ARCF in Action
The Arkansas Community Foundation and its 25 Affiliates throughout the state make a difference in our communities through grants, funds, and the programs they make possible.  To explain how endowments work to build Arkansas and her people, here are a few stories.

Related articles:
Don Livingston, CPA
Pringle Scholarship

Mr. and Mrs. John G. Ragsdale

ARCF good friends and fund donors, Mr. and Mrs. John G. Ragsdale of El Dorado and Little Rock have over a half century of philanthropic service behind them, but they continue their generous giving for the simple reason, as John says, “We saw a need and thought we should do something about it.” 

 

Since 1992, the Ragsdales have created three separate endowments at the Arkansas Community Foundation.  The Ragsdale-Johnson Scholarship Endowment provides generous annual scholarships for non-traditional-aged students at UALR and UA Fayetteville studying in the areas of history, languages, engineering, mathematics or science.  The Ragsdale Scholarship Endowment provides help for nursing students at the University of Arkansas Medical Center.  And the newest Ragsdale Fund, The Ragsdale Book Award Endowment, provides an annual award to an author of a nonfiction book about Arkansas, and the award is matched by the Arkansas Historical Society.

John Ragsdale was a Registered Professional Engineer for Lion Oil Company and Dede Ragsdale taught English in El Dorado before their retirement.  They also spent many years as volunteers for their church and for the Boy Scouts of America.  John has over 55 years of Boy Scout involvement.  He has been a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club, and has served on the boards of museums, libraries, and historical associations.  He serves on the MacArthur Military History Museum Commission, and is a member of the Arkansas Nature Conservancy, The Ozark Society, and the University History Institute among others. 

 

His publications include Dutch Oven Cooking, Campers Guide to Outdoor Cooking and As We Were In South Arkansas.

 

For their generosity of spirit and hard work, the new Arkansas Studies Institute has named a room in their honor: the Dora Johnson Ragsdale and John G. Ragsdale meeting room.  We congratulate our good friends, the Ragsdales for this honor and look forward to many years of working with them to accomplish their philanthropic goals.

Achieve Your Clients' Purposes with Flexibility, No Hassle
A Professional Advisor's Perspective:  CPA Don Livingston, Dumas

According to Don Livingston, CPA, in Dumas, the Arkansas Community Foundation allows professional advisors to offer simple bequest services or sophisticated gifting mechanisms.  “You don’t do the back office paperwork or go through the legal technicalities.  Their flexibility is astounding,” he said. 

 

“One example is a recent client – a member of my church who wanted to set up a scholarship fund that donors outside the church could support,” Livingston explained.  By setting up the fund with ARCF, everyone was able to contribute and get the benefits of tax deductible giving. 

 

A professional advisor with a track record of utilizing the Foundation’s expertise, Livingston thinks ARCF makes setting up a fund simple. “The beauty is that you can achieve your gifting purposes with limited hassle,” he said.



YAC Leader, Chelsea Spurlock, Receives Pringle Scholarship

In her senior year, this enterprising Magnolia High School student attended classes every weekday morning, worked as a teacher’s aide from noon to 3 p.m. and had a second job at the Sno White Laundry until 5:30 p.m. The well-rounded young woman was a member of Quiz Bowl, Student Council, Art Club, Internship Club, Drama Club and Science Club. She lettered on the swim team and was a member of the Arkansas Association of Young Artists. Still she maintained a 3.9 grade point average.

 

Now a freshman at Southern Arkansas University, Chelsea Spurlock is the 2007 recipient of the YAC Pringle Scholarship award. Her commitment to her studies, activities and athletics is punctuated by a dedication to volunteerism and community service.

 

“My YAC group went to Magnolia Specialized Services and read to mentally challenged children,” Chelsea said. “I helped work on presentations about YAC to the Magnolia Rotary Club and to future YAC members. But I was a volunteer before I was in YAC and I continue to do volunteer work outside YAC.”

Some of her favorite projects involved collecting and distributing diapers to families of refugees in Magnolia after Hurricane Katrina and raising funds through the “Can Cancer” Relay for Life project. She also enjoyed organizing friends to make a gift to their English teacher who retired to care for her cancer-stricken husband.

Chelsea is a person who takes responsibility for herself as well as others.  An English and journalism major, she shoulders the full financial burden for her college education. “Writing is truly a passion of mine, and I dream of making a career out of it,” she said. “I would love to work for a newspaper or magazine right here in Arkansas.”


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