About
À propos de la Fondation
Mission
The Osage Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of the Osage diaspora ecosystem. The Foundation directs philanthropic capital toward three enduring concerns: the cultural and linguistic preservation of the Osage Nation; the education of Native American and rural-American students through programmes held in the standing memory of Maj. Gen. Clarence L. Tinker; and the care of the historical record.
Funding
The Foundation is funded by a standing share of operating profit from Osage Group and its sister entities, supplemented by deductible donations from partner-family households and aligned institutional donors. The Foundation does not run public fundraising campaigns; the funding model is endowed and patient.
Governance
- Trustees. The Foundation is governed by a board of three trustees, one of whom is a designated descendant of Maj. Gen. Tinker and one of whom is independent of the operating businesses.
- Audit. Independent annual audit; report posted by 1 August each year. Form 990 filed within the standing statutory window.
- Heritage & Memorial Committee. Convened in consultation with the Tinker family delegate. Oversees the Tinker Scholars programme and any matter touching the General’s memory.
- Sovereignty. The Osage Nation is a separate sovereign and is not governed by this Foundation. Coordination with the Nation proceeds through the Nation’s own institutions on the Nation’s own terms.
Standing observances
- Tinker Day — 7 June. The annual day on which Tinker Scholars are announced. In standing memory of the General’s loss in the closing hours of the Battle of Midway, 1942.
- Annual report — 1 August. Consolidated financials, programme outcomes, and the grant ledger for the prior year.
What we will not do
Public fundraising campaigns. Sectarian programming. Partisan political activity. Speak for the Osage Nation. License or commercialise ceremonial materials. Anything our compliance committee or general counsel will not put a name to in writing.
Engagement
Donor and trustee enquiries: [email protected]. Audit and Form 990: [email protected]. Programme inquiries: /grants.