League of Women Voters receives $100,000 grant for Delta expansion
by July 15, 2025 10:16 pm 529 views
The League of Women Voters of Arkansas (LWVAR) has received a $100,000 grant to support an expansion of civic engagement and leadership development in the East Arkansas Delta. The funding was made possible through the efforts of former State Sen. Joyce Elliott.
Elliott worked closely on the early stages of this initiative during her time at Get Loud Arkansas, and later designated LWVAR as the recipient to continue that vision. While she has stepped back from public life following a stroke last year, her legacy and leadership remain central to this effort.
“This project is a tribute to Senator Elliott’s decades of service and her unshakable belief in the power of civic leadership,” said Kristin Foster, executive director of LWVAR. “We’re honored to continue her work by supporting a new generation of women and girls shaping the future of their communities.”
With this investment, LWVAR will establish two new local League chapters in the Delta and launch a regional Observer Corps to monitor and report on local government meetings. The initiative will also provide leadership training, voter engagement programming, and partnership grants to local nonprofits focused on education, literacy, and civic empowerment.
As part of its commitment to collaboration and community-rooted change, LWVAR will distribute $20,000 of the funding as sub-grants to local organizations doing aligned work in the region. These groups will form an advisory group to guide outreach efforts and ensure community-led impact across the region.
“This investment is about planting seeds that will grow for generations,” Foster said. “When we invest in the leadership of Black women, communities grow stronger and public policy begins to better reflect the needs of the people.”
The counties served through this initiative include Mississippi, Crittenden, St. Francis, Lee, Phillips, Desha, and Chicot. Implementation will begin this summer with community listening sessions, followed by leadership development and civic engagement programs in fall 2025.