Arkansas Community Foundation launches a $10 million fund for nonprofit work on food insecurity
Anchored by a $10 million grant from the Walmart Foundation, the Arkansas Full Table Fund takes applications from Oct. 1 to Dec. 7 for two-year pilot grants of up to $200,000 in three areas: federal nutrition programs, the charitable food system and new local ideas.
Springdale. Nonprofits working on food insecurity in Arkansas can apply from Oct. 1 to Dec. 7 for grants from the Arkansas Full Table Fund, a statewide program that Arkansas Community Foundation announced on Sept. 25 at an event in Springdale.
The fund is anchored by a $10 million grant from the Walmart Foundation, with Tyson Foods and Cargill as additional funders, the foundation said. Talk Business & Politics reported that the companies' contributions were not disclosed. The fund's request for applications says the funders will distribute about $10 million to organizations based in the state, and cites survey data showing that nearly 30 percent of Arkansans are food insecure.
Three kinds of grants
Advocate grants, of up to $200,000, pay for outreach, non-lobbying advocacy and changes to systems that raise participation in nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC and the Summer Food Service Program, for instance by equipping farmers markets to accept benefits. Strengthen grants, also up to $200,000, go to the capacity, infrastructure and coordination of the charitable food system, with examples such as cold storage, inventory technology and client-choice pantries. Innovate grants, of up to $100,000, test community-driven ideas not yet tried in Arkansas or not at scale, such as medically tailored meals or gleaning.
Each is a pilot grant for up to 24 months, paid in two halves. Pilot grantees may then be chosen for follow-on funding for up to 36 more months, which is not guaranteed. An organization may lead one project in each stream.
Who can apply
The lead applicant must be a 501(c)(3) organization, a hospital, a government body or an educational institution, based in Arkansas with a track record there in food insecurity, nutrition or related work, and the project must be carried out only in Arkansas. Partners and subgrantees need not be based in the state.
The fund will not pay for pure research, food purchases alone, property, new construction, endowments or lobbying. A yearly request larger than half of the applicant's operating budget may be denied, indirect costs are capped at 20 percent, and consultants and subawards may not exceed half of the request.
A notice of intent is encouraged but not required by Nov. 23, and a question and answer webinar is set for Oct. 20. Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Central time on Dec. 7. Three reviewers will score each eligible application, the foundation will make the final decisions, and awards are expected in February 2027.
The foundation said the fund grew out of community conversations and focus groups it held across the state in 2025. It says it has made more than $600 million in grants since 1976.
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