Everywhere you look, philanthropy is evident across the Natural State. According to the Arkansas Community Foundation Aspire Arkansas report, Arkansans gave about 3.4% of their annual income to benevolent causes, making it second in the nation for charitable giving in 2018. Black philanthropists are no exception, and organizations like the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative are creating new opportunities to elevate, strengthen and celebrate Black giving. Since 2020, ABPC has seeded more than $1 million into the hands of nonprofit organizations that serve the most vulnerable communities in Arkansas. Three organizations partnering with the ABPC to support communities of color are the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund, Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
After losing his friend Oscar Washington to a heart attack in 2017, Little Rock District Court Judge Mark Leverett worked with Oscar’s widow, Doris, to establish OWJEF and award scholarships to Black students entering college. Since its inception, the fund has awarded $170,000 to 85 recipients. “Oscar was very passionate about education, so this was a natural fit,” Mark says. “The more we all can direct our dollars toward those areas we are passionate about, the better our state will be.” This philanthropy was made possible by a generous $10,000 seed money donation from Entergy where Oscar had been vice president of customer service. Doris serves as president of OWJEF and Leverett is board chairman. “We couldn’t have gotten our scholarship fund up and running as quickly without the support from Entergy and such support is so important,” Doris notes.
Similarly, the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation uses philanthropy to support communities through building strategic partnerships in under-resourced areas. The foundation grants an average of $1 million annually to support oral health education and dental disease prevention and treatment projects. “We strive every day to address the oral health disparity in our state, and our reach is expanded through collaborations with organizations like Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative that are able to act as conduits that connect us to the groups already doing the work in their communities,” Executive Director Sharon Lanier, Ph.D., says.
The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation also sees equitable grantmaking as a core component to its mission. “Equity for all Arkansans is at the heart of our work at the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation,” says Grants Manager Nathaniel Thomas. “My role involves developing strategies that align with the foundation’s strategic direction and allows us to envision a prosperous state where everyone can earn a livable wage, get a quality education and build generational wealth.”
To celebrate the rich tradition of giving within Black communities, Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative is bringing The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed & Exhibited to the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Sponsored by Fidelity Charitable, it is a comprehensive, multimedia exhibit that aims to enlighten the public about Black philanthropy, both locally and nationally, and to provide a springboard for conversations about social responsibility, civic leadership, strategic giving and community impact. “It is our hope that the exhibit will shed a spotlight on these organizations and individuals who are giving back,” said Derek Lewis II, chair of the ABPC and president of the Derek Lewis Foundation. “We are excited to use this opportunity to raise the collective profile of the importance of Black philanthropy in Arkansas.”
Shown in photo: Doris Washington, Sharon Lanier, Mark Leverett, Nathan Thomas
Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed & Exhibited
August 22 – December 3
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center