State of Arkansas top donor to U.S. Marshals Museum, most gifts under $100,000

Large donations of $21.131 million to the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith have come from 36 separate sources, with nine of those owing a combined pledge balance of $4.08 million. The largest single donor is the state of Arkansas at $8.342 million, according to information from the U.S. Marshals Museum Foundation.

The museum has raised enough money – $35.5 million – to pay for construction of the facility, which began in July 2018. However, an estimated $17 million more is needed to build the exhibits and “experience” of the museum. Museum officials hope to open the museum in September.

The Fort Smith Board of Directors in December approved an ordinance for a March 12 election on a one-cent, nine-month sales tax to raise additional money for the museum. Early voting begins March 5. If passed, the sales tax will raise around $16 million. Revenue from the sales tax will complete the museum’s capital needs, the museum states on its website, where they also note that museum officials will not ask for a tax extension.

Talk Business & Politics recently asked the foundation for a list of top donors by dollar amount, top in-kind donations, total amount of federal, state or local government dollars received since 2007, and a list of major requests that were rejected. The foundation declined to provide a list of rejected requests, saying that it could jeopardize attempts to return to the groups or individuals to make a second request.

The big picture info shows that 36 of the biggest donations garnered $21,131,496, with 26 of those making pledges totaling $18.39 million. Of the 26, 15 have paid the pledges in full and nine have a balance of $4.08 million. Of 16 donors who pledged less than $100,000, there is a combined pledge balance of $170,250. A majority of the more than 1,500 donors gave less than $100,000.

“Total individual gifts exceed 1,500,” noted info from the U.S. Marshals Museum Foundation. “The vast majority of gifts are under $100,000, but comprise a relatively small percentage of the whole.”

Following is the list of top 10 known and anonymous donors as of Feb. 12, 2019.

• State of Arkansas: $8.342 million
State funding began Nov. 9, 2007, with a $200,000 check. There were eight other checks from the state to the foundation with the most recent being $1 million dated Nov. 30, 2018.

• Anonymous donor: $6.1 million

• Walton Family Foundation: $2 million

• Pendergraft Family: $1.025 million

• First National Bank of Fort Smith: $1.014 million

• Anonymous donor: $802,500

• Anonymous donor: $602,500

• CoreCivic: $505,000
CoreCivic is a Nashville, Tenn.-based prison management company.

• Stephens Production Co.: $502,500

• Anonymous donor: $500,000

Donations from the top 10 totaled $21.436 million, with $3.5 million of that remaining as a pledge balance. The largest pledge outstanding is the full $2 million pledge by the Walton Family Foundation.

In addition to the state funding, the foundation has received $300,000 from the city of Fort Smith and $230,142 from Sebastian County.

Following are the top 5 in-kind donations:

• Robbie Westphal Family: $3.572 million (value of donated land, land improvements)
• Griffin Properties of Fort Smith: $30,000
• Ashby Street Outdoor: $18,000
• Rick Edwards/Innskeep Lecture: $17,213
• iHeart Media: $10,036