OVERVIEW: This funder prioritizes health, education, and community vitality in Northwest Arkansas. It does not accept unsolicited grant applications, but grant seekers can call the staff with an idea for a local project.
IP TAKE: This funder has roots in the hospital industry and ideas about community health in Springdale are likely to catch this its attention. Call the staff before sending anything in by mail or email.
PROFILE: Based in Springdale, Arkansas, the Endeavor Foundation is a professionally staffed grantmaking organization with a board of business, civic, and community leaders. It supports Northwest Arkansas and the people who call this region home. It has been making grants for over 15 years and awarded around 3,000 grants totaling over $80 million.
Its areas of interest include physical and mental health, food insecurity and housing stability, education, and community vitality. This foundation was established with funds from the sale of two hospitals in the area, so health is a priority—both physical and mental, particularly access to healthy food in Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville.
Education funding supports equal opportunities for children. But pre-K programs are the big issue here. According to the foundation, in Northwest Arkansas, less than half of the approximately 4,000 children that live at or below the 200 percent federal poverty level have access to pre-K education.
Finally, its community vitality support funds access to resources and opportunities in Northwest Arkansas. Endeaver supports efforts to revitalize Downtown Springdale, and to create gathering spaces and preserve the town’s history and culture to attract new businesses. Endeavor seeks to level the playing field and bridge the gaps between the wealth that major corporations have created in Northwest Arkansas and the extreme poverty that still exists here.
Unfortunately, grant seekers must be formally invited to submit a proposal, so there are no letter of inquiry or application forms on the website. However, grant seekers are welcome to share an idea with the foundation by contacting the program staff.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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