Arkansas Capacity Building Grants

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Faulkner, Conway, Perry, and Van Buren counties to enhance community programs focused on education, financial stability, health, and resilience for underserved populations.

The Arkansas Community Foundation is seeking applications for its Giving Tree Grant 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 Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/15/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Foundation 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 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 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 our 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. What Foundation not Looking For Each request is considered on its own merit. However, the following types of requests generally are not considered: Support for annual fundraising campaigns Support for capital campaigns Projects that address sectarian religious purposes Projects that are political in nature or have a political bias Multi-year proposals Scholarships or fellowships for formal education at any level Funding for salaries Eligibility Criteria Giving Tree grants are place-based, meaning that your organization must serve one of the areas where They 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 are making grants is eligible to apply. For more information, visit Arkansas Community Foundation.

The Mid-America Arts Alliance is seeking applications for its Practicing Artist Grants to support creative practices and career advancement. Donor Name: Mid-America Arts Alliance State: Arkansas County: Benton County (AR), Carroll County (AR), Crawford County (AR), Sebastian County (AR), Washington County (AR) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Artists 360 is designed to elevate and energize greater Northwest Arkansas Practicing Artists by providing them with: $10,000 grants to support creative practices and career advancement; Peer-based learning experiences to develop entrepreneurship skills and build enduring creative practices; and Connections to a dynamic regional artist network. Fifteen practice-based grants are awarded annually. Practicing Artist fellows receive financial support they may self-select how to best use. Funds may be used for any purpose that supports the continued development of their creative practice, including but not limited to equipment, travel, studio space, child care, professional services, research, supplies, and contingency savings. Fellows participate in peer-based learning experiences, including an in-person retreat, One-On-One mentorship, and ongoing small peer group discussions. These experiences develop entrepreneurial skills, while expanding a network of leading regional artists. What is a ‘Practicing Artist?’ A Practicing Artist will have an active and current artistic practice. Has specialized training in the field (not limited to academic training). Has demonstrated success in the arts through the creation of high-quality work and/or contributions to the field. Is recognized as a practicing artist by peers (artists working in the same discipline and by experts in the field). Eligibility Requirements  To be eligible for the Artists 360 Practicing Artist Grant program, you must: Be a resident of the State of Arkansas and have established residency of at least one year at the time of application, in one of the following counties: Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, or Washington. Retain residency within the five-county region for the duration of the grant period (October 2024 through October 2025). Commit to participating in peer-to-peer professional development activities during the grant year, including the Artists 360 Retreat at the 21C Museum Hotel in Bentonville, AR from 9:00 a.m. Saturday, October 19, 2024 through 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2024 (meals and private lodging provided). Be 18 years of age at the time of application. Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have non-resident status and provide a valid Social Security Number if selected for funding. Be a practicing artist that creates work in any discipline, including, but not limited to dance, film, literary, music, theatre, and visual art. May not be currently enrolled in a degree seeking program. May not have previously received an Artists 360 Practicing Artist grant. May not have received a grant or award of $1,000 or more through any other M-AAA granting program during its 2024 or 2025 fiscal years (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025). Not be a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance or an immediate family member of a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance. Review Criteria  Practicing Artist grants will be reviewed using the following criteria: Artistry: Selected artists will demonstrate artistic excellence, broadly defined by the practitioners and norms in their discipline, and show a deep commitment to their work. Selected artists will have an active creative practice for a minimum of three years and show motivation to continue and further evolve. Program Readiness: Selected artists will have the desire to advance their career and deepen their practice, engage in an active strategic management process surrounding their practice, as well as an interest in sharing their work and process as part of a network of artists in a peer learning environment. Impact of Funding on Practice: Selected artists will clearly identify the ways in which Artists 360 funds will impact their careers and creative practices. These identified impacts should relate to previous challenges and/or desired futures. Balanced Cohort: The overall balance of the group of fellows will be considered to ensure a broad representation of perspectives, disciplines, and experiences. For more information, visit Mid-America Arts Alliance.

The Mid-America Arts Alliance is seeking applications for its Graduate Student Artist Grants. Donor Name: Mid-America Arts Alliance State: Arkansas County: Benton County (AR), Carroll County (AR), Crawford County (AR), Sebastian County (AR), Washington County (AR) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Artists 360 is designed to elevate and energize greater Northwest Arkansas Graduate Student Artists by providing them with: $5,000 grants to support creative practices and career advancement; Peer-based learning experiences to develop entrepreneurship skills and build enduring creative practices; and Connections to a dynamic regional artist network. Five practice-based grants are awarded annually. Graduate Student Artist fellows receive financial support they may self-select how to best use. Funds may be used for any purpose that supports the continued development of their creative practice, including but not limited to equipment, travel, studio space, child care, professional services, research, supplies, and contingency savings. Fellows participate in peer-based learning experiences, including an in-person retreat, One-On-One mentorship, and ongoing small peer group discussions. These experiences develop entrepreneurial skills, while expanding a network of leading regional artists. Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for the Artists 360 Graduate Student Artist Grant program, you must: Be enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year (part-time or full-time) in a graduate program at an accredited post-secondary institution located in one of the following counties: Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian, or Washington. (Graduate Student Artists do not have to be arts majors to be eligible for Artists 360.) Be 18 years of age at the time of application. Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have non-resident status and provide a valid Social Security Number if selected for funding. Create work in any artistic discipline, including, but not limited to dance, film, literary, music, theatre, and visual art. Commit to participating in peer-to-peer professional development activities during the grant year, including the Artists 360 Retreat at the 21C Museum Hotel in Bentonville, AR from 9:00 a.m. Saturday, October 19, 2024 through 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2024 (meals and private lodging provided). May not have previously received an Artists 360 Graduate Student Grant. May not have received a grant or award of $1,000 or more through any other M-AAA granting program during its 2024 or 2025 fiscal years (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025). Not be a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance or an immediate family member of a full-time employee of Mid-America Arts Alliance. Review Criteria  Graduate Student Artist grants will be reviewed using the following criteria: Artistry: Selected artists will demonstrate artistic excellence, broadly defined by the practitioners and norms in their discipline, and show a deep commitment to their work. Selected artists will have an active creative practice for a minimum of three years and show motivation to continue and further evolve. Program Readiness and Collegiality: Selected artists will have the desire to advance their career and deepen their practice, engage in an active strategic management process surrounding their practice, as well as an interest in sharing their work and process as part of a network of artists in a peer learning environment. Impact of Funding on Practice: Selected artists will clearly identify the ways in which Artists 360 funds will impact their careers and creative practices. These identified impacts should relate to previous challenges and/or desired futures. Balanced Cohort: The overall balance of the group of fellows will be considered to ensure a broad representation of perspectives, disciplines, and experiences. For more information, visit Mid-America Arts Alliance.