The Faulkner County affiliate of Arkansas Community Foundation recently announced it awarded 31 grants totaling $54,837 to nonprofit agencies in Faulkner County. The grants were made from its 2018 Giving Tree Endowment, 2018 Venture Philanthropy Fund and its 2018 Stop Hunger Endowment.

“We are pleased to announce that Faulkner County nonprofits received $54,837 in grants during our past fiscal year from our board-directed endowments and funds,” said Gloria Cheshier, executive director of the Faulkner County affiliate. “Funding for our grants comes from local individuals and families. We invest their donations in an endowment and it provides a permanent source of funding for charitable causes in our county. We are proud to recognize the recipients of our FY2018 grant awards.”

Those receiving Giving Tree grants, which range from $750 to $2,100, and their projects are:

• Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention – Grant to support Cooking Matters classes in Greenbrier.
• Bethlehem House – Grant to provide funding for community breakfast program.
• Community Action Program for Central Arkansas – Grant to purchase classroom books and lending library books for Head Start Centers.
• Conway Cradle Care – Grant to purchase support materials to educate adolescent mothers on the importance of prenatal care, prenatal nutritional needs for both mother and child, bodily changes that will occur during pregnancy and to prepare them for birth and postpartum care.
• Conway Ministry Center – Grant to purchase a pallet jack with a scale.
• Conway Police Department – Grant to fund books on safety and first aid for the Sixth Annual Free Child Safety Fair on June 16 as part of the Safety Bingo Game.
• Conway Symphony Orchestra – Grant to support the “CSO on the Go” Community Music Program.
• Counseling Associates, Inc. – Grant to provide funding for a commercial grade stand-alone freezer for HAVEN (Help for Abuse Victims in Emergency Need).
• Faulkner County Council on Aging, Inc. – Grant to serve as part of matching funds needed for a grant from Arkansas Highway and Transportation for a 2018 bus.
• Independent Living Services – Grant to fund an Amedica AM-SX 1060 Hi-Lo Changing Table.
• Literacy Action of Central Arkansas – Grant to purchase the curriculum and instructional materials needed to start an adult ESL class in Conway.
• Make a Child Smile of Central Arkansas – Grant to purchase items for backpacks and supplies for 13- to 17-year-old youth in need.
• Milestones, Inc. – Grant to fund setting up an infant room.
• Mount Vernon Baptist Food Pantry – Grant to purchase food from the AR Foodbank to be distributed by the pantry.
• Pine Street Backpack Program – Grant to purchase school supplies and backpacks for the Pine Street Community students.
• Renewal Ranch – Grant to purchase 49cc scooters for Phase 2 men to use to provide transportation to work.
• Reynolds Performance Hall – Grant to help students who need financial support for their tickets to attend Main Stage Performances.
• Women’s Shelter of Central Arkansas – Grant to update the flooring in their emergency shelter.

Those receiving Venture Philanthropy grants and their projects:

• City of Greenbrier Police Department – Grant to furnish Narcan to revive persons who have overdosed.
• City of Vilonia Police Department – Grant to furnish Narcan to revive persons who have overdosed.
• Community Action Program for Central Arkansas – Grant to partially fund marketing for the 2018 Project Homeless Connect event.
• Conway Cradle Care – Grant to purchase the Magnetic Letter Gift Sets and other supplies needed for the Design Literacy Project.
• Conway Downtown Partnership – Grant to partially fund the Downtown Neighborhood Bike Corral Project.
• Conway Ministry Center – Grant to fund tents, sleeping bags and other supplies for homeless and those in need through their Urban Christmas Project.
• Conway Symphony Orchestra – Grant to partially fund the “CSO on the GO” program which furnishes musicians to play for community events at no charge.
• Guy-Perkins School District – Grant to provide start-up funding to begin the Imagination Library program.
• Last Chance Ministries, Inc. – Grant to purchase a safe propane heater and remote fuel tank to provide adequate heating in their bunkhouse.
• Mayflower School District – Grant to provide start-up funding to begin the Imagination Library program.
• Renewal Ranch – Grant to provide start-up funding for purchase of pressure washing machinery for Phase I men to earn their own money to move and have money to buy essentials.
• Salvation Army – Grant to purchase a refrigerator to store donated food.

The Stop Hunger Endowment grant for FY18 went to the Conway Ministry Center for use in purchasing protein items for its Storehouse Pantry project.

Nonprofit agencies in Faulkner County who have projects related to hunger issues are invited to apply through our Fall Giving Tree grant cycle, through Wednesday, Aug. 15, by going to arcf.org/grants.

Projects non-hunger related are encouraged to apply for Giving Tree grants from Jan. 10 –Feb. 15 each year.

Venture Philanthropy grants are board-driven based on the local board’s knowledge of needs in the county. Questions should be emailed to [email protected].