ArkansasGives Event Delivers a Total of $4.6 million

ArkansasGives Event Delivers a Total of $4.6 million

April 7 statewide fundraiser to aid 600 nonprofits

www.arkansasnews.com LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Community Foundation today announced the certified results of the ArkansasGives program, a one-day giving event on April 7 that resulted in $4.6 million for statewide nonprofits. Checks for their portion of the proceeds will be mailed to the nonprofits by early May.

About 600 nonprofits statewide participated in ArkansasGives, raising a total of $4,117,786.67 from the 11,943 donors who made 18,535 online contributions through ArkansasGives.org. With the addition of prize money from First Security Bank and bonus dollars from Arkansas Community Foundation, a total of $4,604,786.67 will be distributed to participating nonprofits.

“I can't say it enough — I'm amazed at the generosity of Arkansans,” said Heather Larkin, Community Foundation CEO. “The average donation size was $278, but many of the gifts were near the $25 minimum level. And 22 percent of the donors made gifts to more than one charity.”

All participating nonprofits will receive a share of a $400,000 bonus pool provided by Arkansas Community Foundation.

The pool will be split among the nonprofits on a pro-rated basis; for example, if an organization raised 1 percent of the total received on April 7, that organization would receive a corresponding 1 percent of the bonus pool ($4,000). First Security Bank contributed $60,000 in prize money for nonprofits that raised the most dollars and received the most individual donations. The certified winners of the First Security Bank grand prizes, along with their prize amounts, are:

Small Nonprofit Most Dollars

• Go Near Ministry, $5,000

• A-Camp, Inc., $3,000

• Loaves & Fishes Food Bank of the Ozarks, Inc., $2,000

Small Nonprofit Most Donations

• Lucie's Place – $5,000

• Central Arkansas Library System Foundation – $3,000

• A-Camp, Inc. – $2,000

Mid-size Nonprofit Most Dollars

• Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival – $5,000

• Soaring Wings Ranch $3,000

• Clear Spring School, Inc. – $2,000

Mid-size Nonprofit Most Donations

• Maggie House – $5,000

• Soaring Wings Ranch $3,000

• The CALL – $2,000

Large Nonprofit Most Dollars

• Arkansas Symphony Orchestra – $5,000

• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families $3,000

• Our House, Inc. – $2,000

Large Nonprofit Most Donations

• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families $5,000

• Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund – $3,000

• Arkansas Foodbank $2,000 This year a new set of prizes (amounts listed below), for most dollars raised between 6 and 7 p.m. in the Power Hour were awarded to:

Small Nonprofit

• Faulkner County SPCA $3,000

• Together for Hope Arkansas – $2,000

• Go Near Ministry $1,000

Mid-size Nonprofit

• Maggie House – $3,000

• David E. Puryear Center – $2,000

• Hispanic Community Services, Inc. – $1,000

Large Nonprofit

• Arkansas Symphony Orchestra – $3,000

• Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families $2,000

• Arkansas Arts Center $1,000 Nonprofit Category prizes (amounts listed below) were awarded to organizations that raised the most dollars in their categories of service:

• Faith Based – Go Near Ministry, $1,000

• Animal Welfare Faulkner County SPCA, $1,000

• Economic Development – Main Street Dumas, Inc., $1,000

• Environment – Audubon Arkansas, $1,000

• Human Services Soaring Wings Ranch, $1,000

• Education – Clear Springs School, Inc., $1,000

• Health – Arkansas Hospice Foundation, $1,000

• Community & Civic Engagement/Public & Social Benefit – Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, $1,000

• Arts & Humanities Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, $1,000 Two ArkansasGives partners who help make the event possible are the Arkansas Nonprofit Alliance and AT& T, which hosted the headquarters for the April 7 event. Media partners like THV 11 in Little Rock, KAIT 8 in Jonesboro, KFSM TV 5 in Fort-Smith-Fayetteville, iHeart Media, the Arkansas Press Association, the Arkansas Broadcasters Association, Soiree magazine, and Jonesboro Occasions magazine help spread the word about this giving opportunity.

Arkansas 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 $140 million in grants and partnered with thousands of Arkansans to help them improve our neighborhoods, our towns and our entire state.

Contributions to the Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 27 affiliates are fully tax deductible.

From the Arkansas Press Association