A team of four students from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service have partnered with the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation (HSACF) to identify programs and services that focus on addressing poverty in Hot Springs and the greater Garland County community.
Clinton School students Khalid Ahmadzai (Kabul, Afghanistan); Evan Brown (Memphis, Tenn.), Sarah Fowlkes (Ann Arbor, Mich.); and Yohannis Job (Scarborough, Tobago) will concentrate their efforts on addressing the “Four Pillars of Poverty” (education, health, families, communities) outlined in the Aspire Arkansas Report commissioned by the Arkansas Community Foundation (ACF) in 2013.
The HSACF, an affiliate of the ACF is located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and has distributed more than $7.8 million over the past 24 years to over 150 qualified grantees in Garland County. The team of students will analyze the HSACF’s giving database for the most recent five years and assess how it aligns with Aspire Arkansas’ four pillars of poverty.
The project will culminate with a final report and presentation to the HSACF at the Garland County Library that will be open to the public on Thursday, April 14 at 10:00 a.m.
The team will also provide recommendations by building a Garland County organization database; analyzing the needs, gaps and overlapping services in the community; as well as conducting interviews of various business and community leaders to help inform HSACF’s future grant making strategy.
“We would like to shift our focus from being merely giving grants on budget line items to assuming more of a strategic community leadership role in our grant making here in Hot Springs,” said HSACF’s executive director, Ann Carrithers.
This project is one of 10 to be completed by 37 Clinton School students across the state of Arkansas. Students will receive academic credit towards their Master of Public Service degree program for their participation.
About the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation
Since 1991, the mission of the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation has been to serve as a vehicle for helping individuals, firms, and organizations in our area in carrying out their immediate and long-term philanthropic plans. Since 1991, HSACF has had over 120 funds and has made over 8.3 million in grants to benefit Garland and Montgomery counties.
More information about the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation is available at www.arcf.org.
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