Through his establishment of the Foundation bearing his name, Lyle M. Gelvin provided a significant source of monetary support for a broad range of non-profit causes and undertakings which he so enthusiastically encouraged and aided during his lifetime. Since 1996 the Foundation has contributed over $10 million to over 230 different charitable organizations primarily in northeastern Oklahoma. As a relatively small organization, we value the relationships we establish with our grant recipients and strive to be friendly, flexible and understanding of our grantees’ unique needs.

By policy, the Foundation’s grants are limited to non-profit organizations within the State of Oklahoma, and we currently focus our support on organizations within a 30-mile radius of Tulsa or Eufaula whose programs primarily benefit the citizens in these areas. To be eligible for consideration, applicant organizations must be registered under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code or its equivalent.

PLEASE NOTE ~ Over the years we have built long-standing relationships with many local charities to whom the bulk of our grants are distributed each year. As a result, we currently have limited funds available for organizations that are new to us. First-time applicants, therefore, are encouraged to send a letter of inquiry only, rather than a full proposal, providing us with a brief introduction to their organization and the project in need of funding. We will then respond as to whether we are interested in having a full proposal submitted.