How to Apply
GRANTS
How to Apply
Information on applying for funding
WRF collaborates with grant seekers, grantees, and other partners to relentlessly pursue equity by engaging in open communication and transparency with a spirit of trust. Working with us might mean being awarded a grant, managing a mission or program-related investment, or receiving technical assistance from a consultant. It might also mean we connect you to other like-minded organizations to collaborate to expand your idea and scale potential impact.
We want to learn what brought you to us, and why you would like to join us to pursue economic, educational, and social, ethnic and racial equity for all Arkansans. Our strategic direction guides our partnership process. To determine if WRF fits your organizational or personal strategy, follow the steps below.
STEP 1:
Set up an account.
To submit an idea, you don’t have to be a tax-exempt 501(c)(3), but it certainly won’t hurt. If you’re an individual with a good idea, we’ll look it over and see how we might work together (or connect you with people or organizations that support progress toward your goals). But first, you’ll need to set up an account through the WRF Portal.
STEP 2:
SUBMIT AN IDEA.
When you first set up an account, you’ll be asked to share a brief summary of your idea. Proposed ideas must have a direct impact within the state of Arkansas and align with AR Equity 2025. Before submitting an idea, we recommend you learn more about our priorities and approach. In particular, we suggest checking out our Eligibility Guidelines.
Once you’ve submitted an idea, we intend to follow up with you within a few weeks, either to schedule an introductory conversation about your idea or to connect you with other helpful resources. WRF program staff continually reviews ideas to determine how they support the foundation’s vision, mission, and strategy to achieve equity.People and organizations whose ideas receive favorable initial review may be invited to discuss the idea and possible next steps in more detail. We may also point you in a different direction if the idea doesn’t align with our goals.
STEP 3:
IF REQUESTED, DEVELOP A PROPOSAL.
After a lot of discussion with us about your idea, we may ask you to submit a more comprehensive proposal of how to turn your idea into reality. We ask you to spend time learning about AR Equity 2025 and How We Work. The proposal process will require you to tell us more about your strategy for advancing the priorities described in our Eligibility Guidelines.
This step can take a while. Plan for 6 to 12 months. All funding decisions are made by the WRF Board, which may decide to award all, none, or some portion of the requested funds. In some cases, before a proposal can move forward, you or your organization may need extra support (nonprofit professional advice, financial and operational training, leadership and movement building support, etc.). If the idea makes sense, we’ll make it happen.Additionally, we have been intentional about building capacity and partnering with organizations who are not seeking major funding but are still doing work aligned with our strategic direction through our staff-approved Capacity for Equity grant pool. In these cases, staff will review your idea or grant request and have the ability to award your grant request or provide you with additional assistance to cultivate your idea further.
We'll Keep You Posted
Funding recommendations are presented to the Board of Directors at its quarterly meetings held in March, June, September, and December.