Mentoring Grants
To better support the needs of Oklahoma mentoring organizations, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is awarding start-up grants for new and developing mentoring programs and opportunity grants to support strategic needs of K-12 mentoring organizations in Oklahoma.
The mission of the Boren Mentoring Initiative is to promote the growth and development of quality youth mentoring programs statewide. The initiative grew out of the Borens’ own commitment to mentoring and the proven impact that mentoring can make on a student’s success in and out of the classroom.
Grants will be made available through a selection process. Two categories of grants are available:
STARTUP GRANTS
Startup grants of up to $3,000 will be available to new mentoring organizations in their first three years of operation. These grants are designed to encourage communities to establish quality mentoring programs.
OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
Opportunity grants of up to $1,500 will be available to existing mentoring groups to help fund programming, training, materials or other programs that advance excellence in mentoring for K-12 students in Oklahoma.
To qualify for either grant, mentoring organizations MUST:
- Serve K-12 age children in Oklahoma, with preference given to mentoring organizations that work in partnership with local public schools.
- Conduct background checks on all mentors.
- Agree to report qualitative and quantitative outcomes to the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
- Provide proof of 501(c)3 status or proof of an agreement with a local public school district or other qualified 501(c)3 umbrella organization.
The deadline for 2025 mentoring grants has passed. Check back in fall 2025 for information about applying for a 2026 grant.
For more information, contact Lauren Dow at 405-236-0006, Ext. 13 (office) or ldow@ofe.org.
