Jennifer Pierce, a member at Mitchell Williams law firm in Little Rock, is a third degree black belt in taekwondo and has hiked trails from Newport to Nepal. Knowing her options is one key to her success. So when her clients come to her with questions about starting a family foundation, she often offers another solution for smart giving.

“Clients are not always aware of the extensive reporting requirements and IRS regulations that I consider to be negatives of private foundations. They just know their friends set up a foundation and they are interested in doing the same,” she said.

After listening to her client’s needs, Jennifer schedules a meeting with Arkansas Community Foundation staff members who can help the clients create an endowment fund that allows them to direct the income from the fund to the charities they choose.

“It’s a partnership. We work together to make sure clients’ charitable giving goals are achieved,” said Jennifer. “The Foundation assists attorneys with options that help clients make the best giving decisions.”

Jennifer believes in the Community Foundation’s ability to serve the whole state and benefit the charities that are important to her clients. “I’d recommend working with the Foundation to my peers,” she said.

Visit Advisor’s Corner for more news, tips and tools for professional advisors.

“Oaklawn has been a part of this community for more than 100 years,” said Hot Springs native Eric Jackson, senior vice president and former general manager. “Generations of Hot Springs residents have worked at Oakawn and made their careers here. We feel it is our corporate responsibility to give back.”

Eric’s mentor, the late Herschel Friday, taught him to be on the front row of community involvement, to stay involved and to make a difference. Through its owners, the Cella Family, Oaklawn has long been a force for corporate philanthropy. More than a decade ago, Eric was instrumental in creating the Oaklawn Foundation with Cella Family funds.

He worked with the Chamber and community leaders to form a board that determines how the money donated by Oaklawn is spent. Dennis Smith, chair of the Oaklawn Foundation Board, said Arkansas Community Foundation manages and invests their funds. “The Community Foundation staff members have been great to work with,” Dennis said. “We are using a new electronic tool for scholarship applications this year that will improve our process.”

The Oaklawn Foundation supports Garland County nonprofits like the UAMS Schmieding Care Giver Training Center; seven Garland County school districts; Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts; Garvan Woodland Gardens; the Garland County Historical Society and many more.

Thanks for Spreading the Love!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’d like to say THANK YOU for spreading love across the state of Arkansas.

YOU have a heart for giving. We have a heart for YOU!

At Arkansas Community Foundation, we’re in the business of building relationships. Our work to responsibly steward our investments and to build stronger communities – would mean nothing without the relationships we’ve built over the last 42 years. We strive daily to connect with people and help them connect with other people and opportunities. We are so grateful for these relationships and to those who have partnered with us.

To our generous donors who are constantly looking for ways to improve our state: THANK YOU! Your commitment to a better Arkansas inspires us daily! Through smart investing and contributions, you’re providing an ongoing source of funding for charitable causes making Arkansas a better place to live.

To our nonprofit partners who are working tirelessly to make life better for all Arkansans: THANK YOU! We are honored to support your life-changing programs that improve our communities statewide. We find your determination inspiring, and we want to continue connecting you with people who want to support your work.

To our media partners who help us spread the message of smart giving: THANK YOU! Your dedication to providing meaningful content to your viewers, readers and listeners reminds us that we can rely on you to help share information about smart giving. We couldn’t do our work without you.

To our nearly 500 board members investing their time, talent and treasure: THANK YOU! You make our organization uniquely strong. Your expertise and community knowledge fuel our local efforts and allows us to have a greater impact statewide. YOU are what make our relationships statewide so meaningful.

It is no mystery that Arkansas is among the top tier of states when giving is tallied nationally! What a source of pride we have when we think about the meaningful relationships we’re able to form with our generous friends, donors and staff.

Thank YOU –

Heather

Good news! Not all New Year’s Resolutions involve joining a gym! This year, we invite you to consider making a resolution to practice Smart Giving to Improve Communities. Here’s how:

Be Intentional

Your charitable giving is an expression of who you are so it’s important to make sure your philanthropy matches your values. Ask yourself:

  • What issues facing our world am I most passionate about?
  • Where am I already spending my time and energy?
  • Who are the people and what are the experiences that helped shape me?

Once you’ve answered these questions, identify any common themes. Now you’ve got a starting place to guide your giving. For those who have already established a fund with the Community Foundation, remember that our Development Team is always here to help!

Be Informed

Read the newsletters, subscribe to emails and “like” the Facebook pages of the nonprofits you support. By doing so you’ll see how your investment is being used to change lives, and you’ll also learn about any ongoing or unmet needs. Ask for a personal tour or consider volunteering for the agency. Nothing could be more informative than an up-close and personal experience working alongside the program’s staff and clientele.

Arkansas Community Foundation can also provide you with tools and resources to help you stay informed:

  • ENGAGE is a quarterly publication highlighting issues facing our state.
  • The ASPIRE report provides a county-by-county look at the challenges facing our state and the programs hard at work to find solutions.

Be Strategic (and SMART!)

Set a goal for your giving, create a plan, and follow it. And remember we’re here to help! Whether you care about a particular issue – hunger, access to the arts, animal welfare – a specific community, or an issue WITHIN a particular community, there are several ways to help:

  • Program Support – helps nonprofits fund the services they provide.
  • Operating Support – provides agencies the resources they need (facilities, equipment, staff) to get the job done.
  • Endowment – ensures the long-term sustainability of an organization.
  • Unrestricted Support – empowers the organization to use the funds where they are needed the most.

Keep in mind that there are many ways to give to charity besides writing a check, and by doing so, there are often significant tax advantages. Gifting highly appreciated stock, a paid-up life insurance policy, or an IRA rollover are just a few options. Visit with your professional advisor to find out what is best for you. You and your professional advisor can take advantages of the smart giving resources available on our website.

Be Contagious

Many people choose to quietly support the nonprofits in their community. And while that humility is admirable, we encourage you to consider it like this: When you see a great movie, experience a fantastic restaurant, or fall in love with a book – you tell your friends. Shouldn’t you do the same when it comes to philanthropy? Your support might just inspire others to join in!

Arkansas Community Foundation is your partner in Smart Giving. Call us anytime, we’re here to help!

  1. Make sure you’re using the right application. This year, in addition to our usual Giving Tree process focusing on a broad range of community needs, a few of our Community Foundation affiliates are also inviting proposals with a special emphasis on early literacy and grade-level reading (birth through Grade 3). Applicants who fit into the Grade Level Reading focus area should first contact the executive director in their local area to determine the local application process for that affiliate, and then apply online using the Grade Level Reading application form available at arcf.org/apply. Look for the application form titled “Grade Level Reading.”
  2. Begin your application early. Allow plenty of time to gather required information and submit well before the deadline. Sometimes unexpected circumstances can arise and could prevent an application being submitted on time. By submitting early, you can confirm with the grants administrator that your application was received and rest easy.
  3. Carefully read the instructions. By following the instructions in the application and providing necessary information in the correct order and place, the grant application reviewing committee will have a much easier time reviewing your application and understanding your program needs.
  4. Keep your audience in mind. The reviewing committee will use only the information contained in the application to understand your programs and why you’re requesting funding. Be sure the application and responses to the program requirements are complete and clearly written. Remember that reviewers are not familiar with your organization, service area, or what your program hopes to accomplish and through your application, you’re telling the story of your organization and the work it’s doing to make your community better. Finally, keep the review criteria in mind when writing the application.
  5. Be brief, concise, and clear. Clear, understandable applications are much more likely to be considered for funding. If you can provide accurate and honest information, including candid accounts of problems and realistic plans to address them. If any required information or data is omitted, explain why. Make sure the information provided in each table, chart, attachment, etc., is consistent with the proposal narrative and information in other tables. Your budget should reflect the proposed activities, and all forms should be filled in accurately and completely.
  6. Organization is key. If the reviewers can follow the thought process of the applicant or if all parts of the application fit together, you are more likely to receive a higher score.
  7. Show evidence of fiscal stability. Your application should demonstrate your ability to be a responsible steward of public funds.
  8. Take care when attaching documents. Before you attach additional required documents, it’s a good practice to name and file them on your computer accordingly. That way, when you go to attach the document, there’s a smaller chance of attaching something by mistake. After you attach your required documents, be sure to cross-reference all tables and attachments to the appropriate text in the application. Be sure to upload the attachments in the requested order of the forms.
  9. Print out, and carefully proofread and review your electronic application to ensure accuracy and completion. When submitting electronically, it would benefit you to print the application before submitting to ensure that formatting and information are correct. Check to ensure that you included all attachments before submitting the application.
  10. Submit all information at the same time. We will not consider additional information and/or materials submitted after your initial submission, nor will we accept e-mailed applications or supplemental materials once we receive your application.

If a local Community Foundation affiliate is accepting grant applications, you can begin your application by clicking below! Not sure where we’re granting? You can find out here.

Apply Now

Our funds and endowments help you invest in causes you care about. Here are four easy steps to set up a donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation:

Step 1 – Determine your charitable goals.

Consider how you want to make a difference. Are you passionate about a specific service area or are you more concerned about taking care of your local community for the long-term? We’ll start by asking you questions to create a plan according to your personal charitable goals.

Step 2 – Choose a name for your fund.

The name of the fund can include your name, a family name, or a meaningful word or phrase that allows you to be anonymous.

Step 3 – Contribute to the fund.

Because we are a 501c3 public charity, contributions to your fund are deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Arkansas Community Foundation also has the capability to receive complex assets and handle planned gifts.

Step 4 – Start making grants and improving your community.

Login to the online portal and easily submit a grant recommendation to the causes you care about.

Ready to get started? Call Ashley Coldiron or Jody Dilday at 501-372-1116 and they will walk through the steps with you.

The new tax legislation will impact most taxpayers and also presents a unique opportunity for 2017 year-end giving, particularly using donor-advised funds.

Here are few tax implications you might consider as the year comes to a close:

The tax reform increases the standard deduction so that fewer individuals will itemize deductions in 2018. If you are unlikely to itemize your deductions under the proposed new law, consider making a gift in 2017.

In 2018, many taxpayers will have a lower tax rate. To maximize the charitable deduction, consider making or accelerating your gifts in 2017.

Donor-advised funds allow you to make a gift now and choose in 2018 which charitable causes to support – and even beyond. We can help you create a donor-advised fund before the year ends.

The last business day of 2017 is next Friday, December 29.

We recommend consulting with your financial and legal advisors to determine the best giving solutions for your individual or business circumstances.

Arkansas Community Foundation is your partner in smart giving and we’re ready to help you make the most of the changing tax landscape. Thank you for your trusted partnership and best wishes for a very happy holiday season.

In Service,
Heather Larkin,
President & CEO

Visit Advisor’s Corner for more news, tips and tools for professional advisors.

Produce, included in food distributions from the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas for just the past couple of years, is donated by growers, grocers and companies to help feed families in need.

“What efforts do we want to support in a sustainable way? What opportunity should we be exploring as a new way to combat hunger in our community?  Those are key questions Arkansas Community Foundation affiliates ask before every grant cycle of their Stop Hunger Funds.

When Aspire Arkansas data first came out in 2011, and before that in 2008 when an Arkansas Community Foundation Stop Hunger online initiative helped food charities during the recession, several of the 28 Arkansas Community Foundation affiliates determined that the fight against hunger would be one of their priorities.

Dick Freer, chair of the Craighead County Community Foundation Hunger Committee, said their goal is to build relationships where there is food insecurity, boost community support for the need and become a catalyst for making change.

Three Hunger Committee members went to the Student Council at Success Achievement Academy, a Jonesboro alternative school, to ask about hunger. “We got blank looks at first,” said Freer. “But the initial discussion got students thinking about their peers who were food insecure and eventually turned into a Food Race where students bring food to supply a food pantry on campus.”

“The Aspire Arkansas data was a catalyst for our stop hunger efforts,” said Freer. “It raised the level of awareness about the issue and identified hunger as one of the most pressing needs in our area. If we use our $8,000 to $9,000 a year in grant money to fund innovation, we can really make a difference.”

Many in Craighead County are realizing how much good could happen if fresh fruits and vegetables were more affordable to low income citizens. A physician on the committee came up with the idea that doctors could prescribe fruits and vegetables to low income patients so they could be reimbursed for the money they spend on these healthy foods.

The Craighead County affiliate has been instrumental in setting up the second Friends and Neighbors Network in Arkansas. A national FANN staff member from Atlanta trained volunteers to develop a community of people who are food insecure. These FANN members meet twice a month to unload and distribute healthy food that provides them an ongoing source of supplemental nutrition.

 “The Truck Patch, an organic food store in Jonesboro, has worked with our FANN,” said Charles Harris, FANN coordinator.  “Their generosity has added to the quality of food we can distribute.”

Some of their grants fund more traditional hunger programs. For instance, students in the Jonesboro Hispanic Center’s after school program enjoy healthy snacks like a choice of peanut butter crackers or apples and milk courtesy of a Community Foundation grant. A review of food pantries receiving grants that ensured minorities were represented led to a connection with New St. John Missionary Baptist Church food pantry.

Jennifer McCracken, executive director of the Cross County Community Foundation, said most hunger-related grants are determined by their local advisory board. For every grant they are able to make in the fight against hunger, they get 20-25 applications. About 70 percent of their hunger-related grants go to food pantries and backpack programs.

Their official Stop Hunger grants are awarded by the Youth Advisory Council. “It is good for youth to be a part of this,” she said. “The hunger grants give our young people a sense of making a difference where the need is great.”

Recently, the Cross County affiliate began working with a new nonprofit, 363 Feed the Need, led by Phoebe Curtis and Julie Boone. “We are tackling the problem of hunger through a backpack program and an event called The Table, where we served 400 plates of food to a diverse mix of people at an Interfaith event in Wynne,” Curtis said. “Lots of people help the hungry on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We want to help the other 363 days of the year.”

The 363 backpack program started in January of 2016 with 34 students and now they are stocking 125 backpacks each Friday. The cost is about $150 per child for the school year. Volunteers, youth groups and others pack the food that goes home with students on Friday afternoons at Wynne Primary, Intermediate and Junior High. Soon, they’ll be scheduled to work with the local high school.

“Access to weekend food relieves stress about where the next meal will come from. It helps alleviate mental, physical and emotional stress,” said Curtis. “The Community Foundation here has made a big impact with grants to us and others who work to stop hunger. There is no way we would be able to do our work without them.”

Dana Stewart, executive director of the White County Community Foundation, said the affiliate has

been working on food insecurity programs for more than a decade. They have made grants to Beebe School District’s Badger Family Food Pantry and to senior programs like the Bald Knob Senior Center. “At Bald Knob like most rural programs, volunteers who run the center do the grant writing, cooking – they do everything,” Stewart said.

Because the White County affiliate knows ending hunger will be difficult, they made a grant to purchase shelving to help sustain the program rather than only purchasing food and promoting smart shopping training that shares tips like buying dried beans instead of canned to stretch the budget.

“When we look at the Aspire data and other research, we see that hunger continues to be a real issue for our county,” Stewart said. “We may not have the numbers some other counties have, but in our local school district in Searcy, 40 percent of the students are on reduced or free meals. So this is not just a rural problem for us.”

A recent grant was made to Della’s Panty in a rural part of White County. Della Pantry volunteers told these stories:

“One of the things that strikes me the most is the percentage of our families who are older and are raising grandchildren. I would estimate that nearly 25 percent of all the families that visit our pantry are senior adults with at least one grandchild in their care. They live on a fixed income and struggle to provide for the children so they are resorting to visiting our pantry for help.”

“It’s sad how so many folks are struggling to get by right now. We see so many that are barely surviving. I’m glad we are here to help a little and give them someone to talk with. We try to find words of encouragement for them, but sometimes it’s hard to do when we hear of their situations.”

“A lady who has been battling cancer for several years came in today. Her daughter and grandchildren have just moved in with her and her teenage son. Her husband died of cancer about three years ago. She isn’t able to work, and with so many in the house to feed, she is coming to us for help.”

This story is from our November edition of Engage Magazine.

December is an ideal time to give to the charities you support in order to claim a charitable deduction on this year’s taxes. But what if you aren’t sure which causes you want to support? 

Perhaps your business performed better than expected this year, you inherited assets from a loved one or you simply haven’t had time to focus on your charitable giving this season. You know that there are tax benefits to making a charitable donation at year-end, but you don’t want to make a hasty decision simply to meet the Dec. 31 deadline to claim a tax deduction.

Here’s how Arkansas Community Foundation can help:

Take Your Time. When you partner with the Community Foundation, you can create your own charitable fund to benefit the causes you choose. If you make a donation to start your fund (or add to a fund you’ve already created) by Dec. 31, the gift is fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law on your taxes. After the new year, you can spend time considering which charities you’d like to support with grants from your fund. If you prefer, you can support the same organization/s on an ongoing basis, or you can make grants to different charities every year.

Get the Information You Need. If you need help identifying organizations that are working to address the issues that matter most to you, we’ve got tools to help.

  • Our donor services staff can help you research charities serving a particular cause or area.
  • You can gain a better understanding of the needs in your community by reviewing our Aspire Arkansas report, which provides county-by-county data on dozens of quality of life issues in Arkansas.
  • Or, we can even send you grant proposals from local charities who need support for specific projects. There’s no obligation for you to fund any of the proposals unless one interests you.

Support Multiple Nonprofits. With a single gift to the Community Foundation, you can support dozens of nonprofits. Here are a few ways we can help you make a broad impact:

  • You can designate that a certain percentage of your fund be used to support specific nonprofits each year. This is a great option if you want to provide long-term support for a handful of favorite charities.
  • You can also create a fund that allows you the flexibility to choose different causes to support from year to year. This option is great for families that want to involve their children in the giving process by allowing them to choose projects fund each year.
  • You can even donate to the community-based Giving Tree Endowment in your area; grants from these endowments are selected by committees of local leaders and are used to support dozens of charitable projects each year.

It’s not too late to make a difference this year. Contact our development staff to find out how to get started. We’re in the office through Dec. 31 to help meet your charitable giving needs.

by Jody Dilday

There’s no denying it…cooler temps, changing leaves, and the “fall back” from Daylight Savings Time all signal that the HOLIDAYS are here! 

For many of us, the end of year is an ideal time to make charitable gifts.  Every day, Arkansas Community Foundation works with Arkansans help them achieve their charitable goals for tax benefits, while helping make a difference across the state.

Here are 4 tips to help you giving at year-end:

  1. Give an asset that provides you with the maximum tax benefit. You know the old saying, “cash is king”? Well….that’s not always the case. Sometimes it makes more sense to give a non-cash gift to charity. Doing so can help you reduce capital gains, avoid estate taxes, or minimize taxable income, thereby supporting your overall financial strategy. Talk with your professional advisor about what makes the most sense for you and your goals. Arkansas Community Foundation is equipped to accept complicated gifts and distribute the proceeds to your charity of choice. We’d be more than happy to help.
  2. Utilize a giving tool that best fits your income level, your tax-savings goals, and your philanthropic priorities. How you give to charity may differ from your neighbor or depending on your stage of life. Whether you give modest annual gifts to causes you care about, want to continue supporting an organization close to your heart forever, or have the means to make a larger impact…the Community Foundation has flexible tools.
  3. Fund general operations to make the greatest impact for the organization you believe in. At year-end, most nonprofit organizations are striving to meet their budget. Gifts in support of general operating expenses are incredibly beneficial. These “unrestricted” gifts empower the organization to determine where and how the money will be used—whether for a major program development, hiring additional staff, or simply maintaining their facility.  Unrestricted donations also provide the charity flexibility and security to advance its mission by planning initiatives for the following calendar year. Similarly, a gift to your community’s Giving Tree endowment enables the Foundation to plan for and respond to the ever-changing needs in your community.
  4. Give Where You Live! By all means… give to support medical research, fund projects that provide clean water, or sponsor a global mission. But remember to Give Where You Live as well! At the Community Foundation we ASPIRE to improve the quality of life for all Arkansans. Let’s work together!

As the end of the year approaches, remember your friends at the Community Foundation are ready to help you.