Kathleen Coan
Tulsa Area United Way
1430 South Boulder
Tulsa, OK 74119

Expertise: Tulsans were among the first in the nation to start a unified charitable fundraising organization, combining 11 human service organizations in one annual campaign. That was in 1924 when the forerunner of today’s Tulsa Area United Way was organized as The Tulsa Community Fund by area businessmen. Today it is an area wide organization encompassing Creek, Okmulgee, Osage, Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner Counties to more efficiently raise funds for the 66 member agencies who provide health and human care services to those in need. Every year, more than 300 community volunteers decide the campaign goal after spending thousands of hours evaluating the needs of our member agencies. That first campaign goal of $238,895 came in $9,000 over goal establishing a pattern that Tulsa area residents have followed in most of the years since. Since 1924, over $450 million has been raised through the donations of area individuals and corporations and this market has consistently been in the top 10 percent of generosity rankings. Known for outstanding efficiency and the hundreds of volunteers that drive the agency, TAUW can proudly report to contributors that approximately 90 cents of every dollar donated last year went directly to local services, and that more than 650,000 lives were touched, changed or perhaps even saved through area contributions.