Jones Trust NWA has opened its annual grant cycle for local nonprofits serving communities across Northwest Arkansas.
The trust, established by the late Jim and Elizabeth Jones in 1996, is accepting applications through April 15, 2025. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 and are awarded to organizations working in education, health, human services, and community development.
Priority areas for 2025 include youth development programs, food security initiatives, and mental health services. First-time applicants and smaller organizations with annual budgets under $500,000 are encouraged to apply.
Grant Requirements and Eligibility
Applicants must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits and provide proof of IRS determination letter. Organizations must serve residents in Benton, Washington, or Madison counties. Programs focused outside these areas are ineligible, regardless of the applicant’s location.
Funding decisions are made by a local advisory committee composed of community leaders and past grant recipients. The committee reviews applications twice per year — once in spring and once in fall. The next review meeting is scheduled for May 2025.
Grant reports are required within 90 days of project completion. Recipients must demonstrate measurable outcomes and provide financial accountability through audited statements or fiscal sponsorship documentation.
About Jones Trust NWA
The trust was created with an initial endowment of $12 million from Jim and Elizabeth Jones, both longtime residents of Benton County. Their estate plan designated ongoing support for regional nonprofits, with a focus on addressing basic needs and expanding access to opportunity.
Since inception, Jones Trust NWA has awarded more than $28 million to over 300 local organizations. Recent grantees include Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks, Feed Northwest Arkansas, and the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation.
In 2024, the trust distributed $1.8 million across 42 grants. Of those, 60% went to organizations with operating budgets below $250,000.
“We’ve always believed that small organizations do some of the most impactful work in our communities,” said Mary Thompson, current board chair. “Our goal is to make sure they have the resources to keep doing it.”
Thompson, who also serves as executive director of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, joined the Jones Trust advisory committee in 2022. She previously worked with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas and the Junior League of Little Rock.
How to Apply
Applications are available at jonestrust.org. Organizations must create an account and complete a two-part process: organizational profile and project proposal.
Required documents include:
- IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter
- Three most recent annual reports
- Current board roster and bylaws
- Project budget detailing all funding sources
Technical assistance workshops will be held virtually on March 12 and March 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Registration links are available on the website.
Organizations may submit one application per cycle. Multi-year funding requests require prior approval and are reviewed separately.
Last year’s grant recipients reported serving over 12,000 individuals through Jones Trust funding. Programs ranged from mobile food pantries in rural Madison County to after-school tutoring in Springdale.
“These grants don’t just cover expenses,” said Rodney Williams, director of community programs at Feed Northwest Arkansas, which received a $25,000 grant in fall 2024. “They allow us to think bigger about what’s possible.”
Williams oversees the trust’s largest recipient program, which provides weekend meal kits to students in low-income districts. Since 2023, the program has expanded to serve five additional schools.
Nonprofits interested in applying can contact the trust directly at in**@********st.org or call 479-273-8000.
Source: Jones Trust NWA
