Charity Group Announces New Name

ENDEAVOR FOUNDATION TO FOCUS ON MORE ACTIVE ROLE FIXING PROBLEMS IN AREA

Anita Scism, president of the former Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation announces Tuesday its name change to the Endeavor Foundation.
Anita Scism, president of the former Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation announces Tuesday its name change to the Endeavor Foundation.

— Leaders of Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation announced on Tuesday a shorter name and expanded mission for the charitable organization.

The newly named Endeavor Foundation will take an active role in identifying and fixing problems in Northwest Arkansas instead of simply managing charitable funds from individuals and corporations as it has done until now.

“A brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room,” Alan Dranow, director of brand communication for Walmart, said at the announcement.

Dranow, who was involved in the process of renaming the foundation, said he often had a hard time remembering the foundation’s old name.

The foundation, under its new name, will try to establish itself as rooted in the community, leaders said.

The foundation covers Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties.

A promotional video showed images of people in front of landmarks such as War Eagle Mill and the Bentonville square.

The video drew a stark portrait of the coexisting affluence and poverty in Northwest Arkansas. It started by describing the region’s economic success, including giant corporations and a picture of a large brick house.

“But things are getting worse for Northwest Arkansas, not better,” the video’s narrator said.

Anita Scism, president of the foundation, noted growing numbers of Northwest Arkansans living in poverty.

Projections show Northwest Arkansas will have the largest poverty population in the state, Scism said.

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She also said the area has almost 1,200 homeless people and large numbers of people who don’t have access to healthy food.

Scism said the foundation’s first initiative under its new name will be an effort to improve healthy living by improving access to nutritious food and physical activity. She said more details about the initiative will be available around the beginning of the year.

She said the foundation will raise money for the new efforts and also may get help from some of the funds it already manages.

The foundation will work to meet goals outlined in the community vitality section of the Greater Northwest Arkansas Development Strategy, a plan commissioned by the Northwest Arkansas Council, a nonprofit that tries to attract investment and development to the area.

Those goals include improving the health of residents, providing language classes and improving after-school activities.

Kathy Deck, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas, attended the event. She said she thought the plan is a good sign of nonprofit groups and businesses working together for the benefit of the region.

“Healthy living is good in its own right, but it’s also attractive to employers to have a healthy work force,” Deck said.

Ed Clifford, chairman of the foundation’s board, said the foundation will continue to manage charitable money from individuals, family and nonprofit organizations. The foundation manages about $150 million, according to a news release.

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