Allied Arts Foundation INC

About the Organization

Organization category

Public Charity

Country / State

United States / Oklahoma

Mission

Enriching lives through advancement the arts.

Programs or services

Allied Arts enriches Oklahoma by raising and distributing funding, supporting arts education, expanding community access to the arts, advocating for the arts, and strengthening arts and cultural organizations statewide.

Detailed programs

The signature endeavor of Allied Arts has been since its inception and continues to be its annual fundraising campaign. The campaign generates critical funding for the Allied Arts member agencies, of which there are 25. This core group receives the bulk of Allied Arts funding through the allocations grant program. Allocations grants provide a reliable, consistent source of unrestricted funding vital for operations, administration, programming and outreach.

Additionally, Allied Arts manages the educational outreach and capacity-building grant programs, in support of youth arts education and community outreach to underserved populations as well as projects strengthening organizational infrastructures. Both grant programs are open to Allied Arts member agencies and other eligible arts nonprofits.

Target Audience

The population of the state of Oklahoma.

Geographic Focus

United States, Oklahoma (USA)

Current projects

2027 Campaign for the Arts
ARTini 2027 - An art auction and martini tasking party that benefits arts nonprofits in OK
OPUS 2027 - a biennial event benefiting arts nonprofits in OK

Organization goals

Allied Arts exists to ensure that every Oklahoman benefits from a vibrant, accessible, and sustainable arts ecosystem.

Leadership

Sunny Cearley - President & CEO
Jennifer Bowman - Director of Development
Jennifer Bryan - Director of Outreach
Rob Schultheis - Director of Finance & Operations

Funding & Grant Guidelines

Grant categories you fund

Arts and Culture

Funding priorities

Allied Arts invests in programs that expand equitable access to the arts, provide meaningful arts education, strengthen nonprofit organizational capacity, and create measurable community impact throughout Oklahoma. We are particularly interested in initiatives that reach underserved populations, build long-term sustainability, and demonstrate clear outcomes.

Geographic funding areas

State of Oklahoma

Typical grant size

Up to $5,000

Typical number of grants given in a cycle

15-20

Deadlines

August 4th, 2026 and December 11th, 2026

Eligibility requirements

Our Educational Outreach program supports nonprofit arts organizations working to expand arts experiences to underserved, rural and at-risk K-12 students as well as broaden the reach of arts programming to veterans, hospitalized adults, developmentally disabled adults and beyond.

Organizations can apply for up to $5,000 with no matching component, and Allied Arts will consider fully funding project requests. An organization with an annual operating budget of $500,000 or more is limited to one request per Allied Arts fiscal year.

Projects that produce tangible results and impact will be given priority. For professional development requests, priority will be given to opportunities within the state of Oklahoma and the surrounding region. Each year, a variety of projects are funded – from organizational training and board development to volunteer management, strategic planning and other professional development opportunities.

Grant application process

Our Educational Outreach program supports nonprofit arts organizations working to expand arts experiences to underserved, rural and at-risk K-12 students as well as broaden the reach of arts programming to veterans, hospitalized adults, developmentally disabled adults and beyond.
Organizations of all budget sizes can apply for up to $5,000 in grants.
Submission of a proposal does not guarantee funding. Funds are limited.

The Allied Arts Capacity-Building program helps nonprofit arts and cultural organizations grow stronger, so they can fulfill their missions and better serve their constituents.
Organizations can apply for up to $5,000 with no matching component, and Allied Arts will consider fully funding project requests. An organization with an annual operating budget of $500,000 or more is limited to one request per Allied Arts fiscal year.
Projects that produce tangible results and impact will be given priority. For professional development requests, priority will be given to opportunities within the state of Oklahoma and the surrounding region. Each year, a variety of projects are funded – from organizational training and board development to volunteer management, strategic planning and other professional development opportunities.
Submission of a proposal does not guarantee funding. Funds are limited.

Funding Needs

Grant categories you're seeking

Arts and Culture

Funding needs

Allied Arts measures campaign success primarily through the dollars raised. The more dollars that we can raise through the campaign and special events, the higher level of support that we can provide central Oklahoma's nonprofit cultural sector - and the more lives reached through the transformational power of the arts. Allied Arts also tracks donor retention which helps Allied Arts evaluate our stewardship efforts, an important element within the fundraising cycle.

Allied Arts is in need of donors for the annual campaign, ARTini, and OPUS in order to continue to serve the 49 arts and cultural nonprofits we supported this past year.

Website & Social Media