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Our Motivation

Oklahoma ranks third in the nation for incarceration of men, second for women and first for Black people. Previously incarcerated Oklahomans and their children face barriers to opportunity including access to employment, upward mobility and financial stability.

Incarceration and economic hardship not only affect the people behind bars and those close to them, but they also have a statewide ripple effect in limiting our communities’ potential, widening racial and economic disparities, and perpetuating intergenerational cycles of poverty.

Building a more equitable and prosperous Oklahoma requires transformative changes in the way we collectively design and implement policies, make decisions, and think and speak about crime and safety.

Our Work

ProsperOK’s mission is to accelerate economic mobility, reduce incarceration, and bolster community safety by uplifting people and removing barriers in the criminal legal system. ProsperOK invests in solutions that span the criminal legal system. We focus on two interrelated goals:

Increase economic opportunity through innovations in policy and practice with an emphasis on:

Reduced usage of pretrial detention
Pathways to middle-skills employment
Reduced economic consequences of the criminal legal system

Transform systems by building power among those most impacted and proximate to the work with an emphasis on:

Community-guided safety solutions
Grassroots organizing and coalition building

Our Initiatives

ProsperOK partners are beginning to form teams and initiatives to advance the work. Initial initiatives are highlighted below.

Advancing Policies That Increase Economic Mobility

From debilitating fines and fees and their collateral consequences, to diminished employment and earning potential, formerly incarcerated individuals and families struggle to stay afloat financially. ProsperOK in collaboration with bipartisan partner organizations across Oklahoma prioritize legislative efforts that reduce the economic burden of the criminal legal system, such as automatically expunging eligible criminal records and reducing catastrophic fines and fees.

Building Infrastructure to Amplify Those Voices Most Impacted

System-impacted people and their families are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. ProsperOK in collaboration with Tulsa-based grassroots and advocacy organizations is coalescing community resources and the people most impacted by the criminal legal system to organize, advocate and change inequitable policies and practices in Oklahoma’s criminal legal system.

Seeding Innovations in Occupational Skills Training

Individuals entangled in the criminal legal system face significant disparities in accessing the education and training needed for middle-skill, middle-income, in-demand occupations. ProsperOK supports innovative programs that work to bridge the gap between placing a system-impacted individual on a path to short-term economic stability and long-term economic success.

Launching the Education and Training Pathways Collaborative

In the summer of 2021, ProsperOK in collaboration with partner organizations launched the Education and Training Pathways Collaborative (ETPC). The ETPC is composed of Tulsa-area organizations who meet on a monthly basis to support the creation and delivery of high-quality education and training services that lead to living-wage work for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system.

Our Grants

We encourage you to sign up for ProsperOK updates and emails to stay informed as new opportunities arise.

Community Grants: Directed In, For and By Community

ProsperOK’s Community Investment Committee (CIC) is launching its first round of community-directed grantmaking! The CIC is looking to fund grassroots organizations using advocacy, organizing and civic engagement to promote equity, economic opportunity and racial justice for individuals living and working in areas of Tulsa County most harmed by the criminal legal system. To learn more and apply, please follow the links below.

Review Requirements
View Application Questions

Los requisitos de la solicitud y las preguntas también están disponibles en español. Para enviar una solicitud en español, por favor use este sitio aquí.

Apply Now

Our People and Partners

ProsperOK is a growing collaborative of community members, organizers and advocates, practitioners, policy makers, businesses and funders. As the work evolves, we will begin to highlight partner organizations and initiatives.

We are proud to work with the following people and partners:

Get Involved

Join us as we build a safer and more prosperous Oklahoma. As the work evolves, there will be opportunities to learn and engage. Sign up to stay informed.

Better Systems. Brighter Futures.