At first glance, you may think of charitable giving as mostly an individual act. Certainly, most of the time, the actual money or asset that constitutes the charitable donation comes from a single person, couple, or entity. Beyond that, though, it likely makes sense to think of charitable giving as a collaborative endeavor. 

Here are three examples:

For many people, involving other family members in charitable giving is one of the most rewarding ways to instill philanthropic values and transfer these values across generations. And we have the tools to help! Whether you’re teaching young children about the importance of helping people in need, or joining with siblings to develop a grant-making strategy for a family donor advised fund at the Community Foundation, you’re experiencing the joy of working together to make a difference in the lives of others. 

Working with the Community Foundation is itself a collaborative activity. When you organize your giving through a donor advised or other type of fund, you are working with multiple professionals on our team to help you plan your annual gifts, evaluate impact, structure tax-savvy contributions of appreciated stock, and so much more. Plus, the Community Foundation team often works alongside your attorney, accountant, and financial advisor to ensure that both your financial and community goals are top of mind.

Thanks to fundholders like YOU, since 1976 the Community Foundation has granted more than $40 million to a variety of local nonprofits addressing the region’s most pressing needs. And those needs are always changing. Thankfully, our Giving Tree grants are designed to meet the ever-evolving needs of our communities.

The Giving Tree is the Community Foundation’s signature grantmaking program.  Your gift into the fund is pooled together with others for greater impact. The Giving Tree is an investment in our future—a seed planted and nurtured by local community-minded people like you. Your gift will be magnified by the collective power of other gifts, allowing the Community Foundation to award grants to a variety of programs that improve communities, in perpetuity.

Thank you for the opportunity to work together to build stronger communities, and to make Arkansas a place where our kids will want to raise their kids.  If you’re not yet working with the Community Foundation, we look forward to exploring the options! It would be an honor and pleasure to work alongside you and your family on your charitable giving journey. 

In the aftermath of the tornadoes that ripped through North Arkansas on May 26, Arkansans are doing what we do best- responding to the needs of our neighbors. Whether with chainsaws, hot meals, cold drinks or cell phone charging stations: this is what community looks like.

If you’d like to provide financial support to one of the many relief organizations on the ground, please consider using your donor advised fund at the Community Foundation to support one (or more) of the following*:

• American Red Cross Greater Arkansas chapter

• Salvation Army Arkansas/Oklahoma Division 

• United Methodists of Arkansas Disaster Response

• Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief

• Arkansas Division of Emergency Management Relief Fund 

*This is a short list of national and/or state-wide relief organizations. We know there are countless groups, formal and informal, who are responding to the very unique needs in their community. Please support whichever organization(s) you know and trust that are responding in this time of need.

Our hearts go out to all of the people, businesses and communities who were impacted by the storms. Stay strong Arkansas.

Callie and Dustin Kellums had twins in 2020, a boy named Luke and a girl named Kate. Born prematurely, both newborns required care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. After a week, Luke was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, and it quickly became apparent that he needed more advanced care.

Luke was med-flighted to Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock, splitting the babies up between two hospitals, two hours apart.

“It wasn’t easy having one baby in Jonesboro and one baby in Little Rock,” said Dustin. “We were so lucky to have Callie’s parents near and a great group of friends to help us. Plus, this was during COVID so only one person at a time could visit the babies. That obviously made things more difficult.”

The couple also had a 2-year-old son, Ben, at home, which added to the complexities of caring for their family. “I received some good advice from a doctor at St. Bernards,” said Callie. “She told me that our newborns had excellent around-the-clock care in both hospitals. And it was okay to focus on Ben so things could be as normal as possible for him. I appreciated that advice.”

Fifteen days after the twins were born, Luke succumbed to bacterial meningitis and passed away.

“When Luke died, we wanted to do something positive with our grief,” said Callie. “We received such amazing care at St. Bernards in Jonesboro for both of our babies, we decided to help expand their NICU so that families in this area didn’t have to go hours away for better care. We raised nearly $100,000, and recently pledged another $70,000 to the NICU.”

A friend of the Kellums, Wade Bowen, suggested that Dustin and Callie use Arkansas Community Foundation to help manage the donations. The couple started the Luke Kellums NICU Fund – Benefiting St. Bernards.

“We saw a level of care in Little Rock that northeast Arkansas just didn’t have,” said Dustin. “We wanted to see that same level of staffing and equipment become available to families here. The latest expansion at St. Bernards is named after Luke. This keeps his memory alive and gives our children something to be proud of.”

“Our hope for the future is that if anyone else is faced with having a baby in the NICU,” Callie continued, “that they can be as close to their babies as possible, for as long as possible.”

Ujima Maternity Network trains birth professionals to address maternal health disparities

By Adena White

Maternal deaths from pregnancy-related causes continue to rise. From 2018 to 2021, for every 100,000 live births in Arkansas, 44 mothers died from pregnancy-related complications before their baby’s first birthday.

Socioeconomic and racial disparities exacerbate this crisis: Black, non-Hispanic mothers are twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white, non-Hispanic mothers.

One proven solution to the maternal health crisis is ensuring that all women have access to doula support. Doulas provide physical and emotional support to pregnant women during pregnancy and beyond and are different from midwives in that they give no medical care. Visionary doulas across Arkansas have come together to form a doula association, with technical assistance provided by Excel by Eight. The doulas’ vision is to advance the profession of birth work through advocacy and education, improve access to doula services, and ensure the consistency and quality of those services. In particular, doulas are advocating to have their services reimbursed by Medicaid and health insurance plans.

Nicolle Fletcher is one of the doulas leading this effort. When she completed her doula certification training in 2010, little was known about the nation’s growing rate of maternal deaths. She became a doula to help women “reclaim the power of birth,” providing guidance and support to women during labor as well as serving as a lactation counselor, childbirth educator, and an apprentice midwife.

“When it comes to the maternal health crisis,” Fletcher said. “Doula care should be accessible to the people who need it most, regardless of their socioeconomic status.”

Fletcher first noticed in 2017 that poor health outcomes for Black mothers began to grab national headlines. Around this same time, she was at a point in her career where she felt discouraged and considered quitting the profession altogether. But an increase in clientele — particularly among Black women who were concerned about the alarming statistics in the news — reminded her of her purpose.

“I’m here on purpose, and I think about so many lives that have been impacted by me following my purpose, which has opened doors for others to do the same.”

As one of the few Black doulas in Arkansas at the time, Fletcher recognized a need to train more Black women to become doulas to address these growing concerns. What was initially designed to be a one-time, weeklong training for aspiring doulas became the creation of a new nonprofit, Ujima Maternity Network.

Fletcher — along with doulas Sarita Hendrix, Amber White, Regina Chaten, Shenika Reed, Erika Davis, and Shakia Jackson — founded the nonprofit on December 28, 2018, the third day of the seven-day African American holiday of Kwanzaa. The principle of Ujima (pronounced oo-JEE-mah) is the focus that third day, which means “collective work and responsibility” in the Swahili language.

“Ujima is about collective work. We’re going to work collectively; we’re going to own our responsibility, and we’re going to bring about solutions,” Fletcher said.

Since it was established, Ujima Maternity Network has trained 25 doulas of diverse ethnic backgrounds in hopes of reaching more women across the entire state. Six women are currently enrolled in the training program, and the goal is to train 40 doulas across the state this year.

“It’s fundamental to have an advocate as far as doula support that looks like you and can meet you right where you are without having to explain certain things,” Fletcher said. “There is an uncommunicated understanding that exists.”

During the six-month certification program, doulas-in-training are required to read and report on at least five assigned books, attend at least three birth experiences, participate in monthly training sessions with other members of their cohort, and complete a research paper. The participants are paired with a mentor doula and attend outreach events, emphasizing the importance of communal care.

Since Ujima’s founding, Fletcher has witnessed a decrease in cesarean sections and an increase in birth satisfaction, resulting in mothers who feel educated, supported, and empowered during their birth experiences.

“People do a lot of missions overseas, but Arkansas is a mission field,” Fletcher said. “And I think we need to look at it that way.”

By Jessica Ford

Arkansas continues to face troubling challenges as it battles a persistently high infant mortality rate, with recent data painting a grim picture of the state’s struggle to safeguard its babies.

The Arkansas Department of Health defines infant mortality as a statistic that looks at the number of babies who die each year before they reach their first birthday. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on data from 2022, for every 1000 live births in Arkansas, there were 7.67 infant deaths — above the national average of 5.7 deaths per 1,000. This places Arkansas with the third-highest infant mortality rate in the nation.

Similar reports reveal a disproportionate burden of infant mortality among Black communities. According to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI,) deaths among Black infants remain the highest of all racial and ethnic groups, with 10.86 deaths per 1,000 births in 2022, compared to 4.52 deaths per 1,000 births among white infants.

Some efforts to combat infant mortality are underway. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) created the Following Baby Back Home program for families of infants after their discharge from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The program sends healthcare providers to homes, especially in rural areas, to help provide support for new moms.

Newborns in the program often have specific needs at home to thrive, like preemie-sized equipment or other essentials. Some mothers have confided to the program’s nurses that they borrowed car seats, or they have to co-sleep because they don’t have a bassinet.

“Many women are reluctant to have home visits because they worry that the nurses will critique their parenting,” said Heidi Klappenbach, a visiting nurse in Union County. “But I love telling them that they’re doing a good job.”

Klappenbach brings a portable scale to check baby’s weight and talks with moms about signs of postpartum depression, growth and development, immunizations and even checking for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in homes.

“We want to help,” she said. “I try to connect them to whatever resources they need.”

New nonprofit seeks to amplify the voices of families across Arkansas By Adena White

In early May of 2022, Ashley Bearden Campbell’s pregnancy took a sharp turn. She was admitted to the hospital in anticipation that she would remain on bed rest until her baby’s July 1 due date. Health complications necessitated an emergency cesarean section, and her daughter, Aubrey, entered the world at 28 weeks and five days, weighing a mere 2 pounds, 4 ounces.

“I had a wonderful pregnancy up until I didn’t,” Bearden Campbell said.

During Aubrey’s 70-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, Bearden Campbell remained by her daughter’s side as much as possible. Her concern for the baby was all-consuming, causing the new mom to unconsciously neglect her own mental health. An attentive neonatal intensive care unit nurse recognized the signs of postpartum depression and anxiety in the new mom and urged her to seek help. That pivotal conversation led her to therapy, medication, and a newfound determination to ensure other mothers wouldn’t endure similar struggles alone.

“Had the nurse not pulled me aside, I don’t know where I would be today,” she said.

From that moment, the seeds of Arkansans for Improving Maternal Health (AIM) were sown. Founded in January 2024 and led by Bearden Campbell, AIM is a nonprofit organization with a mission to “raise public awareness, cultivate champions for change, and spur action around the issue of maternal health in Arkansas.” In 2018, 92% of maternal deaths were found to be preventable. Additionally, 48% of Arkansas counties are without an obstetric provider, and nearly half of the 75 counties do not have a birthing facility.

“Through AIM, we created a platform to raise awareness around maternal health and create a space for families who have been impacted by challenges in maternal health,” Bearden Campbell said. “We want to address gaps in the access, affordability, and quality of care for women and infants before, during, and after pregnancy.”

AIM’s immediate priority has been to create a safe space for moms and families to share their stories. Bearden Campbell said these stories — whether shared publicly through AIM’s website or in conversations among family and friends — are necessary to catalyze change. The most effective advocates for improving maternal health are Arkansans who have experienced challenges as a result of poor maternal health care.

“I’ve always believed that stories are powerful, and I’ve seen for myself that sharing my own experience has led to a domino effect of others sharing their experiences,” she said. “Together, our voices will serve as a call to action for policymakers to make maternal and infant health a priority.”

In March, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order to create the Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health. AIM for Arkansas will work alongside other members of this steering committee to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies across the state.

“We’re excited to be included in this mix of organizations that are helping raise awareness about this public health crisis,” Bearden Campbell said. “The governor’s executive order was a huge win for our state, and the positive response we’ve seen from families and other stakeholders shows us how critical this mission is to the future of Arkansas.”

Families who desire to share a video recording or written testimonial about their experiences with the maternal health crisis are invited to upload a story at aimforarkansas.org.

By Olivia Walton

What a difference a year can make.

Last spring, Arkansas reached an inflection point. We decided that our last-place finish in maternal outcomes was no longer acceptable. We decided that our mothers, our children and our families deserve more.

Through education and advocacy, there is now a swell of support for improving maternal healthcare, and universal agreement that taking care of moms matters.

A year ago, our sights were set on a 12-month Medicaid expansion for moms. Now in 2024, we have a signed executive order from Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders that works smarter, not harder, to get women the care they need before, during and after birth.

I’m optimistic that the governor has lent her support to this critical issue, and I look forward to seeing this order in action — it’s pro-family. It helps ensure our kids can thrive in school, and it’s fiscally responsible.

Rather than creating redundancies in coverage, the plan will automatically enroll more eligible women in Medicaid, eliminate gaps and streamline access statewide. A groundbreaking pilot program will also target the five most at-risk counties to increase prenatal care.

Most importantly, the governor has requested that private stakeholders work alongside the state’s Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and surgeon general to develop a strategic plan for maternal health moving forward.

Over the coming months, this is where I see my organization, Ingeborg Initiatives, being most helpful.

At Ingeborg, we are on a mission to empower Arkansas moms by improving maternal health, advancing women’s economic opportunity and expanding access to quality care and early learning opportunities for children.

Our team, led by Harvard-trained perinatal epidemiologist and University of Arkansas professor Dr. Cara Osborne, will work with the recently established Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health on solutions.

Among our top priorities are those laid out in a new report by Heartland Forward. They include: advocating for more community health workers; expanding access to telehealth; addressing healthcare workforce shortages, including midwives; and increasing reimbursement rates and transparency on costs and data.

In other rural states across the country, these tried-and-true solutions are already in place and working.

In Arkansas, preventing just half of maternal deaths would save the state $872 million a year. This savings could underwrite 11,000 nursing scholarships or fund two new 500-bed hospitals.

As an adopted Arkansan, I’m proud to lend my voice and leadership to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Momentary and Heartland Summit.

But as a mom of three children, I became invested in the state when I founded Ingeborg Initiatives because it was personal for me. Even in the best of circumstances, motherhood is hard. For those without access to care and resources, it can feel impossible.

A year ago, most people either believed that maternal care in the state was adequate, or they didn’t think much about it at all.

Today, they understand that empowering mothers isn’t just a women’s issue. Ensuring that mom is healthy and economically secure is the most efficient, impactful intervention we can make for the strength of our families — and communities — as a whole.