UCA receives Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation grant

CONWAY—The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF) announced its continued support of the Center for Community and Economic Development at the University of Central Arkansas through a three-year Rural Community and Economic Development Grant for $84,000.

This funding is intended to support the Center’s efforts to assist municipal and nonprofit leaders build regional connections and to provide direct assistance to communities with their development efforts.

This award is the second community development grant WRF has awarded UCA. The center recently concluded a three-year grant in which rural community leaders and nonprofits serving rural communities received training and direct assistance. The first grant provided assistance to over 1,000 people in rural Arkansas communities and directly impacted over 350 UCA students.

This second grant will seek to build off the success of this previous grant. With a statewide scope and a focus on building partnerships and regional collaborative efforts, the will seek to strengthen Arkansas communities by identifying opportunities to build upon community assets. Additionally, this grant will connect the skills and energy of UCA students with Arkansas communities.

“The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has been a continual presence of support and leadership for Arkansas for over 40 years. UCA and the Center are proud to work with WRF to make a positive impact in Arkansas,” said Amy Whitehead, director of the Center for Community and Economic Development.

For more information, please contact Josh Markham at 501-450-3460 or at joshm@uca.edu.

ABOUT THE WINTHROP ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION

For 40 years, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has worked to make a difference by helping to build and sustain the organizations that serve and strengthen Arkansas. Through grant making and strategic partnerships, WRF is working even harder to help close the economic and educational gaps that leave too many Arkansas families in persistent poverty. Working together, the needle can and must move from poverty to prosperity for all Arkansans. For more information on the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, go to www.wrfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Center for Community and Economic Development is a part of UCA’s Division of Outreach and Community Engagement. The Center’s mission is to have a positive impact on communities by equipping leaders with economic tools and resources, building consensus to achieve community goals, and bringing UCA resources and communities together.

– 30 –