09-05-2025
‘It does affect your community': Federal funding freezes rattling Oklahoma nonprofits
PAYNE COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — Federal budget cuts could be hitting several Oklahoma organizations hard, leaving two groups in Payne County who help domestic violence victims and at-risk youth worried.
Janet Fultz is the executive director of Payne County Youth Services, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter and interventions for Oklahoma kids ages seven to 17.
'We provide a lot of mental health and substance abuse counseling across Payne County,' said Fultz. 'Not only are our programs at risk of being reduced, but also having to reduce some staffing positions.'
Fultz said most of their funding comes from federal grants that are disappearing.
She's been monitoring the online portal for grant applications that no longer exist.
'At this point, we're having to assume that those grants are not going to be available to us through federal dollars,' said Fultz.
It's also a major worry for Brandi White.
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White is the executive director for Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services, a domestic violence shelter for woman and children.
'We also have counseling programs for prevention programs. We have court advocates on site,' said White.
Together the two organizations are awarded around $1 million in federal funding, which is about one third of their overall budget.
'We really have no guarantees that all of that funding will be coming back again,' said White. 'It's definitely just a trend that has us concerned.'
The directors said local donations are unlikely to fill the void, but they know the needs of Oklahomans in crisis are only increasing.
'When we start making cuts to programs, it does affect your community,' said White. 'It does affect the women and the kids and the victims in your community at a level that maybe people don't understand.'
News 4 reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Department of Justice regarding the possible cuts, but did not hear back.
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