2013 Giving Challenges

challenge grants can double size of many
united way contributions

Supporters of this year's Tulsa Area United Way campaign can double the size of their contributions thanks to several challenge grants issued by local individuals, businesses and foundations.

This is a unique opportunity for area residents to have their contribution to the United Way matched dollar-for-dollar.

Watch for this year's giving challenge opportunities, which will be announced soon.

2012 Challenge Grants

Last year, seven major challenge grants totaling $880,000 were issued to the Tulsa Area United Way for the 2012 Campaign, more than ever before.

Those able to increase the size of their gifts through the new challenge grants included small and medium-sized businesses, individuals who give at a leadership level, company and family foundations, and members of the United Way Women's Leadership Council and Alexis de Tocqueville Society. 

For the third year, the Tulsa Area United Way was offered a Small Business Challenge of $100,000, matching dollar-for-dollar all first-time gifts from area businesses with fewer than 50 employees. 

For the first time, medium-sized companies also had their gifts matched thanks to a $250,000 challenge grant issued by a collection of anonymous donors. The challenge matched gifts by employees of mid-sized firms with 50 to 250 employees. To qualify, companies scheduled informational meetings for their employees, selected a campaign coordinator and committed to a Day of Caring project in 2013. 

New leadership gifts, defined as $500 or more over the course of a year, or $42 per month, were matched dollar for dollar as a result of a $300,000 challenge grant issued by several foundations. In addition, increases in leadership gifts over last year were as well.

New and increased leadership gifts by members of the Tulsa Area United Way Women's Leadership Council were matched through a $25,000 challenge grant provided by the Hille Foundation and a $5,000 grant from the Kerr Foundation, Inc. All women are invited to join the Women's Leadership Council, which offers several levels of membership.

All new or increased gifts from company or family foundations were matched dollar for dollar thanks to a $50,000 challenge grant from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and a special initiative to attract support from donor-advised funds by the Tulsa Community Foundation. 

These generous foundations and corporate citizens allowed us to significantly leverage the contributions for our supporters.

Members of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society, individual donors who give $10,000 or more annually, also had the opportunity to have their gifts leveraged if they increased their annual giving to the $15,000 level, thanks to an anonymous donor. In addition, participants of the Tocqueville Society's Step-Up Program had a portion of their gifts matched.