The Ross Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This funder accepts pre-proposals throughout the year from groups in Clark County, Arkansas, in the following areas: education, arts and cultural enrichment, community beautification and improvement, historical preservation, mental health and the developmentally disabled, forestry and research and conservation management.
FUNDING AREAS: conservation, education, arts & culture, community development, forest resources, land conservation, mental health, developmental disabilities
IP TAKE: This funder has a very narrow geographic focus, so it is a great one to know for grant seekers who live in the Arkadelphia area. Nearly any type of nonprofit in these small towns has a chance here, as long as the program is local.
PROFILE: The Ross Foundation is based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and was founded in 1966 by Jane and Esther Ross. The initial endowment came from the estate of Esther’s father/Jane’s grandfather, J.G. Clark. It seeks to benefit “the people of Clark County through the revenue produced by [its] timberlands.”
It prioritizes grantmaking in Clark County. The board of directors administers a grants program and also manages timberlands for conservation purposes. The philanthropy program benefits from revenue produced by these timberlands. Accordingly, grant seekers will often find notices about controlled burns, land permits, and logging operations on the foundation’s website. The foundation has about 63,000 acres of land in Clark and Hot Spring Counties that is used for conservation and charitable purposes. The foundation maintains that its management techniques improve the value of forest resources and allow public access for recreational use.
In its grantmaking, this funder supports conservation, education, and community. Its specific areas of grantmaking include education, arts and cultural enrichment, community beautification and improvement, historical preservation, mental health and the developmentally disabled, forestry and research and conservation management. Overall, the foundation restricts grantmaking to Clark County, Arkansas.
To apply for a grant, new grant seekers must first complete a pre-proposal form to pitch the idea. The foundation accepts these any time of the year. The board meets once per month and reviews all the pre-proposals on hand at those times. If it is interested, Ross will request a full proposal. Full proposals are due October 1, February 1, and June 1.
Grant seekers can find forms for the pre-proposal, the full proposal, and a full proposal checklist on the Ross website. The foundation has also contributed to a scholarship program in partnership with Southern Bancorp called Arkadelphia Promise.
PEOPLE:
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