Give where you live

It’s been a busy month for the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation.

We just completed hosting two sessions of our “What We Are Looking For” workshops for all area nonprofit organizations in Garland and Montgomery counties. It was an opportunity for them to come and hear valuable information about the guidelines and priorities for our upcoming 2018 Giving Tree grant cycle. During our 2017 Giving Tree grant cycle, we awarded over $56,000 to area nonprofits and are looking to exceed that total in early spring

2018. Grant sizes can vary from

$500 to possibly $25,000, subject to worthy applications.

The Giving Tree is a permanently invested endowment managed by Arkansas Community Foundation. Nonprofits serving our region will be submitting grant applications for exciting new projects through a formal process beginning Jan. 10, 2018, through Feb. 15, 2018. The grant selection is overseen by a broad and inclusive representation of community members who have the benefit of our community in mind. Local organizations who have benefited from the Giving Tree program in recent years are Project Hope Food

Bank, Samaritan Ministries, the Visitor’s Chapel AME Church, the YMCA and the Single Parent Scholarship fund; just to name a few.

Think about the community you call home — the people here, the schools that enrich local children’s lives, the worthwhile clinics available to help the underserved in our community, the community park that provides a safe environment for spending time with one another, your spiritual place of worship and the other spaces that have given you your fondest memories.

Think about how they impact our community, influence its value and affect our quality of life here — those are the places that can benefit from your support of our Giving Tree Endowment and the Give Where You Live Campaign.

Gifts may be made in the form of cash, market securities or other assets and are tax deductible. Another option is to make your gift immediately or through your estate plan.

Consider the community that shaped you. Know the importance of supporting its future. Recognize the power of collective giving. Partner with the community foundation and magnify your impact. Give Where You Live!

Ready to talk? Call Joyce Whitfield at 501-620-4008, or email hotspringsarea@arcf.org.