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Arkansas Community Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$52.9M
Grant Range
$15K - $0.0M

Arkansas Community Foundation Inc - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $52.9 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $800+ million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Grant Range: Varies by program ($15,000 - $25,000 for specific initiatives)
  • Geographic Focus: Statewide Arkansas through 29 affiliate offices
  • Number of Grants: 578 awards (2023)

Contact Details

Main Office (Little Rock):

Northwest Arkansas Office (Rogers):

  • Address: 593 Horsebarn Rd. Suite 202, Rogers, AR 72758
  • Phone: 479-335-5720
  • Email: arcf@arcf.org

Local Affiliates: 29 affiliate offices across Arkansas, each with local staff and advisory boards. Visit www.arcf.org/affiliates or call 501-372-1116 to find your local affiliate.

Overview

Founded in 1976, the Arkansas Community Foundation is Arkansas's largest grantmaker by number of grants awarded annually and operates as a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. With assets exceeding $800 million as of 2024, the foundation has distributed more than $500 million in grants throughout its history, partnering with thousands of Arkansans to improve communities across the state. The foundation's mission is to "engage people, connect resources and inspire solutions to build community." Operating through a network of 29 affiliate offices, each with local staff and advisory boards, the foundation maintains deep connections to communities across Arkansas's 75 counties. In 2024 alone, the foundation awarded $52.9 million in grants, demonstrating significant growth and impact. The foundation has earned recognition for transparency and maintains accreditation through national community foundation standards, along with GuideStar seals.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Giving Tree Grants - Amount varies by affiliate

  • Competitive grants at local and state levels supporting various causes based on changing community needs
  • Committees of local leaders in each community determine best use of funds
  • Application periods: January 10 - February 15 and July 10 - August 15
  • Online application through grant portal

Building Black Communities Fund - Up to $25,000

  • Supports Black-led (51%+ of leadership/board is Black) or Black-serving (75%+ of those served are Black) nonprofits
  • Geographic focus: Little Rock metropolitan statistical area (Pulaski, Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Saline counties)
  • Funded through Facebook partnership (past cycle awarded 40 grants)

Access to Local Foods Grants - $15,000

  • Eight 1-year awards available per cycle
  • Supports nonprofits increasing Arkansans' access to locally grown/produced foods
  • Strengthens local food ecosystems

Food Security Grants - Amount varies

  • Available through local affiliates
  • Focus areas: food accessibility, nutritious options, affordability, client-centered approaches
  • Check with local affiliate for availability

Early Literacy Grants - Amount varies

  • Partnership with Excel by Eight initiative
  • Goal: Help every child in Arkansas read at grade level by end of third grade
  • Formerly known as Grade Level Reading grants

Arts in Arkansas Fund - Amount varies

  • Supports organizations in underserved communities
  • Focus on maintaining, expanding, or providing new arts programming that is otherwise inaccessible or limited

Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Grant - Amount varies

  • Supports nonprofits creating positive change for underserved populations
  • Recent cycle awarded $50,000 total across multiple organizations

Arkansas Head Start Innovation Fund - Invitation only

  • Supported by Walton Family Foundation
  • For Head Start and Early Head Start agencies only

Priority Areas

The foundation's current strategic priorities include:

  • Early Literacy: Third-grade reading proficiency through Excel by Eight partnership
  • Food Security: Reducing food insecurity and increasing access to healthy food statewide
  • Arts Access: Supporting arts programming in underserved communities
  • Local Food Systems: Strengthening Arkansas's local food ecosystem
  • Black Communities: Supporting Black-led and Black-serving organizations in central Arkansas
  • Impact Investing: Using financial tools to advance community goals
  • Capacity Building: Equipment, facility upgrades, staff training, strategic planning assistance
  • Program/Project Support: Direct service delivery and expansion

What They Don't Fund

Explicit exclusions for Giving Tree grants:

  • Annual fundraising campaigns
  • Capital campaigns
  • Sectarian religious purposes
  • Political projects
  • Multi-year proposals
  • Scholarships or fellowships
  • Salaries

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Heather Larkin - President & CEO (joining in 1998, CEO since January 2008, retiring end of 2025)

  • Certified Public Accountant and lawyer with extensive nonprofit/foundation management experience
  • Appointed to Arkansas Women's Commission by Governor Asa Hutchinson
  • Named Woman of the Year in Philanthropy by Women's Foundation of Arkansas
  • On her work: "What better job is there than to help people?"
  • On philanthropy: "Philanthropy doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the amount of your giving"
  • On stewardship: "I think I have a very healthy understanding that we are stewards and charged with making the best use of every dime"
  • On foundation approach: "It's a pretty powerful way to deploy money"
  • On retirement: "This is the right time for the Foundation to take its next bold step forward"

Corey Moline - Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Ashley Riggin Coldiron - Chief Development Officer

Jessica Hughes Ford - Chief Communications Officer

Linsley Matteson Kinkade - Chief Program Officer

Jody Dilday - Vice President of Northwest Operations

Board of Directors

Alyson Bradford (White Hall) - Board Chair (elected 2023)

Board Members include:

  • Elizabeth Burns Anderson - Senior Vice President of Farmers Bank and Trust and Executive Director of the Farmers Bank Foundation
  • Tracy Cude - Chief Financial Officer of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (since 2006)
  • Jennifer Ronnel (Little Rock) - elected 2023

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online through the foundation's grant portal (grantinterface.com). The process and requirements vary by grant program:

For Giving Tree Grants:

  • Application periods: January 10 - February 15 and July 10 - August 15
  • Online application through grant portal during open periods
  • Contact local affiliate office for specific priorities and requirements
  • Eligibility: Any 501(c)(3) public charity, school, hospital, or government agency serving counties where the foundation makes grants

For Specialized Programs:

  • Different programs have varying deadlines and processes
  • Some programs (like Arkansas Head Start Innovation Fund) are invitation-only
  • Check foundation website or contact affiliate offices for current opportunities
  • Optional newsletter signup available for grant opportunity announcements

Application Components:

Applications typically require:

  1. Clear project description explaining how grant funds will be used
  2. Impact statement describing community benefit
  3. Measurable outcomes defining success metrics
  4. Detailed budget showing Community Foundation grant allocation and other funding sources
  5. For regional/statewide organizations: demonstration of direct impact on specific county

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by grant program and are not publicly disclosed for most programs. Applicants are notified through the grant portal system.

Success Rates

While specific success rates are not published, the foundation awards hundreds of grants annually (578 awards in 2023, 582 in 2022). The foundation is described as "the largest grantmaker in the state in the number of grants made each year."

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants are not publicly disclosed. Contact the state office (501-372-1116) or local affiliate office for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Foundation's Evaluation Criteria:

The Arkansas Community Foundation evaluates applications based on three key factors:

  1. The organization's ability to carry out the proposed request successfully
  2. Clarity and thoroughness of responses to application questions
  3. Impact on the county/counties served by the affiliate

Strategic Positioning for Regional/Statewide Organizations:

Proposals are more likely to succeed if they demonstrate that the project will be based in or have direct impact on the specific county where applying. Place-based impact is critical.

Writing Guidance from the Foundation:

From their guest blog post on grant tips: "Know who you are and write confidently. If you know your mission and really understand your capabilities and capacity for executing projects, your writing will reflect that knowledge."

Recent Grant Recipients as Examples:

The 2024 Arkansas Black Hall of Fame grants provide insight into funded projects:

  • CASA of the Ouachita Region - Bilingual advocates for resource navigation for abused/neglected children (Polk, Montgomery, Scott, Sevier Counties)
  • City Connections – Operation Restore - Temporary employment agency for those emerging from incarceration or rehabilitation in central Arkansas
  • Conway Cradle Care - Education for young parents on child development and advancing their education
  • Girls on the Run of Central Arkansas - After-school program delivery at Dalton Whetstone Boys and Girls Club
  • Goodwill Arkansas Education Initiative – Excel Center - Tuition-free adult high school addressing transportation and food access barriers
  • Haven of Northeast Arkansas - Safehouse for domestic abuse victims in Mississippi County
  • Hispanic Community Services/El Centro Hispano - 9-week bilingual business course for Hispanic and immigrant entrepreneurs

Key Application Elements:

  • Demonstrate measurable impact: Be specific about what success looks like and how it will be measured
  • Show local connection: Emphasize direct community impact, especially for the specific county/region
  • Align with priorities: Connect proposal to foundation's strategic focus areas (early literacy, food security, arts access, etc.)
  • Budget transparency: Clearly show how Community Foundation grant dollars will be used versus other funding sources
  • Organizational capacity: Demonstrate capability to execute the proposed project successfully

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Work through local affiliates: The foundation operates through 29 local affiliate offices, each with unique priorities and funding cycles. Contact your local affiliate office early to understand their specific focus areas and requirements.

  • Timing matters: Giving Tree grants have two annual cycles (Jan 10-Feb 15 and Jul 10-Aug 15). Plan accordingly and watch for specialized program announcements.

  • Place-based impact is critical: The foundation values local impact. Even regional or statewide organizations should demonstrate specific, direct benefits to the county where they're applying.

  • Align with strategic priorities: The foundation has clear focus areas (early literacy, food security, arts access, local foods). Projects aligned with these priorities are strategically positioned for success.

  • Think capacity building and programs, not operations: While salaries are excluded, capacity building (equipment, facilities, training, strategic planning) and program support are fundable. Frame requests accordingly.

  • The foundation funds diverse causes: From domestic violence services to bilingual business training to adult education, the foundation supports varied approaches to community improvement. Don't self-select out if your work serves community needs.

  • Demonstrate organizational capacity: Beyond the project idea, the foundation evaluates your ability to execute successfully. Showcase your track record, expertise, and organizational strength.

References

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