Local Gifts
Immerse Arkansas, a nonprofit providing support and services to youth in crisis and foster families, recently received a $250,000 grant that will help fund a renovation project of the organization’s main resource center.
“This space is foundational to all of the work we do,” says Eric Gilmore, founder and executive director. “The young adults we serve are vulnerable, so they need to be safe, continue to heal and work toward their goals through our programs and resources. Our progress for these young people needs to keep moving forward, despite the challenging times we’re currently experiencing.”
UA Little Rock recently received an anonymous donation of $25 million, the largest in the university’s history, for scholarships and student success.
“The university is focused on enhancing student success and producing more students who are prepared to meet the needs of our state and our communities,” UA Little Rock Chancellor Dr. Christina Drale says. “We have many students, and prospective students, who have considerable potential. With this amazing gift, we will be able not only to help more students get here, but to help them stay on the path to graduation and a rewarding career. I thank the donor for their support of our mission and their confidence in our ability to fulfill it. This is truly a transformational gift.”
The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance awarded $57,000 in sub-grants to 126 Arkansas nonprofits and organizations thanks to a grant from the Walmart Foundation. The 2020 Emergency Food Relief Grant was designed to bring much-needed financial relief during the COVID-19 crisis, providing everything from food items to PPE to refrigerators to help feed hungry Arkansans.
Big Moves
Economics Arkansas added eight new board members, six of whom are from Little Rock: Heather Albright, Devin Bates, Andrea Lewis, Jay Meador, Meredith Moll and Patrick Wilson.
The Arkansas PBS Foundation also added some locals to its board, including Catherine Bays, M. Gayle Corley, Chris Jones and Peggy Matson.
Get Listed
This is your opportunity to join the 2020 Arkansas Giving Guide, a resource highlighting local nonprofits and what they need for continued success.
The publication runs in the October issue of Soirée as well as in our sister publication, Arkansas Business.
If your nonprofit is interested in being part of the 2020 Giving Guide, email Mandy Richardson at MRichardson@ABPG.com.
Fame & Glory
The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation launched its COVID-19 Relief Initiative to provide mini-grants for organizations serving black and other underserved communities throughout the state. The ABHOF committed $25,000 to the effort and set out to raise an additional $25,000 in private funds to match.
The Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame announced its 2020 class of inductees:
- Dr. Margaret Louise Sirman Clark
- Cynthia L. Conger
- Dorothy Morris
- Carolyn Pollan
- Amy Rossi
- Mary Brown “Brownie” Williams Ledbetter (1932-2010)
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973)
- Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas
Ballet Arkansas Goes Virtual
In response to the effects of COVID-19, Ballet Arkansas has adapted and expanded its summer education programs. Launching a series of online dance classes for children and adults, in combination with socially-distanced classes held on site at their downtown studio and at UA Little Rock, class offerings have reached students as far away as New Zealand. The organization plans to ramp up its educational offerings throughout the fall, offering a full selection of online and on-site classes for all to enjoy.
Visit BalletArkansas.org to learn more about a variety of classes, workshops, intensives and more.
Send your nonprofit news to info@littlerocksoiree.com.