$10M grant announced to address Arkansas food insecurity
Sep 25, 2026 | 6:10 pm ET
Description
U.S. Senator John Boozman speaks during the a press conference at the Springdale Senior Center on Sept. 25, 2026. He joined (from left) Arkansas Community Foundation CEO Jessica Ford, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Walmart Foundation President Julie Gehrki for the launch of a grant program aimed at addressing food insecurity. (Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)
A $10 million Walmart Foundation grant will support a new statewide initiative designed to tackle food insecurity in the country’s hungriest state, the Arkansas Community Foundation announced Friday.
Through the Arkansas Full Table Fund, a five-year grant program, nonprofit organizations can apply for funding to improve access to federal nutrition programs, build food system capacity and drive community-led solutions to food insecurity, foundation President and CEO Jessica Ford said.
Arkansas had the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation at 19.4%, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In recent years, the state has taken steps to address the issue, joining a federal summer nutrition program and approving legislation that provides free breakfast to all public school students.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it’s “unacceptable” that one in five Arkansas households face food insecurity despite being one of the top food-producing states.
“Together we won’t just fight food insecurity, we’ll build a unified effort to end it,” Sanders said during a press conference at the Springdale Senior Center.
Projects focused on advocacy for food and nutrition programs or strengthening systems and infrastructure for nonprofits can apply for up to $200,000 through the new grant program. Groups piloting “community-sourced innovative ideas” can apply for up to $100,000 in funding, according to Arkansas Community Foundation.
“This investment is about helping families get the food they need today while building stronger more reliable food systems for the years ahead, and it’s an invitation to others to join us,” Walmart Foundation President Julie Gehrki said.
Organizations can apply for two-year grants Oct. 1 through Dec. 7, with the possibility of additional funding over the course of the five-year program. Grants will be announced in February.
More information is available at www.arcf.org/fulltable.
Little Rock
