Arkansas ranks 47th in the U.S. in the health of its people, so it needs every dime of the philanthropic dollars channeled to medical care every year. Announced individual gifts since November 2011 and foundation giving in 2011 and 2012 totaled at least $40 million dollars to public institutions alone — the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and UAMS Northwest.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital bravely engaged in its largest capital campaign ever during these uncertain economic times, its $160 million “Century of Possibility” campaign. The campaign was quiet for several years, but went public in March.

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“There’s never going to be an optimum time to be in a campaign,” Fred Scarborough, senior vice president of the ACH Foundation, said of the timing. “The needs for us are so pressing that we had to move forward.” It’s raised $115 million so far; the campaign ends in 2014.

A portion of the campaign helped fund the hospital’s new $121 million, 258,000-square-foot south wing. The dollars will also support autism and other research, work in genetics, Angel One transport and preventive care to address the thousands of child abuse cases reported in Arkansas every year, Scarborough said.

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Scarborough’s experience — like that of fund-raisers across the country — is that grant-making foundations, which like individual investors, lost money in the economic downturn of 2008, are being more selective in what they fund and the competition for their dollars is greater. Still, Children’s has pulled in foundation gifts totaling $7.3 million in the last year.

Donations to colleges and universities were second only to medicine, and social services came in third, thanks to grants from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, which in 2011 channeled more dollars to Arkansas — $38.4 million — than the Walton Family Foundation, including Reynolds’ $11.8 million payment to UAMS toward a $27.9 million pledge made in 2009.

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The arts did well, too, thanks to commitments to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville and a $6 million gift to the University of Arkansas by Jim and Joyce Faulkner to turn the Old Field House into a performing arts center.

The Walton Family Foundation’s giving in 2011 was but a third of the total reported on its 2010 990 form, but that was because 2010 was an extraordinary year: The foundation gave $1.2 billion to Crystal Bridges, founded by Alice Walton, for art and endowment, and total giving was $1.5 billion. That made it the 2nd most generous foundation in the country, behind the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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In 2011, the Walton Family Foundation gave $487 million to causes nationally, including $159 million to K-12 education reforms it supports, such as charter schools and voucher programs, and $209 million to the Walton Charitable Foundation, which supports education initiatives. It made a total of $21.5 million in grants in Arkansas, gave $4.4. million to the Walton-founded Camp War Eagle and contributed $2.2 million to fund university scholarships.

The Walton Family Foundation also listed on its 990 IRS form $176 million in zero-interest loans it’s made, all to support charter schools (with the exception of a small loan to the Nature Conservancy).

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The Foundation Center puts Arkansas’s largest foundation at 50th in terms of assets, but its data is based on the foundation’s 2010 figures.

The following is a list of individuals and foundations that have made gifts of $250,000 or more to Arkansas organizations as reported by press releases since November 2011 and on the most recent 990 forms filed by foundations, which includes 2011 and 2012 awards. Because Walton Family Foundation gifts are so numerous, only those in excess of $500,000 are listed here.

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Reynolds Foundation giving is for 2011.

Medical

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation gave $11.7 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to replicate the Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Programs, in Little Rock, Hot Springs, Fort Smith and El Dorado.

The Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at UAMS received anonymous gifts of $5 million, $2 million, $1.045 million and $1 million.

The estate of Thomas Stephens donated $2.2 million to Arkansas Children’s Hospital to fund vascular anomalies/cleft lip and palate, dental and ophthalmology programs, as well as the Angel One transport program.

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Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation Inc. gave $2 million to Children’s Hospital and $440,000 to UAMS’ Oral Health Center.

The Walton Family Foundation gave $1.4 million to the University of Central Arkansas Foundation.

An anonymous donor established the Ben N. Saltzman Professorship in Rural Family Medicine at UAMS with a gift of $1.17 million.

The Jane Botsford Johnson Foundation donated $1.2 million to Children’s Hospital for autism research.

Sharon and John “Johnny” Hardin Bale Jr. have pledged $1 million to Children’s Hospital to support the fetal heart program, which will be named in their honor.

The Adams-Vine Foundation of Leachville gave $1 million to Children’s Hospital.

The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation contributed $500,000 toward its $1.5 million to UAMS Northwest, $625,000 toward its $3.7 million pledge to UAMS’ Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Institute, $750,000 to Washington Regional Hospital for its capital campaign and a challenge grant, $400,000 toward a $1.6 million pledge to Children’s Hospital’s capital campaign, $330,333 toward $1 million grant UAMS’ Jones Eye Institute and $333,333 toward $1 million to UAMS’ Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.

The Schmieding Foundation endowed a chair in pediatric hematology/oncology with a gift of $1 million to Arkansas Children’s Hospital and pledged $800,000 to UAMS’ Reynolds Institute.

The Windgate Foundation gave $350,000 toward its pledge of $1.2 million to UAMS’ Reynolds Institute, Aging Research Fund and Cord Blood Bank.

An anonymous donor gave $1 million to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

An anonymous donor made a gift of $500,000 to Myeloma Genetics Research at UAMS.

The Walmart Foundation Inc. gave $435,000 to UAMS Northwest’s multi-specialty outpatient clinic.

The Fashion Footwear Association and QVC gave $414,715 to the Rockefeller Cancer Institute for breast cancer education.

The Care Foundation Inc. gave $300,000 to the Reynolds Institute for the Schmieding C.A.R.E.S. Program.

Anonymous donors gave four gifts totaling $1 million to UAMS for hospital expansion, cardiovascular pharmacology research, the Myeloma Institute Research and the hospital’s art acquisition fund. Another anonymous donor made a planned gift of $252,450 to UAMS.

Colleges and universities

The Winthrop Rockefeller Trust gave $18.2 million to the University of Arkansas Winthrop Rockefeller Institute.

F. O’Neil “Neil” Griffin made an estate gift of $5 million to Arkansas State University to endow a scholarship for incoming freshmen. It is the largest endowed gift in the school’s history.

An anonymous donor gave John Brown University $4 million to fund construction of a new banquet hall and townhouse apartment buildings.

The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation gave $1,007,500 toward its $4 million pledge to the New School in Fayetteville; $500,000 to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for scholarships; $500,000 toward a pledge of $2 million to the UALR nursing program; completed a $2.3 million pledge to Hendrix College; gave $500,000 to John Brown University for scholarship support, $250,000 toward a $1 million pledge to the U of A Foundation for scholarship endowment and completed a $500,000 challenge grant to Harding University.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation gave $1.7 million toward a $10 million pledge for the Steven L. Anderson Design Center at the U of A.

The Tyson Foundation gave $1,467,900 in scholarships to colleges and universities and $912,008 to the U of A Foundation.

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation gave $400,000 to UALR to expand the Reading Recovery program.

The Windgate Foundation made a gift of $200,000 toward its $500,000 pledge to the U of A Nursing Scholarship Challenge Grant, $190,000 toward its $380,000 pledge to John Brown University for its RENEW program for UMC ordained couples and $170,000 toward its $678,125 pledges to art programs, sculpture conservation and a residency at UALR; and gave $250,000 to Philander Smith College for its Endowed Leaders Scholarship Challenge.

The Care Foundation gave $420,000 to the University of Arkansas Foundation for health research.

The Bodenhamer Foundation gave $390,000 to increase funding for Bodenhamer Fellowships at the U of A over the next three years, boosting the fellowship from $12,500 a year to $17,500 a year.

Charlie and Cappie Whiteside donated $250,000 to establish the U of A Greek Life Leadership Center.

Education initiatives

The Walton Family Foundation gave $1.8 million to Teach for America-Arkansas, $986,558 to the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, $859,051 to Arkansas AIMS (Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science Inc.). Total Walton Family giving to Arkansas charter schools and charter school initiatives, public school districts, colleges and other educational support was $8.3 million.

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation made a grant of $300,000 to the Arkansas Humanities Council to support professional development for humanities teachers, $258,500 to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to support career coaches and $250,000 to the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science Inc.

Social services

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation made two payments totaling $7.4 million toward its $10 million pledge to Arkansas Museum of Science and History for the Donald W. Reynolds Arkansas Children’s Discovery Network and for exhibit funding; made a $4.8 million payment toward its $10 million pledge to the Arkansas Foodbank Network and a $2.8 million payment toward its $13.5 million pledge to the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter and awarded grants of $1.9 million to the Baxter County Public Library Foundation, $1.3 million to the Committee Against Spouse Abuse in Pine Bluff; $1 million to the Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club and $869,446 to the YMCA of Warren and Bradley County Inc.

The Walton Family Foundation gave $1.8 million to the Bentonville Child Care and Development Center.

The Care Foundation gave $500,000 to the Jones Center for Families and $500,000 to the Circle of Life.

The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation gave the second grant of $250,000 toward its $750,000 pledge to Circle of Life Hospice and the fourth $250,000 toward its $1 million grant to the Children’s House in Springdale.

The Windgate Foundation made a $200,000 contribution toward its $300,000 pledge to Our House shelter for working families for its operating budget.

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation made a grant of $250,000 to Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

The arts

Jim and Joyce Faulkner of Little Rock gave $6 million to the University of Arkansas to create a state-of-the-art music and theater venue in the Old Field House on Garland Avenue.

The Tyson family and Tyson Foods gave $1 million toward its commitment of $5 million to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to establish Tyson Scholars and the Don Tyson Prize.

The Windgate Foundation made a gift of $500,000 toward its $2.5 million to John Brown University for renovation of its visual arts facilities, $1 million to the Arkansas Arts Center in a challenge grant (2011) and $856,000 to the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum for renovation completion.

The Walton Family Foundation gave $1.4 million to the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville.

The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation gave $1.2 million to the Walton Arts Center and $1 million to Crystal Bridges, the second toward its $10 million pledge.

Other museum support

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation made a $7.8 million grant to the Mid-American Science Museum, a grant matched by pledges of $1.7 million, including $520,000 from the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission. The grant will be provided over five years.

The Walton Family Foundation gave $906,761 to the Peel Compton Foundation.

Athletics

The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation made two grants of $625,000 in 2011 and 2012 toward a $2.5 million pledge to Razorback athletics.

Conservation

The Walton Family Foundation gave $761,086 to the Arkansas chapter of the Nature Conservancy.

The Windgate Foundation gave $500,000 to the Arkansas chapter of the Nature Conservancy (2011).

Foundation support

The Walton Family Foundation gave $209 million to the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, $4 million to the Walmart Associates in Critical Need Fund, $1.5 million to the Foundation for the Mid South and $1.3 million to the Endeavor Foundation, a community foundation in Springdale.

The Winthrop Rockefeller Trust gave $4.45 million to the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation gave $4 million to the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation, which includes prize money for competitions in Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma.

The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation gave $1,345,081 to the Arkansas Community Foundation.

The Care Foundation gave $510,165 to the Endeavor Foundation.

Public policy

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation gave $286,000 to the Arkansas Public Policy Panel and $259,000 to the Migration Policy Institute to update a profile of immigrants in Arkansas.

Other gifts

The Walton Family Foundation gave $4.5 million to Camp War Eagle, $1.5 million to Southern Bancorp Community Partners and $1 million to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.