Fifty Years Bold: A Legacy of Change for Arkansas
In 1974, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF) was established to carry forward Governor Winthrop Rockefeller’s vision of expanding opportunity for every Arkansan. As governor, he signed the state’s first minimum wage law, desegregated schools, and led sweeping prison reforms. He once said:
“You can have a line of hungry people. You can feed every single one of them. But if you don’t uncover what’s creating the line, you haven’t done your job.”
At the time of his passing, Arkansas ranked near the bottom on many measures of well-being. Determined to change that, Rockefeller’s commitment to education, economic development, and civil rights lived on through his philanthropy. What began in 1956 as the Rockwin Fund became WRF, with funding and endowing grants from his Trust that ensured his vision would continue for generations.
Tom McRae, WRF’s executive director from 1975-1989, captured our ethos when he said:
“We can talk about our past and our being forty-ninth or fiftieth on all these lists, but the most important thing is believing something can be done and doing it.”
Philanthropy should not simply patch holes but help build a stronger, more just Arkansas. As we mark this fifty-year milestone, we’re reflecting on both what we’ve learned and what’s next in our commitment to systems change.
From Charity to Justice: The Evolution of Transformational Philanthropy
In the early 1990s, WRF’s second executive director, Mahlon Martin, led grantmaking that advanced quality education for all children, strengthened local economies to break the cycle of poverty, and nurtured grassroots community leadership. When Dr. Sybil Hampton became president in 1996, she guided WRF through a period of strategic growth, professionalizing operations while deepening the Foundation’s commitment to lasting systems change.
“The question was never whether we were doing good work,” Dr. Hampton reflected. “The question was: could we be more strategic in the way we worked?”
She prioritized listening to communities and expanded WRF’s role from grantmaker to convener and catalyst for informed public dialogue. During her tenure, Dr. Hampton recognized that poor societal decisions often stem from a lack of information. She positioned WRF to operate almost as a think tank, asking: “What knowledge is missing, and how can we fill the gap?”
The Foundation commissioned studies on building a knowledge-based economy, documented the economic contributions of immigrants, and produced accessible data to inform policymakers and communities, ensuring that decisions were grounded in people’s lived reality, rather than biases or assumptions.
Dr. Hampton also understood that systems change requires funders to work together. As she noted:
“Millions and millions have gone into rural Southern places, and yet so many problems remain. That happens when every tub is on its bottom.”
For WRF’s 25th anniversary, she brought funders across Arkansas together to strengthen collaboration, reduce duplication, and spark innovation. Cultivating a spirit of partnership among funders and allies has become a vital part of WRF’s approach, ensuring each investment pushes Arkansas closer to lasting progress.
Moving the Needle: A Decade of Change
In 2007, Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury became WRF’s fourth leader. After more than 100 conversations with Arkansans, it became clear that poverty and educational inequity were the state’s defining justice challenges. In response, we launched Moving the Needle, our first 10-year strategic plan to reduce poverty, raise graduation rates, strengthen communities, and build nonprofit infrastructure.
Systems change isn’t quick or linear, and progress often comes slowly. While numbers may not shift as quickly as we hope, we’ve also learned that if you succeed at everything the first time, you probably haven’t set the bar high enough. Embracing short-term “failures” for long-term success requires the courage to test riskier approaches. We see this as our charge: to take bold risks, challenge entrenched systems, and invest in long-term change.
Through Moving the Needle, we observed that broad initiatives to improve Arkansas’ education and economic systems were necessary to expand prosperity statewide, but insufficient to close persistent gaps rooted in race, place, and income. Philanthropy is part of a broader ecosystem, and while we do not control state or federal policy, we can and must push systems to examine themselves and support new solutions.
This commitment is embodied in AR Equity, our current strategy to advance systems change while centering equity as both the measure and the mission.
From Personal Responsibility to Systems Change
AR Equity explicitly names what the data makes clear: the systems are the problem, not individuals.
“If 70% of third graders aren’t reading on grade level, or 70% of adults don’t earn enough to thrive, it doesn’t mean Arkansans are failures. It means the system is failing.” – Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury
This commitment is reflected in our funding priorities, supporting initiatives that:
- Disrupts the status quo and addresses root causes of inequity
- Centers those most impacted in defining solutions
- Uses two-generation strategies supporting both children and adults
- Builds cross-sector partnerships
- Is strategic, innovative, and future-focused
Instead of funding a book program, we ask: Why do children in rural areas lack books in the first place?
Instead of offering a job training initiative, we ask: Why do immigrant professionals face barriers to using their credentials?
Instead of providing small business grants in isolation, we ask: Why do BIPoC entrepreneurs struggle to access capital?
Defining What’s Next: The ALICE Imperative
In 2023, WRF and Entergy released Arkansas’s first comprehensive ALICE Report, revealing that nearly half of Arkansas households are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These families work full-time, often holding multiple jobs, yet still struggle to cover basic needs like housing, childcare, and healthcare.
In a state where 70% of jobs don’t pay a living wage, ALICE families are not outliers. Yet again, poverty is often framed as a matter of personal responsibility. As Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury puts it:
“No financial literacy program will help a family pay $1,200 in rent when they bring in $1,500 a month with two kids.”
From exorbitant traffic fines that drain household resources to housing policies that fail to create affordable pathways to homeownership, too many systems are working against families who are doing their best to make ends meet. With an aging ALICE population and a shrinking workforce, Arkansas risks falling further behind if we fail to address these systemic barriers now.
The ALICE imperative forces us to ask:
- How do we ensure access to affordable childcare?
- How do we prepare students for tomorrow’s jobs?
- How do we create jobs that sustain families?
We are working to make the invisible visible and fund advocacy that challenges policies harming ALICE families across our state. Through narrative change and coalition-building, we are challenging myths that blame families for systemic failures and addressing these root causes with solutions that uphold dignity and equity.
If we want an Arkansas where working families can thrive, we must challenge outdated assumptions and build systems that deliver opportunity for every Arkansan. Philanthropy alone cannot solve these challenges, but we can drive conversations, fund advocacy, and invest in solutions that meet today’s realities and tomorrow’s needs.
Onwards: Building Arkansas’s Future Together
Governor Rockefeller reminded us that “the most important gift is the gift that keeps on giving.”
Much of what our early leaders sowed did not bear fruit immediately, yet their actions created the foundation for the progress we see today. For example, investing in the creation of Southern Bancorp in 1986 made it possible to deploy relief funds to thousands of small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiatives in the 1990s to address Arkansas’ rural challenges—such as limited internet access—have grown into the Thriving Communities initiatives underway today.
Through it all, we have remained committed to moving Arkansas toward a future where everyone can earn a livable wage, access quality education, and build generational wealth. In a state where too many families must choose between rent and groceries, the path ahead remains urgent. But if the past 50 years have taught us anything, it’s this:
Change is possible. Justice is possible. A better Arkansas is possible.
We invite you to subscribe to our newsletter and join us as we continue to shape an Arkansas where every family can thrive.
The next 50 years start now.
P.S. Join us in celebrating “50 Wins for 50 Years” below—milestones that show what’s possible when philanthropy is bold, community-driven, and aimed at systems change.
50 Wins for 50 Years
Education & Youth Development
- Pre-K Inclusion in Lakeview Ruling
Supported the inclusion of pre-K in Arkansas’ education adequacy ruling, expanding early learning access statewide. - 21C Schools Expansion
Brought the 21st Century Schools model to Arkansas, making schools community hubs. - Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Launched to improve third-grade reading, foundational to future academic success. - ForwARd Arkansas Initiative
Co-founded a public-private partnership to transform Arkansas’ education system with 95 recommendations. - Excel by 8
Identified barriers to child well-being and advanced policies to improve educational outcomes. - Early Childhood Education in 35 Schools
Advanced early learning across 35 schools in Arkansas while aligning public and private provider networks. - Technical Institute Workforce Development
Partnered to align technical education programs with industry needs, expanding career pathways. - Y2K Knowledge Economy Readiness Project
Engaged rural youth in digital literacy and leadership to prepare for the knowledge economy. - SeniorNet Youth Leadership Engagement
Built digital skills and civic leadership among rural youth. - Encyclopedia of Arkansas Support
Supported the development of this community-built state history platform, amplifying local voices. - Achieving the Dream Arkansas Partnership
Supported community colleges in improving retention and completion rates for low-income and students of color. - Arkansas School Breakfast Expansion
Partnered with advocates and schools to expand access to school breakfast programs, improving student health and readiness to learn. - Japanese American Internment Project
Led a 10-year project to develop a national curriculum and exhibit on Arkansas’s WWII internment history. - Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund Study
Funded research tracking scholarship recipient outcomes to demonstrate the power of education access. - Medical Humanities Program at UAMS
Funded the implementation of the Medical Humanities program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Economic Development & Asset Building
- Early Investment in Southern Bancorp
Provided catalytic funding to help build one of the nation’s largest rural development banks. - CDFI Ecosystem Development
Used program-related investments to help grow HOPE, FORGE, and Communities Unlimited—expanding access to local lending and financial services. - Delta Owned Initiative
Supported Delta businesses in accessing Paycheck Protection Program and other COVID-19 relief funding, influencing U.S. Small Business Administration practices. - Creative Economy Study and Investments
Elevated artists as economic contributors through investment and policy work. - Statewide Entrepreneurship Report
Commissioned data and analysis to shape Arkansas’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. - Education Savings Accounts Pilot
Tested and refined youth college savings models to support future economic mobility. - Children’s Savings Accounts for Marshallese Families
Partnered with the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese and the University of Arkansas to open 200 children’s savings accounts in a single day. - Matched IDA Program Advocacy
Advocated for and helped launch Arkansas’s first state-sponsored matched savings program. - Immigrants in Arkansas Study
Produced pioneering research countering anti-immigrant narratives and informing state policy. - Arkansas State Housing Trust Fund Advocacy
Advanced research and policy conversations to establish a housing trust fund to address affordability. - Delta Dreams Documentary Support
Funded the award-winning Delta Dreams film, raising awareness of the Delta community’s challenges and aspirations. - ReMix Ideas Entrepreneur Support
Invested in innovative entrepreneur support models centering equity in startup ecosystems. - Delta Regional Community Investments
Supported community revitalization initiatives in Altheimer and Chicot County, strengthening local economies. - Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Expansion
Funded nonprofit organizations and community development financial institutions to expand free tax preparation services, helping low-income families in communities across Arkansas access the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. - Paycheck Protection Program Advocacy
Successfully advocated for changes to Arkansas’s Small Business Administration policies, expanding access for Delta-based businesses. - Arkansas Community Foundation Establishment
Invested in creating the Arkansas Community Foundation in 1976 to grow local philanthropy.
Systems Change & Policy Wins
- Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Poverty
Played a key role in forming the Task Force, leading to 13 new laws addressing poverty statewide. - SNAP Access Policy Improvements
Backed research and advocacy that removed barriers to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program enrollment for eligible Arkansas families. - Lakeview Tax Reform Victory
Supported research leading to the removal of Arkansas’s regressive grocery tax. - Narrative Change Investments
Funded research, media, and storytelling to shift public discourse on poverty and equity. - Water Issues in Arkansas: An Unfinished Story
Produced a statewide education campaign and documentary on water access and environmental justice. - ALICE Research
Released comprehensive reports revealing the economic realities for nearly half of Arkansas’ households. - Arkansas Economic Recovery Memo to the White House
Convened statewide partners to shape and deliver a comprehensive economic recovery memo to the Obama administration, positioning Arkansas’s priorities at the federal level and influencing national policy discussions. - Nature Conservancy Land Preservation Loan
Provided an interest-free loan to The Nature Conservancy in 1980 to preserve bottomland hardwood forests. - Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Core Support
Provided foundational support in 1977 to launch Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
Community-Led Change & Partnerships
- Mississippi County PRIDE & WORK Programs
Supported resident-driven job training and mentoring programs aimed at reducing poverty. - White House Rural Impact Pilot Participation
Backed community-led strategies that positioned Arkansas counties to participate in the White House Rural Impact Pilot, advancing innovative, place-based solutions for rural families. - ForwARd Arkansas Stakeholder Engagement
Mobilized more than 8,500 Arkansans to lead the co-creation of a new, community-driven vision for the future of public education. - Place-Based Learning Cohorts
Created statewide cohorts of 50+ community change partners for peer learning and collaboration. - 2009 Rural Philanthropy Conference Host
Hosted the Council on Foundations’ Rural Philanthropy Conference in Arkansas, showcasing local innovations. - New Futures for Youth Disconnected Youth Initiative
Supported planning for youth engagement and workforce alignment in Little Rock. - Public Television Documentary Partnerships
Partnered with AETN and others to produce documentaries for public education on critical issues. - Trusted Nonprofit Capacity Building
Provided sustained technical assistance and core operating support for nonprofits statewide. - Community-Led Storytelling Circles
Piloted “story circles” to center resident voices in community change initiatives, influencing policy and program design.