Arkansas foundation has donated $ 13M since its founding 30 years ago

FORT SMITH, Ark.—It doesn’t take much to be a philanthropist.

Jody Dilday, development director for the Arkansas Community Foundation, says it only takes $1.

The Western Arkansas Community Foundation, however, has given out $13 million in its district since being formed in 1988.

The third affiliate of the state group, which was formed as the Fort Smith Area Community Foundation, now has $13.5 million in assets and growing.

“That’s what a community foundation is all about, building long-term assets, making grants back into the community led by local people who live in and love this community,” Heather Larkin, CEO of the Arkansas Community Foundation, said June 28 during the Western Arkansas affiliate’s 30th anniversary celebration at Hardscrabble Country Club.

Larkin said the Community Foundation also aims to help people “find charitable investments that return an investment on their dollar” and provides information to donors, community leaders and nonprofit groups about what is going on in their community.

Aspire Arkansas. org is a new data resource offered by the Arkansas Community Foundation to help charitable people and organizations find ways to help their communities, the Southwest Times Record reported. The information was formerly released as the foundation’s Indicators Report.

Larkin explained the database offers extensive amounts of information on Sebastian and Crawford counties, such as graduation rates, smoking rates, and reading levels for students.

“You can really get a picture of what’s happening here and where we can target very limited dollars to meet unlimited needs,” Larkin said.

Dilday explained that most of their support for its Giving Tree comes from “donor advised funds and endowments” and the foundation gives many grants in the $2,000 to $5,000 range. “Donor directed” grants can get up to $20,000, she added.

The nonprofit has about 1,900 component funds across the state.

The Community Foundation’s Giving Tree cycle began July 10. For more information and to request a grant, log on to ARCF.org.

There are now 28 affiliates of the Arkansas Community Foundation. For the Western Arkansas Community Foundation, Matt Holland serves as the board chair and Pettus Kincannon Jr. is executive director.