Nonprofits in Faulkner County can go to arcf.org/givingtree to apply for grants through the Community Foundation of Faulkner County, an affiliate of Arkansas Community Foundation. Applications must be submitted online by Saturday, Feb. 15. 

“Since our affiliate was formed in 2001, we’ve awarded $4.35M in grants to benefit Faulkner County,” said Shelley Mehl, executive director. “We are asking that each grant proposal show how the funds will be used to address at least one Aspire Arkansas indicator for Faulkner County. Tying the request back to an identified issue in Faulkner County will be an important part of our evaluation process.”  

The full list of Aspire Arkansas indicators can be found at aspirearkansas.org. 

“The committee is interested in grant requests for new or existing programs, operational costs and initiatives to build capacity,” said Dr. Lesley Graybeal, chairperson of the grants committee. “We know that our community is home to many amazing nonprofits, so we give greatest consideration to requests from organizations based in Faulkner County.”

This year, the Community Foundation is accepting three different kinds of proposals: 

• Projects with a special emphasis on early literacy are eligible for Grade-Level Reading grants. Applicants who fit into this focus area should look for the application titled “Grade Level Reading.” Proposals for Grade-Level Reading grants should be aimed at increasing local students’ early literacy through one or more of the five focus areas of the Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading: 1) parent and community engagement, 2) school readiness, 3) classroom instruction, 4) chronic absence prevention and intervention, or 5) summer learning loss prevention. Emphasis should be on children ages 0 to 8. 
• Proposals for programs that provide hunger relief in Faulkner County are eligible for the Stop Hunger Endowment Grant. This endowed fund was established in 2009 to address the issue of hunger in Faulkner County.  Please note that you’re applying for a Hunger Grant in your narrative.
• Proposals serving all other charitable purposes in Faulkner County are eligible for Giving Tree Grants. Arkansas Community Foundation/Faulkner County established the Giving Tree Endowment to make grants that capitalize on exceptional opportunities which address current needs. Giving Tree grants place an emphasis on local philanthropy with local donors making gifts to grow the endowment, local decision-making to award the grants and local grantee agencies leveraging the grant funding to change lives in our communities. Since its inception in 2001, the Faulkner County Giving Tree Endowment has made 186 grants totaling $298,000. Priority is given to organizations based in Faulkner County; however, the Community Foundation will consider applications from organizations based in other areas if they can demonstrate that their program will provide direct services to people in Faulkner County. Applications for causes other than literacy can be submitted by completing the Giving Tree application. 

The deadline for all three applications is Feb. 15. 

Any IRS 501(c)(3) public charity, public school, government agency or hospital in Faulkner County is eligible to apply. Other applicants may be considered if the project has a clear charitable purpose for the public benefit. Grants are not made to individuals. Applications will be reviewed by a grant-making committee from the Faulkner County affiliate volunteer board. 

“Through local Giving Tree grants, our state’s nonprofit organizations find support as they implement great ideas to improve their communities,” said Heather Larkin, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Giving Tree grants are selected by local people in each of our affiliate areas and awarded to local organizations.”

Funding for the Giving Tree program comes from hundreds of Arkansas donors who support the work of the Community Foundation. Donations to this endowment fund are accepted year-round.

Arkansas Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fosters smart giving to improve communities. The Community Foundation offers tools to help Arkansans protect, grow and direct their charitable dollars as they learn more about community needs. 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 $250 million in grants and partnered with thousands of Arkansans to help them improve neighborhoods, towns and the entire state. Contributions to the Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 28 affiliates are fully tax deductible.