Grant Cycles

Spring

Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Grant Cycle opens Jan. 10 and ends Feb. 15. Applications are submitted online on the same online portal as the Giving Tree Grants. No paper applications are accepted. Grants during this cycle are specific to programs that support youth and children of Garland County. All 501c3 nonprofits, schools, churches, hospitals or government agencies that meet this specific requirement are encouraged to apply. Grant range from $100 to $2500. Contact Joyce Whitfield for more information on how to apply.  

Spring

Giving Tree Grant Cycle opens Jan.10 and ends Feb. 15. Grants during this cycle are made to support a variety of causes based on changing community needs. All 501c3 nonprofits, schools, churches, hospitals or government agencies that meet this specific requirement are encouraged to apply. Grant range from $500 to $25,000. Contact Joyce Whitfield for more information on how to apply.  

Spring

Grade-Level Reading Cycle opens Jan. 10 and ends Feb. 15.  Grants during this cycle are specific to programs that should fit into one or more of the focus areas of the Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.  

1. School Readiness (quality early childhood education, home visiting, early health or developmental screening, etc.)  
2. Classroom instruction (support for teachers to participate in literacy training/workshops, classroom materials, innovative instructional techniques) 
3. Chronic Absence Prevention (support for families, school-based health centers, etc.) 
4. Summer Learning Loss Prevention (summer reading programs following evidence-based models)  
5. Parent and Community Involvement (book delivery, mentoring, support for families, etc.) 

These grants should be submitted on the Grade Level Reading online application, not the regular Giving Tree grant application.  

Summer

Future Fund Grant Cycle occurs during the summer. Each year, Future Fund members select a focus area of needs to be considered for grant consideration. 501c3 nonprofits, schools, churches, hospitals or government agencies that meet this specific requirement are encouraged to apply.  Grant range from $500 to $2500. Applications are submitted online via the same online portal as the Giving Tree Grants from July 10 – August 15 of each year.  No paper applications are accepted. 

Hot Springs Future Fund

The Hot Springs Future Fund is a fun way to work with other young Professionals to enhance our community. The group hosts an annual fundraiser, usually in the fall of each year, with proceeds from the event being used for grantmaking for a specific cause voted on each year by the membership. For more information, email Cole McCaskill at cole.mccaskill@growinghotsprings.com.

Youth Advisory Council (YAC)

YAC students are local public, private and homeschool high school-age students who are interested in community service and philanthropy. Applications for membership are taken each year prior to the beginning of the new school year.

The group meets monthly from September to April to learn about the needs of our communities as well as the nonprofits working locally to serve those needs.  YAC members participate in community service projects and participate in the Giving Tree grant cycle by soliciting online applications for grants to be made to support programs designed specifically to help local youth and children in Garland County. Contact hotspringsarea@arcf.org to learn more.