by Heather Larkin, President & CEO
One of my favorite things about summer is the huge variety of produce and products available at our local farmer’s markets. There’s one in a church parking lot just down the street from me where I can get corn just off the stalk, peas fresh from the field, honey from a local producer and fresh flowers for the table.
As the Community Foundation’s staff members travel the state to visit affiliate offices, they often pick up Cave City watermelons, blackberries from BoBrook in Roland, strawberries from Harrison and tomatoes from Warren. Shopping locally instills pride in our state and helps support local entrepreneurs and the economy.
I believe that shopping locally should also include supporting the causes we care about. Throughout all the communities in Arkansas, local nonprofits are working each day to make their towns better places to live, work and grow. Becoming familiar with them and helping them meet their funding needs is a smart way to “shop local” with your charitable giving.
Sometimes it is easier to give to national or global causes we hear about. And that giving is important, too. After all, most of us go on Amazon when we can’t find a product locally. But setting aside a good portion of your charitable budget to give where you live is a smart way to give for several reasons:
- Your local nonprofits understand and embrace the climate and needs of the community they serve. Since the work is done in your community, your neighbors will reap the benefits.
- You are helping the local economy. Nonprofits employ many members of our communities who buy goods and services and contribute in other ways. The nonprofit also makes purchases locally.
- You can see your donation going to work by stopping in occasionally to see firsthand the kinds of programs and services these nonprofits provide.
- It is always a good idea to plan for charitable giving so that the dollars you contribute make the most impact on the issues important to your community.
Arkansas Community Foundation serves all 75 counties in Arkansas and provides easy-to-use tools for giving back to the causes you care about. If you want to take a look at some of the challenges your community is facing, go to AspireArkansas.org for county-by-county data on topics like health, education, families and community engagement. Or, if you’d like to learn more about creating a donor-advised fund that provides you with a flexible and efficient way to give to those causes, we’d love to chat with you.
With the right tools and information, you can “shop local” with your charitable dollars as you support the causes closest to your heart.