Springdale, AR — Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation (NWACF) announced 42 grants totaling $99,684. The grants were made possible through personal donations from board members and friends of the foundation to its Shared Gift unrestricted fund. This is the fourth year that the foundation has made unrestricted grants and the four-year grant total is now $261,582.

Board member Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon of Rogers chaired the grants committee for 2006 and offered these observations on the grant process.

"We enjoy reading all of the proposals because our board learns about the needs in northwest Arkansas. It is never easy deciding which nonprofit organization is more deserving of a grant. This year, the committee raised the grant amount from a maximum of $1,250 to $2,500, which meant we could do larger projects" explained Witherspoon.

Jack Butt, chairman of the NWACF Board of Directors, concurred with Witherspoon's remarks.

"We changed the name of our program from Unrestricted Grants to Shared Gift Grants to reflect that the donations come from many donors and to tie it to The Ultimate Gift book and movie, where the motto is Share the Gift, Change the World."

Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation was founded in 1999 and serves Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties. The Shared Gift Fund can make grants in seven key areas including animal welfare, arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and public society benefit. In 2006, applications were accepted for capacity building, equipment purchases, board and staff training, and for special projects.

The following organizations received grants:

Adult Development Center of Benton County, Inc., Rogers - $2,500 - Campaign Communication (printing of campaign materials)

Arkansas 4-H Madison County, Huntsville - $2,400 - Youth Education and Development Projects

Arts Center of the Ozarks, Springdale - $2,500 - Information Technology Upgrade

Benton County Sunshine School, Inc., Bentonville - $2,500 - Physical Therapy Equipment for New Facility

Bentonville Child Care & Development Center, Bentonville - $2,500 - Child Care Mentoring Program-A Multi-County Partnership

Bentonville School District-Baker Elementary, Bentonville - $2,500 - Earth Smart (Students Keep Arkansas Beautiful)

Carroll & Madison Library System, Berryville - $1,500 - Books in Bloom: A Garden Party Celebration of Writers and Readers

Circle of Life, Springdale - $2,500 - Wireless Internet Access for Hospice Patient Families

Elkins Community Center, Elkins - $1,975 - Games Project

Fayetteville Police Department, Fayetteville - $2,500 - Equipment Fund (Purchase S.L.I.P. Database)

Fayetteville Public Library Foundation, Fayetteville -$2,500 - The Big Read

Good Shepherd Humane Society, Eureka Springs - $2,500 - Pet Neuter Assistance Program

Habitat for Humanity International (Benton County), Garfield - $2,500 - Habitat Trails Educational Markers

Helping Oncology Patients Excel (HOPE, Inc.), Springdale - $2,500 - Staff Development & Office Improvement

Horses for Healing, Inc., Bentonville - $2,500 - Arena Standard Compliance Project

Jones Center for Families, Springdale - $2,500 - Parenting Instruction in the Marshallese Language

Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation, Rogers - $2,500 - Hydration/Misting Tents for Community Events

Kingston Rural Volunteer Fire Department, Compton - $2,250 - First Responder Equipment

Legal Aid of Arkansas, Fayetteville - $2,500 - Project Equal Access to Justice

Life Source International, Inc., Fayetteville - $2,500 - Kid's Life Summer Camp-Youth Leadership Program

Life Styles, Inc., Fayetteville - $2,500 - Equipment Purchase (computer, LCD projector)

Madison County Search & Rescue, Huntsville - $2,500 - Swiftwater Rescue Outboard Motor (equipment purchase)

NWA Children's Shelter, Bentonville - $2,500 - New Computers

NWA Economic Development Dist-Fayetteville Senior Center, Fayetteville - $2,500 - Computers for the Fayetteville Senior Center

NWA Free Health Center, Fayetteville - $2,500 - Health Education & Health Promotion of Patients (TV, DVD player, DVD's)

NWA Rape Crisis, Inc., Springdale - $2,500 - Technology Against Sexual Assault (camera & computers)

NWACF-Siloam Springs Community Improvement Fund, Siloam Springs - $2,500 - Twin Springs Park Fountain Restoration

OHC - Carroll County Senior Activity Center, Berryville - $2,300 - Kitchen Equipment-Ice Machine

OHC - Gravette-Billy V. Hall Senior Center, Gravette - $2,035 - Kitchen Equipment

Ozark Food Bank, Bethel Heights - $2,500 - Replace Warehouse Door

Ozark Natural Science Center, Huntsville - $2,500 - Ecology of Box Turtles in Bear Hollow Natural Area

Pea Ridge School District, Pea Ridge - $2,500 - Lifeline Semi-Automatic Defibrillators

Rebuilding Together NWA, Rogers - $2,030 - Wheelchair Ramp-Building Tools

Richardson Center, Springdale - $2,500 - Baby Steps Initiative

Samaritan House Community Center, Rogers - $2,500 - Client Tracking System/Computer Network

Siloam Springs School District-Allen Elementary, Siloam Springs - $2,500 - Listening Center Project

Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Washington County, Springdale - $1,760 - Equipment Software Purchase, Training & Design Development

Springdale School District-Southwest Junior High School, Springdale - $2,325 - Accelerated Reader Recovery Program (where technology meets reluctant readers)

Springdale, City of-Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Springdale - $2,500 - Arkansas Ozarks Coloring Book

St Francis House NWA Inc (Community Clinic), Springdale - $2,500 - Service Expansion/Health Promotion (equipment purchase)

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Ozark Affiliate Fayetteville - $1,109 - Your Community Profile for Better Breast Health (booklet printing)

Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville - $2,500 - Take a Seat

NWACF will honor the organizations and their volunteer boards of directors at a reception on Tuesday, March 6 from 5-6 p.m. at Blakeman's Fine Jewelry in Rogers.

The Foundation is a public charity whose mission is to connect donors to their charitable goals. It has given out more than $6,300,000 in grants to organizations throughout northwest Arkansas. The Foundation is a member of the Council on Foundations and has met all national standards for governance and accountability.