The Ruth Nelson Family Foundation is a private, independent grantmaking organization dedicated to advancing transformative philanthropy in Oklahoma, with a focus on Tulsa County.
Established in 1984 and guided by the legacy of Ruth Nelson, a devoted social activist and philanthropist, the Foundation supports critical areas of need, including healthcare for underserved populations, women’s health, education, the arts and end-of-life care. With a commitment to equity, dignity and integrity, the Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations to address gaps in services and make a lasting impact.
Ruth Nelson Family Foundation
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Reproductive Rights/Reproductive Health
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The Arts
In accordance with its mission, the Foundation holds the following areas of interest:
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Human Services
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Education
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Health
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Reproductive Rights/Reproductive Health
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The Arts
To seek a society in which no person is denied shelter, food, physical well-being or access to education and culture by gender, race, disability, or economic constraint.
Our Mission
In accordance with its mission, the Foundation holds the following areas of interest:
-
Human Services
-
Education
-
Health
In accordance with its mission, the Foundation holds the following areas of interest:
-
Human Services
-
Education
-
Health
Ruth also served as board chair of Planned Parenthood for Eastern Oklahoma and Northwestern Arkansas. Inspired by her mother’s commitment to accessibility and dignity for all, she dedicated much of her life to The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, eventually joining its board and serving as president. A member of the Tulsa Historical Society’s Hall of Fame and the Tulsa Library Hall of Fame, she was awarded the Key to the City of Tulsa in 2016 in recognition for her work with housing, women and the poor. In 1996, she received the Hannah G. Solomon Award from the Tulsa Chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women.
Avowedly aware of her good fortune, given where and how she was born, Ruth vowed to leave the world a better place. In a nod to the Jewish mission of ‘Tikkun Olam,” her gravestone reads, “She Lived to Know and Repair the World.” To friends and family, her loyalty, constancy and wisdom were unrivaled. An avid scuba diver, she traveled the world fearlessly, sleeping on liveaboard vessels and in remote villages. Embracing the notion of “a sound mind in a sound body,” she played tennis into her late 70s and was a scholar of William Faulkner.
Ruth Nelson (1935-2023) was a prominent social activist and philanthropist deeply dedicated to Tulsa County and her home state of Oklahoma.
About Ruth Nelson
Ruth Nelson was born Ruth Kaiser in 1935 in London, England, where her mother had traveled so her first child would escape persecution in Nazi Germany. She and her parents immigrated to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1940. Ruth graduated from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA, magna cum laude with a degree in philosophy in 1958. She remained heavily involved with the college for most of her life, traveling the globe as a fundraiser, co-chairing a successful capital campaign, receiving a lifetime service award in 2013 and eventually serving on the college’s board.
For more than 25 years, Ruth was an agent for change as chairwoman of the Tulsa Housing Authority. By creating literacy programs and building resource centers, she aimed to lift people out of generational poverty and lead them to self-sufficiency. Under her leadership, the housing authority received national recognition.
Ruth Nelson was born Ruth Kaiser in 1935 in London, England, where her mother had traveled so her first child would escape persecution in Nazi Germany. She and her parents emigrated to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1940. Ruth graduated from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA, Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Philosophy in 1958, remaining heavily involved with the college for most of her life, traveling the globe as a fundraiser, co-chairing a successful capital campaign, receiving a lifetime service award in 2013 and eventually serving on the college’s board.
For more than 25 years, Ruth was an agent for change as Chairwoman of the Tulsa Housing Authority (THA). By creating literacy programs and building resource centers, she hoped to pull people out of generational poverty and lead them to self-sufficiency. Under her leadership, the THA was nationally recognized. Ruth also served as Board Chair of Planned Parenthood for Eastern Oklahoma and Northwestern Arkansas. Inspired by her mother’s commitment to accessibility and dignity for all, she dedicated much of her life to The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, eventually joining its board and serving as President. A member of the Tulsa Historical Society’s Hall of Fame and the Tulsa Library Hall of Fame, she was awarded the Key to the City of Tulsa in 2016 in recognition for her work with housing, women and the poor. In 1996 she received the Hannah G. Solomon Award from the Tulsa Chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women.
Avowedly aware of her good fortune, given where and how she was born, Ruth vowed to leave the world a better place. In a nod to the Jewish mission of ‘Tikkun Olam,” her gravestone reads, “She Lived to Know and Repair the World.” To friends and family, her loyalty, constancy and wisdom were unrivaled. An avid scuba diver, she traveled the world fearlessly, sleeping on “liveaboard” vessels and in remote villages. Embracing the notion of “a sound mind in a sound body,” she played tennis into her late seventies and was a scholar of William Faulkner.
A mother of four, Ruth often stated her greatest accomplishment was embodied in the person each of her offspring had become. She imbued in them the same values that guided her philanthropy and activism throughout her life. Each child now serves on the Foundation’s board, along with her widower, Tom Murphy, carrying on her legacy and commitment to the community.
Ruth Nelson was born Ruth Kaiser in 1935 in London, England, where her mother had traveled so her first child would escape persecution in Nazi Germany. She and her parents emigrated to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1940. Ruth graduated from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA, Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Philosophy in 1958, remaining heavily involved with the college for most of her life, traveling the globe as a fundraiser, co-chairing a successful capital campaign, receiving a lifetime service award in 2013 and eventually serving on the college’s board.
For more than 25 years, Ruth was an agent for change as Chairwoman of the Tulsa Housing Authority (THA). By creating literacy programs and building resource centers, she hoped to pull people out of generational poverty and lead them to self-sufficiency. Under her leadership, the THA was nationally recognized. Ruth also served as Board Chair of Planned Parenthood for Eastern Oklahoma and Northwestern Arkansas. Inspired by her mother’s commitment to accessibility and dignity for all, she dedicated much of her life to The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, eventually joining its board and serving as President. A member of the Tulsa Historical Society’s Hall of Fame and the Tulsa Library Hall of Fame, she was awarded the Key to the City of Tulsa in 2016 in recognition for her work with housing, women and the poor. In 1996 she received the Hannah G. Solomon Award from the Tulsa Chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women.
Avowedly aware of her good fortune, given where and how she was born, Ruth vowed to leave the world a better place. In a nod to the Jewish mission of ‘Tikkun Olam,” her gravestone reads, “She Lived to Know and Repair the World.” To friends and family, her loyalty, constancy and wisdom were unrivaled. An avid scuba diver, she traveled the world fearlessly, sleeping on “liveaboard” vessels and in remote villages. Embracing the notion of “a sound mind in a sound body,” she played tennis into her late seventies and was a scholar of William Faulkner.
A mother of four, Ruth often stated her greatest accomplishment was embodied in the person each of her offspring had become. She imbued in them the same values that guided her philanthropy and activism throughout her life. Each child now serves on the Foundation’s board, along with her widower, Tom Murphy, carrying on her legacy and commitment to the community.
A mother of four, Ruth often stated her greatest accomplishment was embodied in the person each of her offspring had become. She imbued in them the same values that guided her philanthropy and activism throughout her life. Each child now serves on the Foundation’s board, along with her widower, Tom Murphy, carrying on her legacy and commitment to the community.
