Arkansas Community Foundation works locally through a network of 28 affiliate offices around the state. Each affiliate has a staff person and local advisory board comprised of passionate community leaders who understand the special needs of each town and city. Read more about Mattie Collins, a local board member of our affiliate in the Pine Bluff area.

Mattie Collins was born and raised in Pine Bluff to parents who understood the value of education and giving back to the community. As an educator, Mattie taught students for 39 years before she retired. Now she continues to work with students through her service to the local Youth Advisory Council (YAC) to teach students about the importance of giving back to improve the lives of youth and families in their local community. After 9 years of working with YAC, she officially joined the board of directors in 2010. 

We asked Mattie a few questions about her service with the Community Foundation and some of her favorite things about Arkansas. Keep reading to meet Mattie! 

What’s your favorite Arkansas past-time? 

“My favorite thing to do in Pine Bluff is to work with our youth encouraging them to finish high school with a high GPA and a having good ACT score so that they can go on to further their education by completing degrees at a four-year college, two-year junior college or join the military. I totally agree with the quote by Nelson Mandela, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.'”

How were you introduced to the Community Foundation? 

“I first learned about the Community Foundation in the early 2000’s. Chris Castoro who was Executive Director at that time invited me to work with the Youth Advisory Council of the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation. The kids were great!! He encouraged me to join the Pine Bluff Area Board in 2010.”

What do you find most special about the local community? 

“First of all, I love Pine Buff! I love that the Pine Bluff Community always gives back, even when times are tough. I serve on numerous boards within my community and have volunteered with a number of different organizations since high school. I am always impressed and pleased with the love and kindness shown towards the success of our youth.

Through our new Go Forward Pine Bluff initiative, we are making great strides in the areas of education, economics (reviving downtown), improving health, entertainment, more restaurants etc.”

What’s something memorable that your local board/affiliate accomplished during your service?

“I am grateful for the way we make grants to non-profits in the community to ensure the success and positive outcomes through Giving Tree Grants; JRMC Community Gift Grants; Scholarships (offered to high school seniors and college students) and more. I serve on the scholarship committee and have had the honor of presenting scholarships to outstanding students at each high school in Jefferson County during their Honors and Awards Assembly.”

Why would you suggest that people support their local Community Foundation?

“I think of three reasons why people should support our Community Foundation. First, we are supporting our number one asset through scholarships, giving tree grants and other grants that support health and education in the community: our kids. Second, we’re providing important training for YACers to become organizers, community leaders and young philanthropists. Last, our YAC and local office PBACF work hand in hand with area nonprofits to provide support. For example, in 2017 the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation awarded more than $53,000 in grants to nonprofits in our community. In addition, the YAC awarded $2,000.00 in grants to non-profits that benefit youth. Our kids are great!!”

Learn more about Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation.

Carmen Morfin Villa had long wanted to be a homeowner by the time she had reason to be in a bank lobby last spring. 

“I wanted a home for me and for my kids,” says Villa, of El Dorado, mother of 13-year-old Alex and 2-year-old Ximena. Villa had an account at another bank in town. She had inquired at that bank, and at a few others, about whether she could qualify for a loan to buy a home. 

“The answer was always no because I didn’t have enough money or I didn’t have the credit,” she says. “They told me at one that if I’ve got $15,000 to get a house down payment maybe we can get something worked out but I was like, I don’t have that much money. I was like, ‘How am I going to build some credit if they don’t give me a chance to have some credit?’”

She went to Southern Bancorp to make a payment on some bedroom furniture she had bought from a local store and was greeted by Maggie Goff, a bilingual teller.

“I told her our bank is really good about helping low income people get on their feet,” says Goff, who told Villa about the bank’s Credit Builder CD.

The Credit Builder CD is a $1,000 loan Villa paid off monthly, and then she received the value of the CD, plus interest and wasleft with an improved credit rating to boot.

They had an apartment but Villa hated throwing her money into rent. She wanted to invest in her own home and start building assets for her family. Alex, too, wanted a home.“I wanted a house for me and my mom and my sister so we could each have our rooms and we could stay in our house, not like the poor people who are staying outside,” says Alex. “We started to save money to buy our own house.”

Villa was diligent about paying off her Credit Builder CD and when that was done, Goff helped her fill out a mortgage application. “Sometimes when you give people a stack of paper that kind of brings them down, but when you’re there helping them step-by-step it builds them up,” says Goff.

The process moved quickly after that. Villa found a home in her price range, but when it came time to make the down payment on their home, a miscalculation meant she were slightly short of cash. “Alex ended up giving me his money because he knows that was for a dream that we had,” she says.

“He gave me his money and we finished up making the down payment with quarters and dimes and all that. We took a big bag of coins so Ms. Maggie could make the little rolls so we could make the down payment.” Alex, then 11, says he didn’t have to think about handing over about $200 he had saved from birthdays and other special occasions. “It was for our house,” he says simply.

Goff says Southern Bancorp has just introduced a program for new homeowners, allowing them to open savings accounts that the bank will match up to $1,000, to be used for home repairs. “That kind of encourages them to build up a savings account,” she says. Southern Bancorp also offers credit counseling, financial education, free tax preparation and home buyer counseling, among other services, to help people manage or improve their financial situations.

The Central Arkansas Development Council (CADC) in Benton offers similar services, which are required for some people who qualify for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund or for federal grant-funded programs, like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Assurance 16, one provision of LIHEAP, provides energy cost assistance to low-income people who participate in workshops on energy efficiency as well as on financial education through a year-long case management process.

“It’s not just about the money,” says Tim Riley, chief operating officer of community programs and development at ARVAC, Inc., Community Action Partnership in Dardanelle, which serves nine counties. “While it does focus on energy education we also talk about the importance of making sure you pay your bills on time and different things like that.”

Gary Elrod, Conservative Service Block Grant Program Participation Specialist at the CADC, says clients who go through the Assurance 16 program learn to make a household budget or spending plan and are coached in how to determine the difference between things they need and things they want.

“They keep a daily spending diary for a month and then at the end they sit down and look through that,” he says. “We have found out that little part has really made people realize what they spend during a month’s time.”

The goal is to help people learn to build their savings. “It’s to try to help them pay the bill as well as guidance on how to make a decision about it,” Elrod says. “Some take it seriously, some just say,

‘Well, I just got my bills paid.’ But if we get one, that’s something.”

If you’d like to receive our quarterly Engage Magazine, contact us at arcf@arcf.org.

Hurricane Florence has left more than 500,000 homes without power and at least 17 people have died in storm-related incidents according to CBS News.

After a disaster occurs, whether it’s caused by natural elements or human actions, you may find yourself looking for specific ways to help those affected. But with so many options, where can you give to make sure your donation is the most helpful? 

Community foundations are a wise choice for aiding in disaster because they know the communities most affected, have a clear process for vetting and deploying donations and are invested in the long-term recovery of a community.

While community foundations can make immediate grants from disaster funds to help with relief efforts, they can also use funding months and years later – working with local government, nonprofits and other organizations – to rebuild the community for the long-term.

Several community foundations in areas affected by Hurricane Florence have activated disaster recovery funds to help those affected in surrounding communities:

South Carolina: Central Carolina Community Foundation One SC Fund

North Carolina: North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund & Foundation for the Carolinas Hurricane Florence Response Fund

Florida: Community Foundation of Collier County Hurricane Florence Relief Fund

Fund-holders at Arkansas Community Foundation are able to grant from their funds to aid in relief efforts. If you’re interested in doing so, contact our Development team at 501-372-1116. For more information about disaster philanthropy and efforts to aid those affected by Hurricane Florence, visit the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.   

For 10 additional reasons why Community Foundations are a smart option for disaster giving, check out this article by Forbes:  10 Ways Community Foundations Are A Best-Bet For Disaster Giving.

Arkansas Community Foundation works locally through a network of 28 affiliate offices around the state. Each affiliate has a staff person and local advisory board comprised of passionate community leaders who understand the special needs of each town and city. Read more about Molly Carpenter, board chair of our affiliate in Sharp County.

Molly Carpenter was born and raised in Ash Flat, a small town in North Central Arkansas and serves on the Sharp County Community Foundation’s Board of Directors as board chair. After spending a few years in Jonesboro attending Arkansas State, she returned to Sharp County where she began her career at FNBC as a fourth-generation community banker. She joined the board in 2014 and began her first terms as board chair in July 2016.

We asked Molly a few questions about her service with the Community Foundation and some of her favorite things about Arkansas. Keep reading to meet Molly!

What’s your favorite Arkansas past-time?

“Arkansas has so much to offer! In the summer, I love to get out on the lakes and rivers in Sharp County. In the fall, you can find me on my parents’ farm, one of my favorite places in the world, spending time with my family and enjoying the cooler weather and gorgeous autumn colors. And in the winter, well, I’m just praying for warmer weather!”

How were you introduced to the Community Foundation?

“I am a second generation Community Foundation board member. My dad, Martin, helped charter the Sharp County Community Foundation over a decade ago. Philanthropy and supporting our community is a passion of his, and he has been a tremendous example of servant leadership for me and many others.”

What do you find most special about the local community?

“The people of Sharp County are what make it so unique. They are generous, encouraging, supportive, passionate and they rally around one another whenever needed. We have some really bright and innovative individuals living and working in Sharp County, too, and it’s exciting to see the work they’re doing to make our communities stronger and better for generations to come.”

What’s your favorite Community Foundation program?

“The Giving Tree program allows our small affiliate to reach a lot of people and grow awareness locally. Food insecurity is a problem in Sharp County, and our hunger fund has allowed us to feed a lot of families over the years.”

What’s something memorable that your local board/affiliate accomplished during your service?

“We have a really exciting project in the works right now! With the support of the Little Rock office, we are working on aggressively growing our Giving Tree Endowment Fund to the tune of $1 million! We’re only a few months in and are 20% of the way to our goal. It’s not going to be easy, but we are excited about the impact we can have in Sharp County and in the years to come.”

What would you say is a benefit of working with the Community Foundation?

“The Community Foundation has the ability to grow your invested dollars in ways other small nonprofits aren’t always able. It provides a resource that allows you to be able to give to the local causes most important to you long after you’re gone. With tools like Aspire, the local Community Foundation affiliates can keep a finger on the pulse of your community’s greatest needs and direct funds to worthwhile causes accordingly.”

What advice can you give about smart giving?

“As you’re thinking about what you’re going to give to each year, I encourage you to consider the impact your dollars could make if given in a strategic, directed way. There are a lot of needs in Arkansas right now, but if we join together and put real resources behind big issues, we can create positive change instead of just applying temporary bandages.”

Learn more about Sharp County Community Foundation.

When South Arkansas native Glenn Freeman talks about his philosophy on giving, he begins with his roots: “Growing up, my family was poor and didn’t have much, but we were in the same boat as a lot of other people. It was not uncommon for one of us to go next door and borrow a cup of sugar.”

Freeman was raised by a proud single mother who, outside of the neighborly baking request, found it difficult to ask for help. He describes pride as a strong feeling against receiving help and an intense desire to be self-sufficient. Rather than giving in a way that creates dependency, Freeman strives to affect long-term change. He believes in creating situations where people can have access to help without asking and supporting organizations that give people opportunities to select the benefits or goods they need, such as food pantries, Goodwill Industries or The Salvation Army. Freeman also advocates for nonprofits that benefit young people, like the Ivy Center for Education (ICE), which helps high school students with ACT preparatory workshops, tutoring and mentoring programs.

But Freeman doesn’t think that kids should only be on the receiving end of gifts. He works with the Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) to teach the importance of leadership and community philanthropy to high school students. Freeman also mentors college men about the value of investing so that they may one day experience the benefits and impact of giving. He hopes this exposure to philanthropy will help shape their mindset and develop a broader pattern of giving in the minority community. He states simply, “If people didn’t give, there would be nothing to receive.”

Glenn Freeman is a true friend of the Community Foundation. He has set up Community Foundation funds to honor his mother and his wife’s parents, and he has served as a Southeast Arkansas affiliate board member as well as on the state board. Although his contributions to Arkansas Community Foundation are great in both time and donations, Freeman’s devotion to community service is the real gift.

Better information means better decisions. Community advocates and active philanthropists like Jane Hunt know this to be true. Positive change happens when passionate people are connected to the causes they care about – and have the information they need to make smart giving decisions. Positive change happens when there’s an intentional effort. That’s why Jane, in partnership with Arkansas Community Foundation, has organized a “philanthropy club” in northwest Arkansas.

The club, which originated from the idea of networking with mutual friends who were interested in learning about community needs, has visited over eight local nonprofits already this year. The opportunity to see, first-hand, how nonprofits are serving their community makes smart giving a lot easier.

“We determine a focus of poverty and then narrow down to see where we would choose to go and which nonprofits to see. Our hope is to use the nonprofits time efficiently – we’re their partner in giving too,” said Jane. “It’s good practice for these nonprofits to tell their story and give a compelling reason why they need a donor’s support.”

In an effort to create an inclusive group of people that learn first-hand about needs in their community, the philanthropy club has enlisted an unspoken rule of “no pressure.” There are no specific roles or duties for members, no required amounts to give – the sole “requirement” is to learn more about how each nonprofit’s mission addresses a community need.

Jody Dilday, Development Director for the Community Foundation, serves as the “giving guide” and helps the club members identify smart giving options. Whether that’s giving directly to the nonprofit, or it’s considering a long-term giving plan through the Community Foundation.

“Following each Philanthropy Club visit, we invite the nonprofit to submit a program funding request outlining 3 potential projects with 3 separate ‘price points,’” said Jody. “This gives our club members – who have different charitable interests and a different capacity for giving – an opportunity to support the organization in a manner meaningful to them.” 

Jane’s giving journey began because of her parent’s example. J.B. and Johnelle Hunt, well-known for successfully building their trucking company, understood the importance of giving back to the community and raised their children to do the same.

“Community is important to people – it’s how we connect and build relationships. And it’s easy to live in a community and not see problems, but when you start to dig, you see that there are many local causes in desperate need for support” said Jane. “That’s where we can focus what we have, whether that’s time, talent or our financial resources, to make a positive change.”

Through the years, Jane has had the opportunity to passionately support a variety of causes. Her generosity has stretched from nonprofits that support educational enrichment programs to organizations that help women and children build a stable and successful life. When the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter was on the brink of closing their doors, Jane offered a matching incentive to help them continue their mission providing necessary services.

By making Arkansas Community Foundation her partner in giving, Jane believes her role as a contributor to the philanthropy club has been made easy and more purposeful. “The Community Foundation provides the information I need to make educated decisions about where our charitable dollars are well spent. I feel confident that we have the tools we need to each make a difference for the long-term.”

Like any worthwhile endeavor — building a career, earning a degree, raising a family or saving for retirement — smart giving requires planning and effort. Creating a plan for your personal giving is one of the smartest investments you can make in terms of improving your community and giving to the causes you care about most.

Established in 1976, the Community Foundation has deep roots in Arkansas. While our headquarters is centrally located in Little Rock, we work locally through a network of 28 affiliate offices around the state. Each affiliate has a staff person and an advisory board of local leaders to help us understand the unique needs of each community.  Giving through Arkansas Community Foundation and any of its 28 affiliates has several benefits:

Flexibility. Arkansas Community Foundation can customize a giving plan based on your charitable vision. We offer a variety of options tailored to the needs of different kinds of givers. Whether you want to take a hands-on approach to giving or entrust the details to our professional staff and volunteer advisory committees, we’ve got options to suit your needs.

Simplicity. When you partner with the Community Foundation, it’s like having your own foundation to handle all record-keeping, disbursements, and tax receipts. But unlike a private foundation, there are no start-up costs and we handle all the accounting, compliance and reporting – freeing you up to focus on the rewarding aspects of giving.

Permanence. At the Community Foundation, we take a long-term approach to philanthropy. By establishing endowed funds, we ensure longevity and stability for giving to the causes you care about. Endowed funds are permanently invested and only a portion of the fund is used for grantmaking each year so that the rest can be reinvested for the future. These perpetual funds will respond to the needs of your community now and in the future for generations. 

Transparency. As stewards of community resources, Arkansas Community Foundation is committed to being accountable, accessible and responsible. Our work is guided by these core values:

• We have INTEGRITY. We do what is right, not what is easy.
• We are INCLUSIVE. We respect diversity.
• We are OBJECTIVE. We seek all points of view.
• We are RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS. We take seriously the public’s trust.
• We are STRATEGIC. We strive to achieve positive long-term results.
• We FOSTER ENGAGEMENT. We seek broad community involvement and work through partnerships.

For more information related to our governance, click here.

Performance. The Community Foundation’s highly experienced board members, financial advisors and managers oversee an investment strategy designed to maximize total return within acceptable risk tolerances. Our funds and endowments help you protect, grow and direct your charitable dollars, all while receiving the maximum tax benefits for your gifts.

Impact. No matter who you choose as your investment manager, there will be a fee associated with managing your fund. As a nonprofit grantmaking organization (rather than a for-profit investment firm) our “shareholders” are Arkansans themselves! The fee collected by Arkansas Community Foundation is directly turned around and reinvested in our state through foundation-directed grants and initiatives.

For more information about giving through the Community Foundation, contact our staff: 501-372-1116 or:

Ashley Coldiron, Chief Development Officer, acoldiron@arcf.org

Jody Dilday, Development Director, jdilday@arcf.org

by Heather Larkin, President & CEO

One of my favorite things about summer is the huge variety of produce and products available at our local farmer’s markets. There’s one in a church parking lot just down the street from me where I can get corn just off the stalk, peas fresh from the field, honey from a local producer and fresh flowers for the table.

As the Community Foundation’s staff members travel the state to visit affiliate offices, they often pick up Cave City watermelons, blackberries from BoBrook in Roland, strawberries from Harrison and tomatoes from Warren. Shopping locally instills pride in our state and helps support local entrepreneurs and the economy.

I believe that shopping locally should also include supporting the causes we care about. Throughout all the communities in Arkansas, local nonprofits are working each day to make their towns better places to live, work and grow. Becoming familiar with them and helping them meet their funding needs is a smart way to “shop local” with your charitable giving.

Sometimes it is easier to give to national or global causes we hear about. And that giving is important, too. After all, most of us go on Amazon when we can’t find a product locally. But setting aside a good portion of your charitable budget to give where you live is a smart way to give for several reasons:

• Your local nonprofits understand and embrace the climate and needs of the community they serve. Since the work is done in your community, your neighbors will reap the benefits.
• You are helping the local economy. Nonprofits employ many members of our communities who buy goods and services and contribute in other ways. The nonprofit also makes purchases locally.
• You can see your donation going to work by stopping in occasionally to see firsthand the kinds of programs and services these nonprofits provide.
• It is always a good idea to plan for charitable giving so that the dollars you contribute make the most impact on the issues important to your community.

Arkansas Community Foundation serves all 75 counties in Arkansas and provides easy-to-use tools for giving back to the causes you care about.  If you want to take a look at some of the challenges your community is facing, go to AspireArkansas.org for county-by-county data on topics like health, education, families and community engagement. Or, if you’d like to learn more about creating a donor-advised fund that provides you with a flexible and efficient way to give to those causes, we’d love to chat with you.

With the right tools and information, you can “shop local” with your charitable dollars as you support the causes closest to your heart.