Walton Family Foundation to provide over $3 million for public projects
The Walton Family Foundation will provide $3.15 million to support eight public space transformation projects in Northwest Arkansas over the next three years, according to a Wednesday (July 8) news release.
New York-based nonprofit Project for Public Spaces said Wednesday that the projects are part of a renewed effort to transform underused outdoor public spaces in Northwest Arkansas into community gathering places and third places. The nonprofit and the foundation have previously worked together on six projects, with $480,000 in implementation funding and more than 24,000 hours of technical assistance since 2023.
The release shows that the $3.15 million from the Walton Family Foundation will support the eight projects through Community Placemaking Grants over three years. The $100,000 grants will support high-impact improvements shaped by community visioning. Grantees will receive placemaking technical assistance from Project for Public Spaces, including community engagement, design, planning and implementation support.
Applications for the first cycle of grant proposals will be accepted through Aug. 3 to select the first four grantees. The second cycle is expected to launch this fall for the remaining four projects. Eligible grantees include U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits or government agencies located in Benton and Washington counties. Selection will be based on several criteria, including commitment to social cohesion and inclusion, strength of community relationships and project viability.
As part of the $3.15 million initiative, Project for Public Spaces plans to complete a regional evaluation of the impact of all projects supported by Community Placemaking Grants in Northwest Arkansas. The findings will include insights shared across the organization’s partner network. The grant is also expected to support the addition of a Project for Public Spaces employee.
“Communities know what they need,” said Elena Madison, Project for Public Spaces’ director of projects. “Over the past four years, Community Placemaking Grants have allowed us and our local partners in Northwest Arkansas to reimagine their spaces, bring neighbors together, and transform the places they love.
“We are deeply grateful for this increased investment that lets us dream bigger,” Madison added. “More people building deeper connections, more shared spaces where local life thrives, more communities with a stronger sense of belonging and a stake in the places right on their doorstep.”
A webinar led by Project for Public Spaces will be available for those eligible for the Community Placemaking Grants. Link here to register.
Launched in fall 2021, Project for Public Spaces’ Community Placemaking Grants help U.S.-based nonprofits and government agencies address inequality in access by working with area stakeholders to transform existing public spaces or co-create new ones. Following are the six projects that the Walton Family Foundation and Project for Public Spaces previously supported:
The Overlook at Mount Sequoyah Center in Fayetteville, The Front Porch at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, an amphitheater at Pea Ridge Park in Pea Ridge, park features at the Historic Twin Springs Park in Siloam Springs, a traffic garden and enhanced outdoor space at Leverett Elementary School in Fayetteville and an outdoor gathering space at Farmington Public Library in Farmington.