by Ashley Coldiron, Chief Development Officer

A new year and a new administration often bring the potential for significant changes. So, what’s on the legislative horizon that might affect your charitable clients?

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017: A Key Focus

One major issue we’re watching is the possible extension or expiration of the TCJA, set to end in late 2025. Here’s a quick overview of its impact on charitable giving:

  • Lower Individual Tax Rates: The TCJA reduced individual income tax rates, slightly diminishing the tax savings for each dollar donated and making charitable contributions less attractive purely from a tax perspective.
  • Higher Standard Deduction: The standard deduction nearly doubled under the TCJA—set at $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married couples filing jointly in 2025—reducing the number of taxpayers who itemize deductions. This change significantly decreased the ability of many taxpayers to claim charitable deductions, which may have contributed to a $20 billion drop in charitable giving in 2018, the first year the TCJA took effect.
  • Increased Estate Tax Exemption: The estate tax exemption also doubled, reaching $13.99 million per person in 2025. This higher exemption has reduced the tax-driven motivations for charitable bequests among wealthy clients.

Beyond Taxes: What Motivates Charitable Giving?

While tax policy undeniably influences charitable behaviors, studies show that most donors are driven by personal values, not just financial incentives. Key motivators include:

  • A sense of duty to give back.
  • A desire to address inequality or support specific causes.
  • Religious beliefs or a commitment to helping others.

Tax benefits play a role in decision-making but are rarely the primary reason for giving. Ultimately, even with a deduction, donors always part with more money than they save, underscoring the altruistic nature of philanthropy.

What’s Next for Charitable Giving?

As 2025 approaches, three potential scenarios could shape charitable planning:

  1. Extension of the TCJA: If current provisions are extended, the trends of reduced itemization and lower estate tax-driven giving may persist, with ultra-wealthy clients continuing to dominate tax-motivated philanthropy.
  2. Reversion to Pre-TCJA Rules: If the TCJA expires without replacement, higher marginal tax rates and a lower estate tax exemption could increase charitable giving, as more taxpayers itemize deductions and seek to reduce taxable estates.
  3. New Legislation: Changes could introduce fresh incentives for giving. For example, the proposed Charitable Act would establish a universal charitable deduction, encouraging donations across all income levels.

Stay Informed and Proactive

Legislative changes are inevitable, but their exact form remains uncertain. The Community Foundation is here to help you navigate these complexities, providing guidance to structure charitable plans that empower your clients to achieve their philanthropic goals—regardless of tax outcomes.

For a deeper dive, consider reading a compelling letter to congressional leaders advocating for a universal charitable deduction. And as always, reach out to our team to strategize about specific client situations. Together, we can maximize the impact of charitable giving, no matter what the future holds.

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.

Foundation staff member Bethany Hilkert and President and CEO Heather Larkin with Dolly Parton at the Governor’s Mansion in 2022 when Parton’s Imagination Library made books available in all 75 counties.

“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.”

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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.

Penny Beed, Board member of the Imagination Library of the Ouachitas

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.

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

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.

Here are some reminders for making sure that your gifts are recognized for the 2024 tax year:

ADD TO AN EXISTING FUND

To learn more about the various assets you can give, review our guide to Contributing to a fund. In order for charitable gifts into a fund to qualify for a charitable income tax deduction in the 2024 tax year, don’t forget:

  • Checks sent via the U.S. Postal Service to any Community Foundation office must be postmarked by December 31.
  • Credit card gifts can be made online until 11:59 pm December 31.
  • Gifts of assets sent via other means must be physically received on or before December 31.

DONOR ADVISED FUNDS

Donor advised fundholders may wish to recommend grants to support nonprofit year-end campaigns, provide holiday contributions or make honorariums as gifts.

GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS

Grant recommendations can be made online through our secure donor portal or by contacting us. 

Please note that the timing of donor advised grants has no effect on your 2024 charitable income tax donations since the tax acknowledgement is given when you contribute to your fund.

Important things to remember:

  • Non-cash gifts– Such as stocks, mutual funds, IRA charitable rollovers, real estate, etc., it is time to start these now.  These types of gifts can take significantly more time to process and in order to receive credit in 2024, the community foundation needs to receive the gift by 12/31/24. 
  •  IRA charitable rollover gifts– A check has to come directly to the Foundation from your financial institution and must note your name and that it is from your IRA account. The check envelope must be postmarked by 12/31/24 in order to be applied to 2024. Wired IRA gifts need to be accompanied by a letter or e-mail from the financial institution with your name and confirming it is from your IRA account. The community foundation needs to receive the wire transfer by 12/31/24 in order to have it applied to 2024.
  • Reminder about stock and mutual fund gifts– Must be received to the Community Foundation’s Schwab account by 12/31/24 in order to be applied to 2024. Please notify Corey Moline or Trina Greuel with the date, amount of the transfer, type and number of shares to be transferred (stock/mutual funds), your name and the name of your fund to receive credit before the transfer takes place. 
  • Wire/ACH gifts– Wires are usually same day transactions unless they are initiated late in the day.  You will need to check with your financial institution to confirm the wire time frame.  ACH (automatic clearing house) transfers usually have to be initiated anywhere from two to five business days prior to when we would receive the transfer. You will need to check with your financial institutions to confirm the time frame.  The community foundation needs to receive the transfer by 12/31/24 in order to have it applied to 2024.
  • Real Estate– Must be gifted to the Arkansas Gift Foundation by 12/31/24 in order for it to be applied to 2024. 

Need a reminder on how to make a gift transfer? Click here for instructions on wire/ACH, stock and mutual fund gifts.

Other monetary gifts by mail or hand-delivered:

  • Checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks MUST be in the hands of a community foundation staff member on or before 12/31/24 in order for the gift to be applied to 2024. 
  • ALL gifts received by hand after 12/31/24 will be applied to 2025.
  • If you mail your gift, we suggest that it be sent by certified mail to guarantee that it is postmarked and trackable OR suggest that the donor wire/ACH the gift to us using the attached instructions.

As you approach or settle into retirement, you may find yourself reflecting on how charitable giving can play a more prominent role in this next chapter of your life. With more time, resources, or both now available, it’s a great opportunity to explore the charitable giving strategies that resonate most with retirees. The Community Foundation is here to guide you every step of the way.

Four Signs It’s Time to Refresh Your Philanthropy Plan

  1. You Want to Involve Your Family in Philanthropy Retirement can also bring a desire to include your children and grandchildren in your giving journey. The Community Foundation can help you engage your family in a meaningful way, by formalizing roles as advisors or successor advisors to your donor-advised fund. We also offer opportunities for family members to participate in site visits, educational programs, and intergenerational philanthropy planning, helping you create a legacy of generosity and shared purpose.
  2. You’re Ready to Start Making Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) If you’re 70 ½ or older, you can direct up to $105,000 (per spouse in 2024, increasing to $108,000 in 2025) in tax-free distributions from your IRA to a qualified fund at the Community Foundation. This strategy is particularly beneficial if you’re subject to Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), as a QCD satisfies your RMD obligations while keeping the distribution out of your taxable income.
  3. You May Benefit from Bunching Your Deductions Many retirees take the standard deduction because they no longer have significant itemizable expenses like mortgage interest or business costs. However, strategic planning with your tax advisor could uncover opportunities to itemize in certain years. A donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation makes it easy to “bunch” charitable contributions in specific tax years to qualify for itemized deductions, while still ensuring steady support for your favorite causes in subsequent years.
  4. You’re Feeling More Connected to Local Issues Retirement often deepens connections to community and causes close to your heart. With more predictable income and increased time, engaging with local charities can help you stay active, build relationships, and feel connected to your community. The Community Foundation team maintains close ties with nonprofits all across Arkansas and is ready to serve as your partner, helping you navigate ways to make a meaningful impact.

If these ideas capture your attention, please reach out! The Community Foundation is here to help you make the most of your giving, no matter what causes you choose to support. We look forward to collaborating to make your retirement years fulfilling and rewarding for you and the people–and community–you love. 

As the year unfolds, consider whether updates to your estate and tax plans make sense. Now is an excellent time to lean on the team at the Community Foundation. Together with your attorney, CPA, and financial advisor, we can help you explore strategies that fit your unique circumstance. Here are three charitable planning strategies we’d love to discuss with you and your advisors as you prepare for the future:

Leveraging IRAs for Charitable Giving

IRAs remain powerful tools for philanthropy. If you’re over age 70 ½, consider arranging a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) of up to $105,000 (increasing to $108,000 in 2025) to a designated, field-of-interest, or unrestricted fund at the Community Foundation. Additionally, naming your Community Foundation fund as the beneficiary of your IRA or other qualified plan can offer significant tax advantages, such as avoiding estate taxes and the income tax your heirs would incur on inherited IRA funds.

Bunching Charitable Gifts for Maximum Impact

With the standard deduction still high, many donors are considering “bunching” their charitable contributions. By making a significant gift to a fund at the Community Foundation this year, you may be able to itemize your deductions while supporting your favorite causes for years to come. Giving appreciated stock to your donor-advised fund can help you avoid capital gains tax and create a tax-smart giving strategy that benefits both you and the charities you love.

Is a Charitable Lead Trust Right for You?

With interest rates remaining low, now may be the perfect opportunity to consider a charitable lead trust. Our team can help you and your advisors evaluate this option. A charitable lead trust allows you to direct an income stream to your fund at the Community Foundation while transferring future asset appreciation to your heirs with minimized tax impact. It’s also a great way to leverage the current high estate tax exemption, which may change after 2025.

Let’s Start the Conversation

We encourage you to reach out to our team! The Community Foundation is here to help you navigate the complexities of charitable giving while supporting the causes that matter most to you. It’s our privilege to be your trusted partner in philanthropy.

Principal Christie Cremo has reduced chronic absenteeism by more than 20% at Leverett Elementary with simple solutions and culture change.

Christie Cremo gets it. As principal of Leverett Elementary School in Fayetteville, she understands that to make change in today’s educational environment, you have to be tenacious and creative.

Her staff love that tenacity. “It was a breath of fresh air when she arrived,” said assistant principal Robert Fitzgerald. “She is a scrapper and resourceful. She gets our staff and students what they need and doesn’t settle. Absenteeism was the first thing she attacked.”

Principal Christie Cremo and Vice-Principal Robert Fitzgerald encourage staff, students and families to “Strive for Five” or fewer absences per year.

Cremo has reduced chronic absenteeism by more than 20% since arriving in 2022. “Before I arrived, attendance was not a priority,” she said. “But we have steadily built a culture for our students, staff and parents to help understand how important it is to attend school regularly. Some educators have told me ‘You can’t do anything about absenteeism,’ but that simply isn’t true, and we’ve proven it through data and being consistent.”

Chronically absent is defined by a student missing 10% or more of the school year, or 17.5 days or more. “After those 17+ days is typically when social services is called. Which is often the first time families are notified that there is even a problem,” said Cremo. “So we strive to stay ahead of it. Kids know when you give up on them, and they know when you care. We work hard to show how much we care for the student and their family, and we do it by starting at the beginning of the year and getting ahead of it before it can become a problem.”

The solutions are simple, but there are several levels of intervention. Cremo and her team meet every Monday to review who was absent the week prior. Once a student accumulates three unexcused absences, they begin to collect data and document interventions. When students reach five unexcused absences or 10 total absences (excused or unexcused), a meeting with the parents is scheduled and a plan is developed.

“We also intervene earlier than that for students who have a history of chronic absenteeism,” said Cremo. “The meeting with parents is so important. We aren’t trying to reprimand them; we are trying to learn and support the family to help their child attend school regularly.

“Often, there are valid reasons that students miss class, so we work with the parents to create solutions. We create performance goals together and if they aren’t met, we do a follow up meeting. When parents realize that we just want to help, it opens up the relationship and builds trust.”

Reasons for absenteeism vary — some students do not have reliable transportation, so Cremo works with the bus drivers to accommodate their pickup. “Some students have therapeutic or medical needs on a weekly basis, but the school nurse or staff may be capable of providing those treatments here. Like asthma treatments, we can do that,” she said. “Sometimes, parents just don’t fully understand that when a child misses class, the hours of lost instruction add up, ultimately affecting grades and overall performance.

“We have woven the importance of attendance into everything,” Cremo continues. “We use a ‘Strive for Five’ slogan to encourage students to miss class fewer than five days for the whole year. Morning announcements are used to recognize the percentage of students present the week before, with the goal to have 95% of students in each grade present every day. Each quarter, we have an attendance party for all students who have maintained five or fewer absences. We start small with incentives and they gradually get bigger.”

Jasaiah, a second grader who started kindergarten as extremely shy, now helps with morning announcements over the intercom, even doing his own rap to talk about not missing school. He became much more engaged and vocal at school by being given an important job. “I only have one absence so far this year,” he said. When asked why “striving for five” is so important, Jasaiah said, “For you to learn! Because if you don’t learn or can’t read, you really can’t do anything.”

In one of the main hallways at Leverett, a giant bulletin board shows the classroom attendance rates by percentage. Three years ago, most classes had 70-80% attendance, but now all classes are at 90% and above. “Students see these numbers, and it encourages them. They understand this.” she said. “Recognizing it publicly is part of the culture shift.”

Cremo isn’t leading from the gut or flying by the seat of her pants, rather, she uses data to drive changes. “If a student is chronically absent for more than one year during elementary school, they have a 75% greater chance of needing intensive reading interventions throughout their educational career. Often, these gaps become so big that it makes it nearly impossible for students to catch up. It’s important to monitor attendance weekly and intervene early so that all students have access to core literacy instruction and intentional support they may need. We can’t do this if students do not attend school regularly.”

“When our class wins the attendance award, we all yell and cheer,” said Morrison, a third grade student at Leverett. “I’ve only missed two days. If we win, we get to have a game day or a field trip at the end of the year.”

Cremo knows the name of every student in the school. If someone is absent, the student will hear, “We sure missed you while you were gone,” upon return both from the teachers and the principal.

One student who continued to be absent and chronically late got a special offer from Cremo, “I told him he could have breakfast with me every day, if he would arrive on time. Now, absenteeism is no longer a note on his report card.”

“It doesn’t matter what curriculum you’re teaching or how hard you strive to increase test scores, none of that matters if there are no ‘butts in seats,’” she continued. “I want to share far and wide how this has worked for us — because first things first, you have to show up.”

Family philanthropy is a meaningful way to support the causes you care about while strengthening family bonds. By coming together around shared experiences and values, families can deepen their understanding of one another and build lasting relationships.

It’s important to note that different generations may have different priorities and approaches to giving: from traditional grantmaking, to impact investing or exploring new philanthropic strategies. These differences offer an opportunity to better understand one another’s passions and hold meaningful conversations. Arkansas Community Foundation’s Personalized Giving Services can help families navigate these complexities, providing tailored guidance to align your giving with your goals and values. By leveraging these services, families can create a cohesive, impactful giving legacy that strengthens relationships across generations.

What Is Family Philanthropy?

Family philanthropy is the act of giving as a family. Families can practice philanthropy using tools like a family foundation or a Donor Advised Funds (DAF). A DAF with Arkansas Community Foundation provides a flexible, efficient way to establish a lasting giving legacy. The Foundation’s team is local and has extensive knowledge of community needs and the nonprofit in Arkansas. Additionally, we simplify the administrative side of giving, allowing your family to focus on joy of giving.

By partnering with Arkansas Community Foundation, you can ensure your family’s philanthropy is both impactful and enduring for generations to come.

Mary McLeod was a tireless advocate for children in Arkansas. In recognition of her lifelong dedication to youth and mental health, a $50,000 endowment was established in April 1978 in Mary’s memory donated by former Governor Winthrop Rockefeller’s estate. The fund was named the Mary McLeod Memorial Fund for Youth Home. Youth Home is a residential treatment center in central Arkansas serving youth struggling with mental illness.

Courtesy: Winthrop Rockefeller Collection/UALR Archives & Special Collections

When you examine the financial return of that initial $50,000 investment, you can see the lasting power and impact of an endowment with Arkansas Community Foundation. And how a financial legacy can live beyond a donor’s lifetime.

Thanks to careful financial management, the principal amount has nearly doubled to more than $92,000. Since the endowment started, Youth Home, Inc. has received more than $210,000 in grants, and every year, more will be issued to provide essential support for the organization’s programs, ensuring that this gift will continue to support Youth Home’s important work for generations to come.

While much has changed since the endowment’s creation, the need for legacy gifts like this has not. For those who take a long-term approach to philanthropy, an endowment offers stability and longevity — indefinitely. Endowments are permanently invested with only a portion of the fund used annually for grantmaking. The remaining funds are reinvested for the future, so long after you’re gone, it will continue to support the causes you care about.

As Arkansas faces a growing adolescent mental health crisis, Youth Home’s efforts to support teens and families across the state are more crucial than ever. “We are proud to continue honoring Mrs. McLeod’s passion and memory in the work we do every day,” said Larry Betz, chief operations officer at Youth Home, Inc.

McLeod’s passion for supporting mental health in Arkansas lives on, forever, because of the power of an expertly managed endowment, the commitment of the Foundation to honor her legacy and the passionate work of Youth Home to serve children in our state.