Blog

February 5, 2025

by Ashley Coldiron, Chief Development Officer If you’re 70½ or older, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a smart way to give to a designated, field-of-interest, or unrestricted fund at the Community Foundation. In 2025, you can direct up to $108,000 from your IRA to several types of funds at the Community Foundation—though donor-advised funds […]

February 5, 2025

by Jody Dilday, Philanthropic Advisor The new year is underway, but there’s still plenty of time to reflect on your charitable impact and plan your giving for 2025. A great place to start is by considering the difference you’ve already made. Think about the causes you have loved and supported in the past. Many donors […]

February 4, 2025

Written by Lauren Morris, Program Director at Arkansas Community Foundation Child Care Aware of West Central Arkansas (CCA WCA) is out there quietly making sure Arkansas kids are getting the best start they can. From supporting early education center directors, to training staff, to classroom supplies, CCA WCA is behind the scenes making things better. And, over […]

January 30, 2025

When Mac Van Horn came to Arkansas in the early 1960s, he was looking to build his life and family. He fell in love with Russellville, began building his business and quickly started giving back. “My dad lived and modeled the idea that if you want a community to treat you well, you have to […]

January 30, 2025

“I have been planning this since I was 12-years-old,” said Misha Murphy. “I love to cook, and this area doesn’t have enough places to eat. So, here I am trying to fill that need while doing something I love. Arkansas Community Foundation and Communities Unlimited helped make it possible.” The Community Foundation’s mission of building […]

January 30, 2025

It all started in 1889 when Ernest Ritter decided to start a business in Marked Tree, Arkansas. There he laid a strong foundation combining business and philanthropy that would extend six generations. “He had grit. It took savviness and a strong work ethic to build E. Ritter & Company to what it is today,” said […]

January 30, 2025

Nestled in the north region of the Ozarks are two generations of financial advisors who continually refer clients to the Community Foundation and mindfully invest in the local community. In the spring of 2002, Sam Rhoades, then a financial advisor in Mountain Home, along with other leaders like Judy Loving, Ed Matthews, and Pat Lile, […]

January 29, 2025

That powerful quote is attributed to Nelson Henderson, whose son immortalized his father’s words in a book about growing up on their family farm. It reminds me that we have all benefited from the shade of trees planted by the generations before us, so we too are obligated to plant trees for the generations that […]

January 27, 2025

Meridith Armstrong, an 8th grade history teacher at Goza Middle School in Arkadelphia, was awarded $5,000 from The AHEAD Fund on January 27 at the Arkansas Department of Education building in Little Rock. January 27 marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. In 2021, thanks to the efforts of former Governor Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas […]

January 23, 2025

Everyone knows—or should know—the importance of having a will. In Arkansas, if someone dies without a plan and leaves behind a spouse as well as descendants, they leave one-third of their personal property and one-third of real property (in the form of a life estate) to their spouse, while two-thirds of personal property and two-thirds […]