Head-spinning fundraising, high praise and more of the news worth noting in local nonprofits.
Gifts & Grants
The Arvest Foundation awarded a total of $102,000 in grants to nonprofits in the metro including the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation, Special Olympics Arkansas, Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas, Heart of Arkansas United Way, L.C. and Daisy Bates Museum Foundation, UrbanPromise Arkansas and the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.
The Black History Commission of Arkansas awarded seven grants totaling more than $23,800 to projects that preserve and promote Black history and heritage, including the Friends of Oakland and Fraternal Historic Cemetery in Little Rock.
CARTI broke its fundraising record for the second consecutive year, bringing in nearly $870,000 from its three-day Festival of Trees.
The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation marked its 50th anniversary by launching the Arkansas Enterprise Capital Grant Fund designed to “empower communities statewide by prioritizing rural areas, advocacy organizations and initiatives that promote generational wealth.”
Friends of the Animal Village received a $10,000 grant from the KFC Foundation to help winterize its facility.
The Rampy MS Research Foundation donated $65,000 to the UAMS Department of Neurology, once again delivered by relay runners and walkers who started from the foundation’s Bentonville headquarters.
High Praise
On March 5, the 37th annual Arkansas Business of the Year Awards will celebrate businesses, organizations and executives from across the state, including these finalists for Nonprofit Organization of the Year:
- Holy Sews
- Morgan Nick Foundation
- Special Olympics Arkansas
- Startup Junkie Foundation
- Women’s Foundation of Arkansas
New Digs
It was a rollercoaster 10 days for The One, the parent organization behind The Van and Back 5 Fields that serves unsheltered Arkansans. The nonprofit attempted to purchase a property to serve as a permanent winter emergency shelter, but when lending fell through, founder and executive director Aaron Reddin put out the call on social media. In less than two weeks, donors gave more than $225,000, including its largest single gift on record of $75,000.
Editor’s note: This story originally referenced The Van’s purchase of another property intended to become its no-barrier shelter. Since the time of publication, the nonprofit has announced the cancellation of that purchase and is again searching for a new location. Follow The Van on Facebook for updates.
Also packing their bags:
» The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance is moving its headquarters to 200 W. Capitol, Ste. 1300.
» Little Rock Public Radio is moving from the University Plaza strip mall to an upgraded space in Stabler Hall on the UA Little Rock campus.
» Goodwill Industries of Arkansas announced a new 20,000-square-foot retail center at 610 Kirk Road, the first facility to be built by the nonprofit.
» The Studio Theatre has announced plans to move into a new, undisclosed space with the intention of launching this summer.
Big Moves
Lori Ross has been named the founding executive director of the Doula Alliance of Arkansas.
The Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame announced new officers for its board of directors: Stacy Hurst as chair, Kim Sharpe as vice chair, Steve Owen as treasurer and Ashley Hight as secretary.
Preserve Arkansas added three new board members: Travis Bartlett, Dr. Antoinette Johnson and Barry Reed.
The One also added three new board members: Dave Hoffpauir, Amanda Parker and Maureen Skinner.
Michael Barger is the new program director for AR Kids Read.