Building Black Communities Fund

Arkansas Community Foundation, in partnership with the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative (ABPC), invited Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits to apply to the Building Black Communities Fund, which provided grants up to $25,000 to support programs and initiatives specifically designed to impact Black people and communities in the Little Rock metropolitan statistical area: Pulaski, Saline, Perry, Grant, Faulkner and Lonoke Counties. Click here to read the news release.

Financial support for the Building Black Communities Fund was generously been provided by Facebook, Inc.  A committee of Black leaders from central Arkansas with deep experience and expertise in the nonprofit sector reviewed proposals and selected grant recipients. Click here for a printable fact sheet.

Building Black Communities Fund Grantees

  • 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
  • The Roots Art Connection
  • Ujima Maternity Network, Inc.
  • University District Development Corporation
  • University of Arkansas William H. Bowen School of Law
  • Women’s Council on African American Affairs, Inc.
  • Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College

Click here for a full list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Building Black Communities Fund.

Click here for a powerpoint of the BBCF Grants Webinar.

Arkansas Community Foundation was one of 20 community foundations in the United States selected to receive funding from Facebook to manage grantmaking to support Black communities and Black-led nonprofits. This commitment was part of a broader $1.1 billion investment from Facebook in Black and diverse suppliers and communities in the US.

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The application period has now closed as of 11:59 p.m. on May 15, 2021. Please sign up for our e-newsletter to learn about future statewide grant opportunities for your nonprofit.

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Who’s Eligible for These Grants?

  • 501(c) (3) organizations are eligible to apply. Other organizations that do not qualify for tax-exempt status are not eligible.
  • Applicant organizations must be Black-led or Black serving, based on the following definitions: Black-led: 51% or more of staff leadership, board and/or governing body are Black; Black-serving: 75% or more of the population served consists of Black individuals in majority communities of color.
  • Applicants should be able to demonstrate established relationships and have a good track record of working on activities that impact Black communities.

Where We’re Currently Making Grants

Applicants must be based in and serve primarily the Little Rock metropolitan statistical area, including one or more of the following counties: Pulaski, Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Saline.

Funding Range

Applicants may request up to $25,000. Submit only one proposal per applicant, please.

Grant Requirements

Grantees must commit to:

  • Provide a brief final grant narrative and financial report with outcomes accomplished by the funded work.
  • Document funded efforts, including the use of photography, video, and in written form.
  • Participate in technical assistance activities and or/a networking group of grant recipients, and participate in grant status calls when necessary.
  • Expend all grant funds between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.

Grantees who have (or want to establish) a Facebook presence may also be invited to participate in a training program to learn more about Facebook’s tools for nonprofit organizations.

What We’re Looking For

Applicant organizations must serve at least one of the following areas:

      • Small business support and economic development
      • Community improvement
      • Human services and basic needs
      • Civil rights, social action, organizing and advocacy (non-political)
      • Leadership development & capacity building
      • Education
      • Arts/Culture/Humanities
      • Health

When you apply, we’ll ask you to share more about your organization’s:

      • Board and staff demographics
      • Mission and history
      • Proposed use of funding, including a detailed description of your workplan
      • Track record of outreach to the communities you will target with grant funding
      • Plan for measuring success
      • Proposed budget for this grant project

Building Black Communities Fund Advisory Committee

Kandice Bell

Office of the Governor Asa Hutchinson

Joyvin Benton

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute

Alyson Bradford

State Farm

Tamika Edwards

Central Arkansas Water

Charlotte Green

University of Central Arkansas & Arkansas Imagination Library

Shantell Hinton Hill

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

Derek Lewis II

Derek Lewis Foundation & 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