Everyone knows—or should know—the importance of having a will.

In Arkansas, if someone dies without a plan and leaves behind a spouse as well as descendants, they leave one-third of their personal property and one-third of real property (in the form of a life estate) to their spouse, while two-thirds of personal property and two-thirds of real property in the estate goes to their descendants.

A will is a chance to protect loved ones by naming a guardian for minor children or locking in care for beloved pets. A will is an opportunity to take control of an uncertain future by making financial and real estate plans now, instead of leaving it up to the courts to decide. For a client interested in charitable giving, including an estate gift in their will cements a legacy of making a difference – and it doesn’t cost anything in their lifetime.

Creating a will can seem overwhelming or too expensive. SimpleWill is an online platform that makes creating a will simple and affordable. Enjoy peace of mind about the future by planning for the unexpected and preventing unintended consequences.

If you need to make a plan for your legacy and need help getting started, call our office for a code that allows you to consult with a local attorney to create a simple, affordable plan using SimpleWill.  

We hope you find this resource useful. You’ll value the peace of mind it creates.

Call 501-372-1116 and ask to speak with a member of our Development team to get your code.

The Southern California wildfires have been a devastating start to the new year – as of Thursday morning, the fires have burned about 45 square miles, destroying communities and forcing over 100,000 people to evacuate.

We are sending love and support to the individuals, families, and communities impacted by the wildfires. During these difficult times of crisis, we believe in the importance of collective care and action.

Want to help? We are getting information from other community foundations in California about the best place to give to support wildfire recovery efforts. Below are links and information to help you make informed giving decisions. 

Our partners at California Community Foundation and Pasadena Community Foundation have activated funds to provide essential aid and support recovery. Learn more and support the funds below:

• California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund
• Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Canyon Fire Relief Fund
• Emergency Assistance Foundation’s People First Fund For Southern California Wildfires
• GlobalGiving California Wildfire Relief Fund
• League of California Community Foundations Disaster, Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Fund
• Ventura County Community Foundation Ventura County Wildfire Relief & Recovery
• California Fire Foundation Wildlife & Disaster Relief Fund
• Center for Disaster Philanthropy CDP California Wildfires Recovery Fund

Dolly Parton was inspired to start the Imagination Library after learning her father couldn’t read or write. It started in 1995 as a local effort in Parton’s home state of Tennessee and has grown to every state and five countries. She wanted to ensure that all children had access to books, regardless of their family’s income.

The program mails free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to five each month. Any child can participate.

“It is a fantastic way to get books into the hands of children,” said Penny Beed, board member of the Imagination Library of the Ouachitas and former early literacy professor at the University of Northern Iowa. “I was an educator for 43 years. Both my research and experience show that there are huge benefits to reading to children from an early age, even in infancy. It teaches them to focus, improves their kindergarten entry scores and helps develop a love of reading. In addition, they learn a great deal about the world.”

Imagination Library of the Ouachitas (ILO) began in Garland County in 2012 and has grown to also cover Pike and Montgomery counties. “Our board is always working to increase registrations in all three counties,” said Beed. “The percentages of children registered are Garland at 77%, Montgomery at 95%, and Pike County at 100% of eligible children.”

Registrations involve a coordinated effort between the ILO board and other institutions in the area. “Great partnerships make this possible. We partner with schools and with hospitals so new parents can register their babies as soon as they’re born,” said Beed. “County health departments help sign up children, and even the National Park Community College helps by providing lists of childcare centers so we can locate and register kids.”

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Foundation determines which books are sent and provides logistical support, while the local chapters raise funds to purchase and mail the books. The overhead cost to implement the program is about $26 per year per child, or $130 over five years if the child is signed up at birth.

Beed added, “In Arkansas, the program is available in all 75 counties. By the time the children turn five, they will have received 60 books. Recent studies suggest that in homes receiving these books, parents are four times more likely to read to their children.”

“There is no reason why every young child in the state of Arkansas shouldn’t be getting a book every month. The books are high-quality, age and culturally appropriate, as well as free. If other Imagination Library partners are interested in growing their programs, I hope they’ll contact the Imagination Library of the Ouachitas. We are always happy to exchange ideas!”

Investing in early literacy is a passion for Cathy Seilhan. Arkansas Community Foundation makes it possible for her to invest in children’s future.

“When I was little, my parents and grandparents would read to me, tell me stories and nursery rhymes. We went to the library and our birthday and Christmases always included books,” said Cathy Seilhan. “My dad made up games to play, re-enacting stories like The Gingerbread Man. I remember my first cookbook in the first grade. I was already reading for pleasure as well as for information. The love of reading that my family set forth by example led me to a desire to understand how children acquire language and literacy — and I came to realize that not every family has family routines like ours — such as a nightly bedtime story — and that I was really very lucky.”

Cathy Cole Seilhan, a retired teacher and resident of Fayetteville, is a fundholder at Arkansas Community Foundation. Through her philanthropy, she is a tireless proponent of improving literacy and childhood development efforts for Arkansas. And her passion is well informed.

“The science backs it up,” she said. “Nobel Prize winner James Heckman’s research shows the connections between early childhood development and improved economic outcomes. Children who are exposed to reading at
a very young age, including infancy, grow up to have higher salaries, less disease, lower incarceration, and overall healthier lives than children who don’t.

“But the more impressive benefits of early literacy interventions are the soft, cognitive skills and emotional regulation,” Cathy continued. “Humans are wired to connect with each other. When babies and young children are hearing and playing with sounds and stories, the ‘serve and return’ between them and their caregiver literally grows the neural connections in the brain. That leads to flourishing minds.”

Cathy and her husband, Denton, moved to Fayetteville in 2019 and soon began searching for local and statewide causes to support. “I was invited by Jody Dilday to the Community Foundation’s local Philanthropy Club,” Cathy said. “I attended regularly but mostly just listened for the first year. Through my relationship with Jody and exposure to local causes, and from my own research on literacy interventions, I eventually felt ready to begin investing. I shared these ideas and the research with my husband, Denton. We dove in together.

“He didn’t know any of the brain science before but understood quickly. He realized it was one of, if not the most impactful investment a society can make. Reading creates a citizenry that is engaged. People are kinder, and if people can critically think as well as hold compassion and empathy for their fellow human — we have the groundwork for an informed and caring society.”

The couple initially invested together in local libraries. “Oh, I just can’t stress enough the importance of a good local library and librarians. They hold so much wonderful information and create opportunities for entire families to be engaged,” Cathy said.

The Seilhan Fund has supported a variety of causes in addition to local libraries: Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Canopy NWA, CASA of Northwest Arkansas and most recently, UAMS and the work of Dr. Nikki Edge who focuses on interventions in early care and education settings designed to build social and emotional skills in young children.

“Literacy isn’t just about reading,” she said. “It’s about listening, imagining, thinking, dreaming, questioning, and saying ‘prove this.’ It’s also about learning that others have different perspectives that are worth paying attention to. It’s about learning how to be in the world.

“I hope that people will think in terms of more than just how money can improve early literacy — actions are critical — such as volunteering in a local daycare center or public school. Investing in early literacy also means investing our time, energy and attention,” Cathy said. “And that investment will provide returns that are impactful to us all.”

OP-ED by Cindy Whitaker, Second Grade Teacher Sheridan Elementary School

In the 1980s and 90s, most Arkansas teachers used something called the whole language curriculum. It focused on helping children develop reading and language skills by making connections between reading and real life. But whole language teaching methods did not include much phonics instruction. I was in elementary school in the late 80s and struggled as a reader. Now that I understand literacy education, I realize that I just needed more phonics instruction. That would have expedited my reading ability.

A new approach called balanced literacy came on the scene in the early 2000s. This expanded the whole language methodology but included more phonics instruction.

In 2008 I obtained my masters in reading from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and began using the balanced literacy methods in my classrooms when I first started teaching.

But learning methods continue to evolve, as they should. Thankfully, there is a growing push for much more phonics through R.I.S.E. (Reading Initiative for Student Excellence), an initiative of the Arkansas Department of Education. I’ve seen a huge difference in my students’ ability to learn through more phonics under this program. All Arkansas teachers under 6th grade are required to teach it, and the curriculum looks different in grades K-3 than from 4-6. It has changed the way I teach, and I see the benefits.

Prior to R.I.S.E., students who had markers of dyslexia often slipped through the cracks. For example, my daughter should have been diagnosed with dyslexia earlier.

R.I.S.E. took a while to implement and was just beginning when she was in first grade, then COVID happened. She did not get the help she needed until almost 5th grade. Now R.I.S.E seems to be more mainstream, and I see it working.

But to implement the strategies of R.I.S.E. and improve literacy rates, teachers need different support inside the classroom. This is best achieved through additional staffing, like paraprofessionals and student interns, which we call “helping hands” that can walk around and help students who need more attention while teachers can focus on the main lesson. Even just to make copies, take care of recess duty or get students from point A to point B, another adult helps tremendously—which allows for more planning time.

Planning time for teachers is so valuable. It’s when we can focus on what we need to do for our students and strategize lesson plans. I have 40 minutes of planning time each day. Every other day I get an extra 20 minutes if I don’t have recess duty. I plan for five subjects for 24 kids and differentiate lesson plans by students’ needs. But those 40 minutes also include paperwork, parent communications and other variables.

Another way to support teachers is through recalibrating how teachers are paid and school funding. I work for the Sheridan School District where I feel very supported and have most of the resources I need like books and supplies. Since the LEARNS Act has been implemented, our district, along with districts across the state, has had to make significant budget cuts.

The LEARNS Act also changed incentives for continuing education for teachers. I have been teaching for 20 years, and new teachers coming into the field are earning close to what I earn—which is incredible for them. However, one of the reasons I obtained my master’s degree was because of the state’s pay increase incentive. As a result of these changes, there is no financial incentive for continuing education.

Ultimately, to help improve literacy rates for Arkansas students, we can support teachers by allowing them to continue implementing more phonics curriculum under the R.I.S.E. initiative while our leaders work to fund more classroom aids or paraprofessionals and recalibrate teacher pay. Adjustments in these two areas will go a long way.