Tulsa philanthropist Ruth K. Nelson dedicated her life to making the world a better place for families and children. Although she passed in 2023, the Ruth Nelson Family Foundation (RNFF) is ensuring that her impact will be felt for years to come.
Unlike most foundations, RNFF has pledged to give away all of Nelson’s assets — valued at approximately $350 million — to charitable causes in the Tulsa area by 2038. This unique strategy honors Nelson’s final wish.
“Ruth is a trendsetter in this space,” says Gina Stilp, the founding executive director at RNFF. “I think she felt an urgency, and she could see that there were challenges facing the community … (she) had the recognition that she could allocate those resources to today’s needs.”
Remembering Ruth
Born Ruth Kaiser in London in 1935, Nelson was the daughter of Herman and Kate Kaiser. Her mother had traveled to England so her first child would not be born Jewish in Nazi Germany. The family later emigrated to Tulsa in 1941. Her father and brother, George Kaiser, founded the Kaiser-Francis Oil Company, which made their family an immense fortune…