Best Arkansas Grants for Nonprofits

There are a variety of funding sources available for nonprofit grants in Arkansas. There are currently 31 individual grants with average awards over $25k. The median grant amount in the state is $10,000. As for specific grant focus areas, over 2,000+ available grants in Arkansas target art & culture, and more than 3,000+ grants focus on education. There are also 98 open grants that target specific programs or projects and 22 grants that aim to support general operating expenses.

Grants in Arkansas are funded by a variety of sources, including private foundations, the federal government, state/local government agencies, corporate funders, and associations. Here’s an overview of funders providing the largest number of grants:

• Private Foundations: 60 grants in Arkansas are funded by private foundations targeting a large range of categories from anthropology and cultural studies to human and social services to social justice/human rights. Private foundations make up the largest category of funders.
• Federal Government: 13 federal grants are available within Arkansas. These grants often focus on rural development, agriculture, and health and medicine.
• State & Local Government: Currently, 24 grants are available from state/local government agencies in Arkansas. Focus areas across these grants typically include farms and farming, art and culture and art education, and land/habitat conservation.
• Corporate Funders: 12 corporate grants are available in Arkansas. These grants focus on things like dental health, education, and children's mental health.

Given the current uncertainty about government funding for grants, nonprofits should stay up-to-date on funding availability and consider focusing efforts on private foundations and corporations.

Based on currently available data, the best time to apply for grants in Arkansas is in Q1, which holds the highest percentage of grant deadlines at 34.3%. Q4, Q2, and Q3 all have less grant activity but are similar to each other in rates, ranging from 22.8% to 21.4%. With a spike of deadlines in Q1 compared to the rest of the year, nonprofits applying for grants in Arkansas should focus efforts during this time.

The nonprofit funding landscape for grants in Arkansas has shown a change in activity over the last few years. Based on IRS funding reports, grant funding decreased by 8.47% from ~$1.39 billion in 2021 to ~$1.28 billion in 2022. The largest focus areas for funding during this time included single-organization support, alliance/advocacy organizations, and professional societies and associations. The top three counties in Arkansas that received the most funding were Washington County, Benton County, and Pulaski County.