Community Foundation joins state organization
LITTLE ROCK — The Hot Springs Village Community Foundation recently joined the Arkansas Community Foundation as the 28th local affiliate. In addition, the HSVCF has announced a new grant opportunity for area nonprofits.
By visiting arcf.org/givingtree before Aug. 15, nonprofits in both Saline and Garland counties can apply for a Giving Tree grant through the new Hot Springs Village office.
Arkansas Community Foundation and Hot Springs Village Community Foundation have a longstanding relationship and share the mutual goal of promoting smart giving to improve communities.
“This partnership fills a gap in our service area by giving us a stronger presence in Hot Springs Village,” Heather Larkin, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said in a news release. “The new local office will help us tap the resources and expertise of community members and will ultimately strengthen our entire network of affiliates across the state.”
The nearby affiliate office in Hot Springs will continue to serve all parts of Montgomery and Garland counties, while Hot Springs Village will serve parts of Garland County and all of Saline County. Funds for the HSVCF will be raised in Hot Springs Village.
To continue the work of Hot Springs Village Community Foundation, Lee Ann Branch has been hired as the local part-time executive director. Branch moved to the Village in 2005 with her husband, Jesse, and immediately established herself as a community servant. She was named HSV Voice Citizen of the Year in 2015, and the 20162017 Rotarian of the Year. Branch has served on boards including the Cedar Mountain Boys and Girls Club and is past president of the HSV Rotary Club. She also volunteers for Arkansas Hospice.
In her new role, Branch will work closely with the new advisory board comprised of board members who previously oversaw operations of the Community Foundation. She will be available from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Mondays, and by appointment Tuesday through Friday.
She can also be contacted by sending an email to hotspringsvillage@arcf.org, or by calling 501984-1545.
Through the new partnership, Hot Springs Village Community Foundation gains more opportunities for expert financial management, training and collaboration, and a statewide perspective on the needs of Arkansans.
“As a local office of Arkansas Community Foundation, we’ll be able to focus more of our energy on grantmaking, community leadership, developing new funds and promoting smart giving in the Village,” said Carolyn Bowers, Hot Springs Village advisory board chair.
“Our longstanding goals remain the same,” Bowers said in the release. “We will ensure the endowment funds we’ve created will benefit the Village and surrounding communities forever.”
“We are excited to be associated with the great work that already has been done by community leaders in the Village,” Larkin said. “The combination of our strength and stability and Hot Springs Village Community Foundation’s insight into the unique needs of the local community make this formal partnership mutually beneficial.”
To learn more about Hot Springs Village Community Foundation, visit www.arcf.org/ hotspringsvillage.
By making grants and sharing knowledge, the Community Foundation supports charitable programs that work for Arkansas and partners to create new initiatives that address the gaps. Since 1976, the Community Foundation has provided more than $156 million in grants and partnered with thousands of Arkansans to help them improve the neighborhoods, towns and the entire state. Contributions to the Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 28 affiliates are fully tax deductible.