautiful some of our city and neighborhood parks look, but it wasn't always that way. This month, we're digging in to city beautification and the impact OCCF's Parks & Public Space Initiative has had on this effort. We sat down with OCCF's Lanc Gross and OKC Parks' Scott Copelin to talk about our city's transformation over the past couple decades and how grants from OCCF have helped make this happen. 

In this episode, we're talking philanthropy and how individuals can create an impact or leave a legacy. Join Dan as he talks to OCCF's Vice President of Development, Joe Carter, Nonprofit Solutions', Jeri Holmes, and Kayla Cawood from Robben Law as they discuss the individual philanthropy and the advantages of advised funds.

Did you know OCCF has one of the largest Charitable Organization Endowment Programs in the country? This month, we're sitting down with our COE Program Director Jennifer Meckling, Bruce MacIntyre with the Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma and Dana Gibson from the El Reno Schools Foundation to talk everything COE.

The OCCF was looking for a way to fulfill the wishes of their donors without a specific organization or charity in mind - enter iFunds. On this episode, we're sitting down with OCCF's Kelley Barnes, Oklahoma Dental Foundation's John Wilguess and Hilltop Clinic's Clarissa Watkins to find out what iFunds are and how they're making a difference in the community. 

Spring is in the air, and that means it's the perfect time to get out and get moving. In this episode, we dive into our city's parks and trails and discuss how we can meet our wellness goals while also exploring and discovering new places throughout the metro. We are joined by Marsha Funk, director of the Greater OKC Parks & Trails Foundation, KeepMovingOKC's spokesperson Leah Philpott and OCCF's Lanc Gross and Brian Dougherty. 

Scholarship season is heating up, so we've brought in our resident experts, Jessica Schwager and Rick Fernandez, to discuss how OCCF can help, how to apply for scholarships and the role counselor's play in the process. And, you won't want to miss our conversation with Carolina Garcia, an OCCF scholarship recipient, discussing the impact scholarships have had on her education.

In a recent survey of the 100 most populous cities in America, Oklahoma came in dead last. That's right, we were voted the unhealthiest city in the country. Today, Dan sits down with Nancy Anthony, OCCF president and Kelley Barnes, vice president of community engagement, to discuss OKCGetsFit, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation's wellness grants designed to take action to turn some of those stats around. Learn more at occf.org/wellnessinitiative and find ways to keep moving at keepmovingokc.org.

We're back and diving into how you can make a difference with your year-end gifts. Community Foundation President Nancy Anthony joins us to discuss this year's changes to charitable giving, how donors can make the most of their gifts and much more. GiveSmartOKC manager Rachel Mouton is also here to walk us through how donors can learn more about charitable organizations and give smarter this holiday season.

This month, Dan revisits KeepMovingOKC.org, a recently launched communications initiative to promote free and low-cost physical activity events and organizations in central Oklahoma. We chat about the campaign's launch and positive reception with Kelley Barnes, Oklahoma City Community Foundation vice president of community engagement, and get to know Leah Philpott, who serves as the official spokeswoman for KeepMovingOKC. Visit www.KeepMovingOKC.org for free and low-cost resources around physical activity.

Why is graduation day too late for high school seniors to worry about financial aid for college? And how should they prepare for applications ahead of time?This month on Creating Impact Through Giving, Jessica Schwager, director of scholarships at OCCF, tells us about the tips and tricks behind a successful scholarship application. You'll also learn about a great scholarship opportunity for students in foster care, and hear the impactful story of one of our past recipients, Savien Johnson.Apply for scholarships: occf.org/scholarshipsOklahoma Youth With Promise Scholarship: occf.org/oywpCounselors, join our email list here: http://conta.cc/3dEmBjg

In this month's episode of Creating Impact Through Giving, let’s take a closer look at the evolution of a charitable gift. What happens when a donor comes to us with a donation but no initial idea on how to develop a legacy? Listen to Dan’s conversation with Laura Moon, donor services manager, and Ken Rees, a local philanthropist who has worked with us to grow his fund into a multi-year grant program. Find a full transcript of this episode at occf.org/impact.

Have you ever thought about supporting your community through charitable contributions? Or maybe you are already giving to charity, but wonder if you are doing so in the most efficient and effective way? In this episode, Joe Carter, VP of development at the Community Foundation, guides you through the many different ways you can make an impact this giving season - or at any point in your life! Dan and Joe look back on their favorite creative giving tools of 2020 and predict what's going to shape the charitable sector in 2021. We also talk to a donor who has created a sizable legacy himself about his experience working with the Foundation's donor services team. Tune in to get valuable year-end giving advice, a comprehensive fund type 101, and savvy tax strategies relating to the CARES Act.

Dan discusses the origins and possibilities of the new GiveSmartOKC platform with Kelley Barnes and Rachel Mouton of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation's programs team. Our experts share insight into the platform's expanded functionalities and different ways to leverage them this giving season. Later in the episode (13:22), DesJean Jones, Executive Director of OIC of Oklahoma County, provides powerful testimony to the platform's potential, and Dan chats with Steve Agee, OCCF Trustee and philanthropist, about why every donor and nonprofit should be using GiveSmartOKC to grow their impact.

65,000 bulbs. A newspaper clipping. A historic neighborhood in Oklahoma City.On Episode 5, we’re talking everything parks with Brian Dougherty, director of the Parks & Public Space Initiative, JB Schuelein from the Mesta Park Neighborhood Association and Leslie Hudson, Trustee, committee member and philanthropist. From our latest grants to an exciting community opportunity coming up over the next few weeks, tune in to get a sneak peek of the project that will help transform the metro area come Spring 2021!Opportunities mentioned in this episode:- Rebloom Oklahoma spring flower campaign: occf.org/rebloom (deadline extended to Nov. 9, 2020)- Nonprofit training opportunities: occf.org/coetraining- Parks grants: occf.org/parks

With the help of Teena Belcik, President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, Dan explores the longterm benefits of endowment planning. We're also looking ahead to exciting grant opportunities, our annual check distributions to deserving nonprofits, and to the end of a turbulent fiscal year that has put our investment policies to the test. Learn how our nonprofits have successfully braced themselves against market turmoils and why they can rest assured that the Oklahoma City Community Foundation takes steadfast stewardship of their future. #ThePowerofEndowmentSign up for our virtual nonprofit training series: occf.org/coetrainingMore information about iFund Services for the Elderly grants: occf.org/ifunds/elderly.htmlScholarship applications opening October 1: occf.academicworks.com

Dan reveals the launch of an exciting new initiative at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and chats with our guests about our role in making Oklahoma a healthier, more active state. Stay tuned for his conversations with Talita DeNegri, OCCF Trustee and principal at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School, OCCF's Kristi Birk-Steinberg and Caitlynne Miller from the Oklahoma City Mom blog, and learn more about finding the perfect biking trails in central Oklahoma and how to not let COVID-19 keep you cooped up with summer!

In this episode, Dan welcomes back Jessica to discuss all things scholarships, opportunities for rural students, and the impending sticker shock of college tuition. You'll also hear from a donor directly about her experience setting up a scholarship in honor of a loved one and her plans to build an endowment that supports education in perpetuity. Lastly, two former Oklahoma City Community Foundation scholarship recipients look back on the impact the gift of education has had on their academic journey.

Welcome to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, your simple and effective resource in leaving a creative and lasting impact on your community. Hear from three of our in-house experts about the kinds of services and programs we offer (including scholarships, yay!) and take a deep dive into our origin story. We can't wait to explore more charitable giving strategies and nonprofit success stories with you in future episodes!