Featured | Intrepid Ambition | NewsApril 02, 2025

$7.5 million gift launches UAFS Center for Nonprofits

Written By: Rachel Putman

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith announced a transformational $7.5 million gift on Wednesday, April 2, which will endow a comprehensive Center for Nonprofits (CNP) at the university. The anonymous gift, one of the largest in UAFS history, was unveiled during the public kickoff of the university’s $85 million comprehensive campaign, Intrepid Ambition. 

“This gift is a profound statement of belief in Fort Smith and the people who are doing some of the most difficult and most meaningful work in our region,” said Blake Rickman, vice chancellor for university advancement and executive director of the UAFS Foundation. “The nonprofits of the River Valley are helping families in crisis, walking alongside individuals who feel forgotten, and fighting every day for those who have nowhere else to turn. This gift will transform their capacity to do that work, and it’s an honor to be a part of it. "

The CNP will round out the suite of services at the UAFS Center for Economic Development (CED) at the Bakery District downtown, with dedicated training and community-building offerings for nonprofit organizations across the River Valley. 

“The Center for Nonprofits is a natural extension of the work we do every day at the CED, equipping organizations with practical tools to grow, adapt, and lead,” said Kendall Ross, associate vice chancellor for economic and workforce development and head of the CED. “This gift allows us to apply that same expertise to the nonprofit sector, where the impact is deeply human and profoundly local. We’re honored to hit the ground running.”

Moving quickly, Ross hopes to post the position for the leader of the center this week.

The CNP will support nonprofits through two focus areas: Providing direct training and support to nonprofit staff at the UAFS Center for Economic Development and integrating academic expertise through a strategic partnership with the university’s Department of Social Work.

Like the Center for Business and Professional Development and the Family Enterprise Center at the CED, the CNP will offer professional development, capacity building, and operational support tailored to the unique needs of nonprofit organizations in the River Valley. These offerings will deliver continuing education credits and provide hands-on instruction in areas such as fundraising, financial management, board governance, and strategic communications.

In addition to training, endowed funds will allow the center to award annual mini-grants to regional nonprofits and provide access to operational resources and advanced technology platforms that support service delivery, client management, impact measurement, fundraising, and data analysis. 

Complementing this work, the partnership with the UAFS Department of Social Work will expand the center’s reach into academic research and workforce development. Through an endowed nonprofit faculty position in the social work department, applied research initiatives, and paid student internships, the center will link university expertise to community needs. The collaboration will prepare UAFS students for careers in the nonprofit field while helping local organizations expand their capacity to serve.

“We recognize that fostering the economic growth of the River Valley is deeply connected with enhancing the social well-being of our community,” said Dr. Shadow Robinson, Provost. “Our social work faculty and students are at the forefront of this effort, dedicating their time and expertise to supporting more than a dozen local nonprofits through internships and volunteer work. This generous gift will allow us to amplify that impact, extending our capacity to serve and strengthen nonprofits throughout the region.”

As services are built, the center will expand on the already impactful work of River Valley Nonprofits, a local network that began in 2020 to help the more than 1,000 nonprofits who call this region home, navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially formed through informal meetings among nonprofit leaders, the group became a registered 501(c)(3) in 2024 and is working closely with UAFS to lay the groundwork for the new center.

“The launch of the UAFS Center for Nonprofits is a defining moment for the nonprofit community in the River Valley,” said Tim Shields, board president and facilitator of river valley nonprofits “What began as a grassroots effort in 2020 to support one another through the uncertainty of the pandemic has grown into a transformative partnership with UAFS—one that will equip nonprofit leaders with the tools, training, and resources they need to meet the challenges ahead. Thanks to this extraordinary $7.5 million endowment, this center is more than a resource—it’s a long-term investment in the people and organizations doing the hard, human work of changing lives. We’re honored to be part of this vision and excited for the future of the nonprofit sector in our region and beyond.”