Page 11 – Arkansas Community Foundation

Wynne, Ark. (Oct. 12, 2023) – Cross County Community Foundation, an affiliate of Arkansas Community Foundation, announced more than $371,000 in tornado recovery grants to 22 organizations serving Wynne. Grants were selected by a committee of local leaders who live and work in the affected communities and representatives of the Community Foundation.

“Our community was hit so hard by the storms in March and people are still working to recover. It’s a an honor to support nonprofits helping people rebuild their lives,” said Keeli Smith, executive director of the Cross County affiliate. “The generosity of the Wynne community and surrounding areas has been astounding.”

A full list of tornado recovery grantees can be found at www.arcf.org/tornadogrants.

This year, Cross County Community Foundation is also celebrating its 20^th anniversary. To mark this milestone, the local board is hosting a grant reception at 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Delta Gin Event center with donors, community leaders and grantees attending. Local media is invited to attend.

In addition to tornado recovery grants, the Cross County affiliate made more than $30,000 in Giving Tree grants to 14 local nonprofits.

“Our Giving Tree program is our flagship grantmaking initiative. It represents our commitment to and the importance of local decision making to meet local needs,” said Stacie Schlenker, chair of Cross County Community Foundation’s board. “Funding for our Giving Tree grants comes from local individuals and families who want to improve this community. These endowments provide a permanent source of funding for Cross County charities.”

A full list of Giving Tree grantees can be found at www.arcf.org/crosscounty

Cross County Community Foundation makes grants through the Giving Tree program annually. Contact Keeli Smith at crosscounty@arcf.org to learn more about Cross County Community Foundation and their grant opportunities. Or visit www.arcf.org/crosscounty for more information.

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Arkansas Community Foundation, a statewide nonprofit organization, provides resources, insight and inspiration to build better Arkansas communities – communities where our kids will want to raise their kids. The Community Foundation is the largest grantmaker in the state in the number of grants made each year. Since 1976, the Foundation has provided more than $393 million to nonprofits. The Foundation staff works directly with donors, professional advisors and nonprofits to help strengthen Arkansas communities through strategic philanthropy and focusing on local needs. Its assets rank among the top 60 out of more than 800 community foundations in the United States. Serving statewide and local initiatives, the Community Foundation helps connect those who want to give to causes they care about. Contributions to Arkansas Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 29 affiliates are fully tax deductible.

Philanthropy means “love of humanity”—and, according to some, “philanthropy” includes acts that benefit both the giver and the receiver. This is surprising to some people who have been taught “it’s better to give than to receive.”

Somehow we have popularized the idea that giving should “hurt.” But that is not what the research says. Consider just a few examples:

–Research on the connection between volunteering and hypertension revealed that four hours of volunteering a week reduced the risk of high blood pressure–by 40%–in adults over 50.

–Another study indicates that giving reduces cortisol levels.

–Yet another study found a link between unselfishness and a lower risk of early death because “helping others” reduces stress-related mortality.

–Research has linked doing something good for someone else to an increase in endorphins.

–An altruistic attitude in the workplace makes you more productive and less likely to quit.

–Doing good and being grateful helps you sleep better at night.

–People who do just one good thing a week for someone else actually become happier over time.

When people were asked to reflect about all the ways they do good (giving to charity, volunteering, serving on boards, donating canned goods, purchasing products that support a cause, celebrating at community events, sharing with others, and so on), 92% reported that they felt better about themselves.

Even just thinking about what you’ve given others–and not only just being grateful for what you’ve received–is a huge motivator to do good things for others, over and over again.

The “do good feel good” benefits of philanthropy is just one of the many reasons that so many individuals and families work with the Community Foundation. If you’ve already established a donor advised or other type of fund with the Community Foundation, we look forward to continuing to help you fulfill your charitable wishes to improve the lives of others. If you’ve not yet established a fund at the Community Foundation, we look forward to working with you to make a difference in the causes you care about.

You are not alone if you begin to feel a little anxious when October rolls around. Many people experience year-end stress, whether because of looming deadlines at work, tax-related estate planning cut-off dates, anticipating a busy holiday season of travel and social engagements, or simply the realization that another year is coming to a close and there’s not a lot of time left to check off items on the 2023 punch list.

To top it all off, many families do a lot of their charitable giving at year end, too. But that’s one area that does not need to be stressful. Your giving can be more easily accomplished than sending invitations, herding family members, guessing colors or sizes, and remembering who to include–or not!

Here are three tips for alleviating fourth-quarter stress and still be able to hit your charitable goals for 2023.

–Using your donor advised fund at the Community Foundation makes giving very convenient. Through the Foundation’s online portal, you can easily view a list of all of the organizations you’ve supported so far this year, make note of the ones you missed or want to add, and then finish the annual task.

–Your late-year timing could actually be useful for the organizations you care about, given the pronounced need for support during this time of year. Whether an organization is reaching to meet its year-end goals or providing additional food and utility bill relief during the cold winter months, year end gifts are critical. According to National Giving Month, 31% of charitable giving occurs in December; 12% of giving typically occurs between December 29 and 31; and 28% of nonprofits raise as much as 50% of their funding in December.

–Charitable needs are heightened during the fourth quarter because it is especially stressful for people experiencing financial challenges. For 52% of respondents surveyed in a 2023 study, money was the most cited factor that negatively affects their mental health, a level 25% higher than a year ago. The organizations supporting these people are in high gear during the fourth quarter and holiday season.

–By the end of the year, you will likely have a better idea of your financial situation, ideal target amount for charitable tax deductions, and the performance of stock in your portfolio. This will allow you to make gifts to your donor advised fund of highly-appreciated stock, avoid capital gains, and reduce your taxable estate. And, of course, the proceeds of that stock will hit your donor advised fund tax free, so the full amount of the sale price is available to support your charitable giving priorities.

Completing your 2023 charitable giving can reinforce philanthropy’s win-win value proposition: You can check a task off your list by supporting causes and organizations that are important to you and receive key tax benefits, and those in need will appreciate your generosity while feeling a greater sense of the season’s spirit.

At Arkansas Community Foundation, we regularly talk with retirement-age donors and fundholders about the tax benefits of directing Qualified Charitable Distributions to a designated fund, and/or leaving bequests of IRAs to a donor advised fund. But getting involved in philanthropy can be so much more than that. This is particularly relevant as some retirees consider returning to work and contemplate what that means for their charitable giving and volunteering plans.

You’ve likely heard the statistic that 10,000 people in the United States are turning 65 every day. And while 65 may be the “traditional” retirement age in this country, the milestone appears to be anything but traditional nowadays. While Covid-19 did not impact retirement ages as much as some might have predicted, many of those who did retire actually now regret it. While many retirees are seeking work for financial reasons, two of the top six reasons to go back to work involve boredom or loneliness.

For people who’ve reached a theoretical retirement age, working or returning to work provides many opportunities that tie into philanthropy. For example:

–You can still contribute to your IRAs (which many people do not realize), and if there’s an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan, all the better.

–You can use your extra income to fund your donor advised fund at the Community Foundation, making you eligible for an income tax deduction as well as removing assets from your taxable estate.

By Heather Larkin, President and CEO of Arkansas Community Foundation

I am so proud of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas “Top 100 Women of Impact” recognition at this year’s Power of the Purse event. I cannot believe that I have been around long enough to say: “I was there from the beginning!” It has allowed me to reflect on the role that Arkansas Community Foundation played in the inception of such an important organization for Arkansas.

Twenty-five years ago seems like yesterday when in 1998, Olivia Farrell and Arkansas Business waged a campaign to recognize Arkansas women for their abilities, their career acumen and their contributions to our state. Arkansas Business’ “Top 100 Women in Arkansas” publication featured women business leaders in the various sectors of the economy. That publication helped start the conversation: Arkansas needed to do more to empower and improve the lives of women and girls.

In 1998, there was a small group of extraordinary women working to figure it out. Using the next Arkansas Business Top 100 Women luncheon, conversations were facilitated among the attendees on how to make a difference to improve the lives of women and girls. Each table reported out and the causes became clear: Arkansas needed more women in careers that required a background in mathematics, sciences, computer technology, and we needed to encourage female students to go into those fields. At the same time, almost every table suggested that philanthropy could make a difference in these areas, too. Olivia Farrell and Pat Lile were called on to develop a path forward.

The two women got to work, and the Community Foundation hit the road. Pat Lile, Mary Dillard, Karen Potts and I went to Memphis and Kansas City. We met with the leadership of the two respective community foundations who’d begun their own women’s foundations. A glimmer in our eyes began to take shape.

Joining forces with the Community Foundation’s Chair, Mary Gay Shipley and several other women, a steering committee was established to help start the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas and create the first Power of the Purse event.

The key challenge was to inspire at least 100 women to give $1000. Invitations went out all over the state, to the former “Top 100” women leaders, along with philanthropists, educators, community leaders and more. By the end of the year, the money had been raised and the “Founders” were established. All the donations were placed at Arkansas Community Foundation in a fund designated exclusively for the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.

For four years, the Community Foundation provided fund management and accounting, staffing for committee meetings, mailings, public relations support, the annual Power of the Purse luncheon and the Girls of Promise conference until the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas became its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Those were heady days for a young woman like me starting out in the world of philanthropy, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Here we are 25 years later celebrating the “Top 100 Women of Impact” and building on the legacy of those original leaders who paved the way.

I am proud that the Community Foundation was there in the beginning and am incredibly inspired by the amazing growth of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas as they keep blazing a trail for women and girls in our state.

When the March 31 tornado ripped through Wynne in March, Cross Bank employees there sprang into action. “I’ve never seen so many people come together to help someone they didn’t know,” said David Dowd, president and CEO of Cross Bank. “Volunteers from all over hit the ground to do whatever it took — from debris removal to boarding up houses. Our staff from nearby branches came too, even helping through the weekend. We gave out more than 2,000 meals to volunteers, linemen, first responders, and those displaced by the tornado. Our staff didn’t have to do all this, but they did. It was amazing.”

Cross Bank has been helping Wynne by making grants from their fund with Arkansas Community Foundation since 2015, but the bank has been headquartered in Wynne since 1891. “Banks don’t have that longevity without genuinely caring about the communities where they have branches,” he said. “Keeli Smith, the local director for Cross County Community Foundation has been great to work with. She taught us about the power of matching gifts,” said Dowd. “Through matches, we’ve been able to maximize our impact with other donations from staff and the community. It allows us to give so much more than a bank’s budget would normally allow. That’s how we were able to almost double our donation of $25,000 for tornado recovery.

“You only have to drive around to be reminded of how hard we were hit. For Wynne to fully recover, it will take people continuing to work together and help,” he said. “Some folks have moved away already because they couldn’t rebuild or couldn’t find a place to stay.”

With a population of about 8,300, Wynne can’t afford to lose residents.

“We don’t want people to leave,” said Dowd. “Now we see issues emerging. Some landlords aren’t rebuilding; affordable housing is a problem; people are under- or uninsured, and costs are high. It might be three to four years before the high school is completely rebuilt, and the town is whole again.”

Cross Bank is committed to being part of the recovery. “Our staff don’t volunteer because they have to, they do it because they care,” he said. “Through our fund, we will continue to give to this community. Wynne is resilient. And I believe we can bounce back and be stronger than before.”

By Kim Dishongh

*A Trumann resident looks over what remains of her home following a tornado in 2021.*

It’s been a year and a half since a tornado hit Trumann in Poinsett County. Though it’s no longer at the forefront of many people’s thoughts, the destruction is still being repaired.

Terah Redman led volunteer efforts to help those directly affected by the storm immediately after its impact in December 2021, and she has continued to work on long-term recovery in that area.

Right after the storm, people needed food, shelter and water, and then they needed diapers and formula and hygiene items and other basic necessities. People in Trumann and beyond stepped up to help, and Redman guided their efforts.

The community’s needs have since evolved. Several residents in the hardest hit parts of town were living paycheck-to-paycheck before the storm, and many were uninsured or underinsured. For some, damages still have not been repaired, and for others loss of property has led to or compounded struggles in other parts of life. In comes the long-term recovery group.

“The quickest way I know how to explain it is that it’s a group of funders that come to the table with money, materials or manpower, and they’re able to offer what’s needed,” Redman said of the group she assembled.

A caseworker evaluates requests for assistance and, when appropriate, presents them to the group. Group members — representatives from the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the Ministerial Alliance and others — meet monthly to consider which should take the lead.

“There are different rules for different funders,” said Redman. “They have different roles so we just figure out who can do what to help. It’s just everybody at the table. They step up and say, ‘Hey, I’ll do this,’ or ‘I can do that.’” Help might come in the form of a gift card for groceries, a mortgage payment or money for repairs. It might address an insurance shortfall that stipulates a roof cannot be replaced unless a homeowner can come up with another $10,000, or benefit someone who was able to get their roof fixed but cannot afford to replace furniture ruined while the roof was gone. Some cases are the result of a snowball effect, like a storm victim whose car was destroyed, leaving them with no transportation to work; not working meant they couldn’t pay rent, which puts them at risk of being homeless.

“Some of them were coming in on the back end, where they’re finally caught up, but they depleted everything they had,” Redman said. “So to help those people we’ll pay eight months of the mortgage and for those eight months they can save money to pay back what they borrowed from people.”

Some of the people asking for help now have needed it all along.
“A barrier is trust,” said Redman. “A lot of people don’t want to ask for help.”

The clock is ticking on available resources, added Redman. Her position, paid through a grant from Centers for Disaster Philanthropy, ends in December 2023.

“It’s word of mouth,” she said. “They’ll see us putting a roof on someone’s house, and they’ll come by and say, ‘What’s this?’ And then they find out they can get the help they need, too.”

*Then Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson toured Trumann tornado damage in December 2021.*

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Report

Housing continues to be a challenge for households displaced following the March 31 tornadoes in Central Arkansas and Wynne. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Six month after the tornadoes, Central Arkansas and Wynne still have families searching for permanent housing.

9,251 households applied for assistance following the March 31 tornados, according to FEMA’s most recent VOISE report (Voluntary Organization Information System for Engagement.) The biggest problem they faced? Where to live.

Of those that applied, 3,328 applicants owned their homes, 5,889 applicants rented and 34 applicants didn’t identify their status.

3,520 applications were approved for assistance totaling $8.6 million to be awarded.

Below is a snapshot of where applicants were living on June 26, 2023, at the time of this FEMA report:

*Janie Fisher of Wynne, stands with Samuel (14) and Braydin (12) in front of their temporary home provided by FEMA. After the storm hit, they lost everything and had to live in a hotel for four months.*

by A.J. Gary

As the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management Director, I have seen many areas of our state impacted by severe weather events. I have seen ﬁrsthand the difference in the speed of recovery based on the level to which a community is prepared for the event. While there is nothing we can do to prevent severe weather, there are things that communities and citizens can do to prepare.

A community can establish pre-existing contracts for debris removal and identify debris staging areas. Strong partnerships among city, county, state and federal agencies result in quicker recovery and better government service to residents.

A.J. Gary, Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management
(ADEM) and State Homeland Security Advisor

In addition to having adequate insurance to cover their homes and personal property, people can make sure their important documents are secured or documents in easily accessible and safe locations.

Immediately after the March 31 tornado struck, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 6 administrator responded quickly to my request for a FEMA team. The team arrived in Arkansas the same night and slept on the ﬂoor at the State Emergency Operations Center. Early on the morning of April 1, FEMA personnel along with the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) recovery team boarded an Arkansas National Guard Blackhawk and ﬂew into the disaster area. Having the FEMA team on board allowed for quick assessments of damages and was instrumental in obtaining a Major Declaration within 48 hours of the event.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders toured impacted areas the morning after the storms and pulled state agencies together to assist. On April 1, she requested a federal declaration based on the signiﬁcant damage to the state. On April 2, President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Arkansas.

Because of the relationships among state agencies, we were able to quickly respond and start recovery efforts. ADEM coordinated establishing contracts for non-congregate sheltering and worked with FEMA on a Direct Housing mission.

The cities affected moved quickly, starting debris removal within hours of the impact. Some cities had pre-existing contracts for debris removal, and others moved rapidly in procuring contracts with vendors to clear, haul and monitor debris disposal. Working with FEMA, the ADEM team was able to assist cities with staging areas for debris and help navigate through FEMA regulations to obtain waivers for debris staging areas.

Wynne was hit especially hard. The tornado struck the high school and wastewater facility, causing extensive damage. ADEM worked closely with city and school ofﬁcials to ensure everyone had the information needed to quickly begin planning for the upcoming school year. ADEM also coordinated meetings with state and federal partners to address environmental issues with the wastewater facility. The ADEM team worked with FEMA to establish Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in the areas hit by the tornado. City and state agencies combined efforts to ensure all residents impacted by the tornado knew the locations of the DRCs. These centers allowed the locals to go to one place and receive information on state and federal disaster survivor resources, including replacement driver’s licenses and birth certiﬁcates.

Because some communities were prepared with pre-planned staging areas and pre-existing contracts, along with the strong relationship with ADEM developed long before the event, the recovery efforts are moving swiftly. At the time of the writing of this article, the ADEM recovery team is embedded in the FEMA Joint Field Ofﬁce. They will continue to work closely with FEMA until the conclusion of recovery efforts.

Mayflower’s Decade of Resilience in the Face of Three Disasters

By Adena J. White

midst the chaos and challenges of a crisis lies an opportunity for growth. Over the course of a decade, the city of Mayflower was confronted
with three catastrophes: an oil pipeline spill in March 2013, a devastating tornado in April 2014, and a record-breaking flood in June 2019.

Through these trials, the community has proven that even in the face of the most unpredictable circumstances, preparation, unity and a commitment to learning can pave the way for a brighter, more resilient future.

Mark Harrell’s property flooded three times in five years, but the flood along the Arkansas River in the spring of 2019 was the first time water entered the house. His previous experience with flooding made him take the warnings from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seriously, despite receiving the news on a sunny, spring day.

Harrell rented two storage units and began removing furniture from his home, pulling carpet and uninstalling cabinet doors. As the water rose, he and his wife stayed on higher ground in a camper trailer across the road from his house.

“All we could do was watch the water come in.”

As the 12 inches of floodwater crested and began to recede, the six-month repair and drying process began. Friends and family members – some of whom worked in construction and restoration – helped remove what remained in the Harrells’ home. Volunteer groups from neighboring communities and from outside the state helped remove debris. Harrell said that while natural disasters can’t be prevented, there are precautions residents can take.

“If you live in a floodplain, have adequate flood insurance, know your surroundings as far as water elevation levels and listen to the experts,” he said.

In contrast to the gradual impact of a flood, tornadoes are unpredictable, and the damage from the storm is instantaneous. In 2014, Dawn Bowie and her family lost everything in the tornado that struck Mayflower.

“We lost all of our pictures, we lost all of our furniture, we lost — everything,” she said, “There was nothing to save.”

Bowie said the support from friends and neighbors was incredible as she and her family began to piece their lives back together over the next two years.

“The community really showed up and tried to help, so that was touching,” she said. “I knew people would help, but I wasn’t expecting to that extent.”

Randy Holland was mayor of Mayflower for 16 years and can attest to the outpouring of support from neighbors, volunteers and relief organizations when disaster strikes. Although every crisis is different, Holland believes mayors and city leaders would benefit from having opportunities to learn from other local government officials who have been through major catastrophes.

“It’s important for mayors to learn from each other about how to handle these disasters before they happen – from how to establish a command center to knowing what resources are available,” Holland said. “Experience is the greatest teacher, unfortunately. Each disaster gave me experience on how to handle the next one.”

To help Arkansans better prepare for tornadoes in particular, Holland would like to see the reinstatement of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management’s Shelter Rebate Program. The program, which ended in 2016, provided a rebate to homeowners who installed a tornado shelter or safe room at their residence.

“We’re right in tornado alley, and we’re going to have more tornadoes. There needs to be money put into that rebate program,” he said. “The more ways we can help people be prepared, the more lives we can save.”