Little Rock, Ark. (June 22, 2021) – Arkansas Community Foundation and the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative today announce that 40 grants from the Building Black Communities Fund have been awarded to Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations in Central Arkansas.
The grants support programs and initiatives specifically designed to impact Black people and communities in the Little Rock metropolitan statistical area, which includes Pulaski, Saline, Perry, Grant, Faulkner and Lonoke Counties.
“Facebook, Inc. provided the funding, the Community Foundation provided the infrastructure to make the grants and Black leaders in Central Arkansas determined which nonprofits received them,” said Heather Larkin, President and CEO of Arkansas Community Foundation.
Grant recipients serve in at least one of the following areas:
- Small business support and economic development
- Community improvement
- Human services ad basic needs
- Civil rights, social action, organizing and advocacy (non-political)
- Leadership development and capacity building
- Education
- Arts/Culture/Humanities
- Health
“This significant grant funding will empower Black-led organizations to amplify their voice in the giving space,” said Derek Lewis of the Black Philanthropy Collaborative. “All 40 grant recipients were able to demonstrate established relationships and a good track record of working on activities that impact Black communities.”
Building Black Communities Fund grant recipients include:
| 100 Black Men of Greater Little Rock, Inc. | Alliance of Arts Inc. |
| Arkansas Birthing Project | Arkansas Medical Dental & Pharmaceutical Association Foundation |
| Arkansas RAPPS, Inc. | Aviate Through Knowledge Incorporated |
| Better Community Development Inc. | Big Brothers Big Sisters Central Arkansas |
| Boys & Girls Club of Jacksonville | Brandon House Cultural & Performing Arts Center |
| Bridge 2 Success | Building A Better Life Mentor Organization |
| Celebrate! Maya Project | Conducting Creativity |
| Delta Presents Outreach Foundation | Dunbar Historic Neighborhood Association |
| Faith Works Foundation | FEED First USA |
| Gaines House, Inc. | Gyst House, Inc. |
| HEAT, INC. | Jamison Alexander Success Center |
| L&J Empowerment, Inc. | Life Skills for Youth |
| Little Rock Black Nurses Association of Arkansas | Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (Foundation for Arkansas Heritage & History) |
| Ossie Barnes Foundation | Pine Street Backpack Program |
| Pine Street CommUnity Museum | Prim N Proper, Inc./ Choosing to Excel |
| Ralph Bunche Neighborhood Association | Reform, Inc. |
| Sister Friends United, Inc. | STOP – STUDENTS THAT OFFICIALLY PATROL |
| Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College | The Roots Art Connection |
| Ujima Maternity Network, Inc. | University District Development Corporation |
| University of Arkansas William H. Bowen School of Law | Women’s Center of African American Affairs, Inc. |
The Building Black Communities Fund Advisory Committee members:
Kandice Bell, Office of the Governor Asa Hutchinson
Joyvin Benton, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Alyson Bradford, State Farm
Tamika Edwards, Central Arkansas Water
Charlotte Green, Arkansas Imagination Library
Rev. Shantell Hill, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Derek Lewis II, Derek Lewis Foundation and Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative
Kendra Pruitt, Office of Mayor Frank Scott
Charles Stewart, Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
Kara Wilkins, Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative
Darrin Williams, Southern Bancorp
Arkansas Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization with over a half billion dollars in assets, fosters smart giving to improve communities. The Community Foundation offers tools to help Arkansans protect, grow and direct their charitable dollars as they learn more about community needs. By making grants and sharing knowledge, the Foundation supports existing charitable programs that work for Arkansas and partners to create initiatives that address unmet needs. Since 1976, the Community Foundation has provided more than $314 million in grants and partnered with thousands of Arkansans to help them improve our neighborhoods, our towns and our entire state. Contributions to Arkansas Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 29 affiliates are fully tax deductible.
Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative (ABPC) is a coalition of black professionals who have come together to co-develop a shared transformational plan that is rooted in the aspirations, culture, and history of the African American community in the state of Arkansas and southern region of the US. Its purpose is threefold: Develop a comprehensive plan to support and enrich black communities through strategic investments that are transparent, innovative, and indicative of the voices of the community; Build capacity for black philanthropy professionals through increased investments in training and educational opportunities and creating an intentional pipeline for professional advancement; Serve as an intermediary to identify potential funding opportunities for Black Led Organizations (BLOs) and nonprofits serving black communities, provide strategic capacity and technical assistance, and act as a liaison between nonprofits and local and national funders.
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