Natural State News

In response to the effects of the economic crisis created by COVID-19 restrictions, the Arkansas Community Foundation (ACF) has launched a new initiative aimed at assisting black-led and black-serving nonprofits in the Little Rock metro area.

Heather Larkin, ACF CEO, recently spoke with Roby Brock of Talk Business and Politics about the Building Black Communities Fund created with a $1 million grant from Facebook, and how the ACF has responded to needs in the state during the pandemic.

“COVID definitely gave the Community Foundation an example of what a community foundation can do,” she said. “We are not a disaster relief organization, but we are responsive to our communities.”

Larkin said that the ACF responded immediately to the crisis as the early days of coronavirus restrictions unfolded, and by March 19, 2020, had grants “going out the door.” They operated in three phases, awarding 678 grants of $1,000 each by the end of April, then turning around to make a deeper impact with $25,000 grants, with approximately 120 awarded by the end of June, and moving into a final phase of grants for such things as housing and small businesses that targeted communities of color.

“And we’ve made about 40 grants of about $500,000 in that phase,” Larkin said.

With approximately $3.2 million in grants awarded in response to the pandemic alone, Larkin said that they are proud of the recent donation from Facebook of $1 million which is funding the Building Black Communities Fund, especially as the ACF was contacted by Facebook rather than having to apply for the grant.

“We have convened a group of black leadership – mainly partnering with the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative,” Larkin said. “They’re running the initiative; they’re making all the decisions on that, and they will be making grants of that money.”

Larkin said that she anticipates the request for proposals will likely go out in April or May, with the intention of having grants awarded in early summer.