$20 million fuels youth programs partnership initiated by John and Laura Arnold- putting their philanthropic giving over the $2 billion mark

Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy focused on evidence-based initiatives, has pledged up to $10 million to Oklahoma’s Be A Neighbor initiative to expand opportunities for children and youth .

The State of Oklahoma will match those funds dollar-for-dollar, bringing the partnership’s total potential investment to $20 million over four years.

The funding, administered through the Department of Human Services, will bolster proven community programs that improve outcomes for young people.

Programs cited as likely funding recipients include Saga Tutoring, an intensive math tutoring program for high school students, and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, a foster care adoption recruitment initiative.

Both have demonstrated success in independent evaluations, aligning with the initiative’s emphasis on evidence-based results.

“It’s crucial to support strategies with the greatest potential to drive real, measurable outcomes” for children and families, said Arnold Ventures co-founder Laura Arnold a recent cover subject of Lifestyles Magazine/Meaningful Influence, underscoring the partnership’s focus on what works.

This Oklahoma effort is part of Arnold Ventures’ broader Partnerships for Proven Programs initiative, which uses public-philanthropic collaborations to scale up rigorously tested programs.

Similar co-funded partnerships have been launched with Maryland and Colorado to expand evidence-backed interventions in those states.

The collaboration with Oklahoma reflects a growing trend of investing in data-driven solutions to deliver better results for youth and communities.