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Red Dirt Relief Fund
Red Dirt Relief Fund was founded in 2012 by Katie Dale and John Cooper, a member of the Red Dirt Rangers, to fill a specific void: Oklahoma musicians hosting...
Red Dirt Relief Fund
Red Dirt Relief Fund was founded in 2012 by Katie Dale and John Cooper, a member of the Red Dirt Rangers, to fill a specific void: Oklahoma musicians hosting benefits for peers in crisis because they had no formal insurance or emergency support. The 501(c)(3) received pivotal early backing from the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Tulsa Community Foundation, cementing its capital base. Though it began with a focus on the Red Dirt music scene, the organization quickly expanded eligibility to any Oklahoma resident with at least five years in the music industry — regardless of genre or role. RDRF's grantmaking runs through an Emergency Assistance Fund covering immediate living expenses and medical bills after accidents, cancer treatment, natural disasters, or rehabilitation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it launched three separate grant programs that supported symphony players, hip-hop artists, worship musicians, and live-sound engineers alike. The organization also negotiated discounted rates with physical- and mental-health providers for music professionals, and Katie Dale participated in national best-practice convenings alongside MusiCares, The Actor's Fund, and the Music Health Alliance in February 2020. Its co-investor network includes the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Tulsa Community Foundation, while board-level ties to Folk Alliance International strengthen industry relationships. The all-volunteer Board of Directors includes fifteen musicians and industry professionals, with Drew Winn as President, Kellie Stone (CFO of Black Gold Group) as Treasurer, and Deana McCloud as Secretary. RDRF operates a related entity, Red Dirt Charitable Fund Inc., registered in Reston, Virginia. In May 2026, the fund announced that Cody Canada would receive the Restless Spirit Award at its Gypsy Cafe festival, continuing a tradition of recognizing mentorship in the spirit of Bob Childers. The organization produces two annual festivals — Gypsy Cafe in Stillwater and Skinnerfest in Tulsa — that double as fundraising and community-building vehicles. RDRF's structural distinction is its hyper-local, occupation-specific mandate paired with a festival- and event-driven engagement model. Unlike national musician-assistance charities, it targets a single state's music workforce with eligibility based on work history, not genre or union membership. The board's musician-majority composition and the integration of grantmaking with live-event production create an ecosystem where aid recipients and contributors frequently overlap, making the organization a mutual-aid hybrid rather than a traditional grantmaking foundation.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
2012
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Tulsa
Corporate office
Tulsa, OK, United States
Additional offices
Reston, VA, United States (Red Dirt Charitable Fund Inc.)
Principals
Katie Dale
Executive Director
John Cooper
Board Member, Advisory Council Member
Kellie Stone
Treasurer
Drew Winn
President
Deana McCloud
Secretary
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes grantmaking decisions at Red Dirt Relief Fund?
Grantmaking is overseen by Executive Director Katie Dale and the all-volunteer Board of Directors, which is composed of working musicians and music-industry professionals. The board includes Treasurer Kellie Stone and Secretary Deana McCloud, ensuring decisions are informed by direct industry experience. The organization does not disclose a separate investment committee.
How is the Red Dirt Relief Fund's emergency assistance distinct from a traditional foundation?
RDRF functions as a direct-aid mutual-assistance fund rather than a typical grantmaking foundation. It provides immediate living-expense and medical-bill grants to individual Oklahoma music professionals facing emergencies, not project-based or organizational grants. The board's musician-majority composition and the integration of aid with two annual music festivals reinforce a peer-to-peer support model.
What role did the George Kaiser Family Foundation play in RDRF's history?
The George Kaiser Family Foundation was an early major donor and philanthropic partner when RDRF was founded in 2012. That backing, alongside support from the Tulsa Community Foundation, gave the startup nonprofit its initial capital base to begin making emergency grants. The relationship is cited as a foundational co-investor connection.
Who is eligible for grants from Red Dirt Relief Fund?
Any person living in Oklahoma who has worked in the music industry for at least five years is eligible, regardless of genre, job function, or union status. The organization has served symphony musicians, hip-hop artists, worship musicians, singer-songwriters, tour managers, and live-sound engineers. The only requirement beyond residency and five-year work history is a qualifying emergency such as an accident, medical crisis, natural disaster, or rehabilitation need.
How does RDRF fund its operations and grants?
RDRF funds its Emergency Assistance Fund and operations through philanthropic donations, corporate support, and revenue from two annual music festivals it produces — Bob Childers' Gypsy Cafe in Stillwater and Tom Skinner Skyline Music Fest in Tulsa. The organization also receives grant support from the Tulsa Community Foundation and other donors. It does not publicly disclose an endowment or invested asset base.
What is the relationship between Red Dirt Relief Fund and Red Dirt Charitable Fund Inc.?
Red Dirt Charitable Fund Inc. is a related entity registered in Reston, Virginia, appearing in Altss records as an associated foundation. The exact governance and structural relationship between the Tulsa-based Red Dirt Relief Fund Inc. and the Virginia-registered Red Dirt Charitable Fund Inc. is not publicly detailed, but the Virginia entity likely serves a specific donor or programmatic function.
How did RDRF respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Starting in March 2020, RDRF launched three sequential COVID-19 Grant programs to address the pandemic's catastrophic impact on Oklahoma music professionals' livelihoods. Grants were made statewide to recipients across every musical genre and job function — from symphony players and worship musicians to hip-hop artists and sound engineers — covering immediate living expenses during shutdowns and recovery.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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