The Arkansas Community Foundation is accepting applications for its Tree Grants Program to support a broad range of projects with the potential for statewide impact and programs serving immediate local needs.
Donor Name: Arkansas Community Foundation
State: Arkansas
County: Selected Counties
City: Lincoln, Jefferson, Marion and Fulton
Township: Calhoun
Village: Jessieville
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/15/2022
Size of the Grant: $12,000
Details:
Giving Tree Endowments at each of 29 affiliate offices make annual grants through a competitive process to support a variety of causes. Committees of local leaders in each community determine the best use of their Giving Tree funds.
The Foundation is looking for
When you apply, they’ll ask you to share some basic information about your organization, including:
- Your mission and purpose. What need or opportunity in the community does your organization address?
- Description of your funding request. How will you use a grant from the Community Foundation, and what will the impact of this grant be, for your organization and for the community you serve
- Potential outcomes. What will success look like? How will you know or measure whether you’ve been successful?
- Budget. What are the expenses related to your request? Which pieces will be paid for using a Community Foundation grant, and which pieces will be covered by funding from other sources?
- They’ll also ask you to indicate whether you’re requesting “capacity building support” or “program/project support.” What’s the difference?
Capacity building – these are funds focused on improving the effectiveness of your organization. Examples are:
- Purchasing or upgrading equipment for staff use (computers, a financial database, security system)
- Upgrading your facility in ways that will allow you to serve more clients (buying a new refrigerator for a food pantry, replacing recalled cribs in an early childhood education facility)
- Providing training for staff, board or volunteers
- Hiring a consultant to help your organization develop a strategic plan or fundraising plan
- Communications/marketing consulting or start-up assistance, including help with branding, developing a social media presence, promotional materials, e-news campaign or other outreach strategy
- Developing an evaluation system to track the effectiveness of your program
- Organizing shared services with other nonprofit organizations, such as shared IT support, back-office admin support, financial services, etc.
Project/program support (NOTE: most grants fall into this category) – these are funds designated to help you carry out a specific project for the clients you serve. Examples are:
- Providing food to a larger number of food pantry clients
- Establishing a book mobile to bring library books to low-income neighborhoods
- Offering dental screenings through school-based health centers
- Creating a new exhibit at a museum
- Matching students with adult mentors
- Providing care and case management for victims of domestic violence
- Adding tutoring services to your after-school program
The following factors are considered, although not exclusively, in reviewing proposals:
- Likelihood of the project to make a significant difference in the community
- Likelihood of grant to make a significant difference for the organization (in other words, is the size of our grant a good fit for the size and scope of the request?)
- Evidence of a plan to measure or evaluate the success of the proposed request
- Organization’s ability to carry out the proposed request successfully
- Clarity and thoroughness of responses to application questions
- Impact on the county/ies served by the affiliate to which you’re applying. Please note that if you’re applying for funding on behalf of a regional or statewide organization, your proposal is more likely to be successful if you can demonstrate that the project will be based in or have a direct impact on the county where you’re applying.
Funding Information
- Carroll County: $300 – $5000
- Clark County: $250 – $1500
- Columbia County: $500 – $2000
- Craighead County: $2500 – $12,000
- Cross County: $500 – $1500
- Delta Area$: 500 – $2000
- Greene County: $1000 – $3500
- Hot Springs Area: $500 – $10,000
- Hot Springs Village: $500 – $10,000
- Mississippi County: $500 – $2500
- Monroe County: $500 – $5000
- Ouachita Valley: $500 – $5000
- Pine Bluff Area: $1000 – $4000
- Texarkana Area$1500 – $2500
- Twin Lakes Area: $500
- Western AR: $1000 – $3000
Eligibility Criteria
- Giving Tree grants are place-based, meaning that your organization must serve one of the areas where they’re currently making grants. Please note that if you’re applying for funding on behalf of a regional or statewide organization, your proposal is more likely to be successful if you can demonstrate that the project will be based in or have a direct impact on the county where you’re applying.
- Any 501c3 public charity, school, hospital or government agency serving the counties where they’re making grants is eligible to apply.
For more information, visit Arkansas Community Foundation.
