Heartland Forward Inc concentrates on place-based economic development in the rural/Midwest region with a strong emphasis on digital equity and connectivity, entrepreneurship in underserved communities, and health-policy advocacy. The foundation combines large policy/advocacy grants with programmatic investments in broadband/digital learning and numerous small, seed-style awards to local businesses and civic initiatives to stimulate local economic activity.
Heartland Forward Inc’s recent grantmaking shows a clear dual track: health-policy advocacy and place-based economic development. The largest recent award in the record was $300,000 to Heartland Action Inc in Bentonville to support the Heartland Health Caucus, followed by a $125,000 grant for the Heartland Forward Health Care Initiative (Caucus). That same portfolio extends into broadband planning, digital learning, and support for small businesses in distressed neighborhoods. The foundation has also funded regional intermediaries and civic groups tied to digital equity work, including grants to the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, the American Library Association, and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Across the recent grants listed, the pattern is not limited to one issue or one type of recipient: it includes policy organizations, universities, libraries, and local LLCs. The result is a portfolio that mixes convening, planning, and direct support for community-level economic activity in the Heartland region.
Health advocacy is a visible part of the portfolio. Heartland Forward Inc gave $300,000 to Heartland Action Inc to support the Heartland Health Caucus, and another $125,000 to the same organization in 2024 for the Heartland Forward Health Care Initiative (Caucus). Digital equity is another recurring theme. The foundation awarded $50,000 to the University Of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture for the Digital Equity Plan 2023, and $50,000 to Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development for digital equity planning. Connectivity planning appears alongside that work: Communities Unlimited Inc received $50,000 for Arkansas Connectivity Coalition- AR Digital Equity. The foundation also backs digital learning infrastructure, including a $60,000 grant to the American Library Association to accelerate digital learning, skills, and training for the general public. Local business support is present as well, with seed-style grants to entities such as Film Delta LLC for underserved-area business activity.
Typical grant size clusters tightly around $50,000, with a p25 of $50,000, a median of $50,000, and a p75 of $60,875. The record includes both larger initiative grants and numerous smaller awards, including several $25,000 grants in 2025. The pattern suggests a mix of multi-year support for named initiatives and one-off seed grants rather than a single repeated operating grant to the same set of recipients. Heartland Forward Inc is a public charity and a regular funder, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. No application process is described in the data.
$710K
$6.4M
$11.9M
$12.6M
Most grants fall between $50K and $61K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$61K
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A mixed strategy: one or two large advocacy/policy grants, several mid-size strategic grants for digital equity infrastructure and planning, and a distributed set of standardized $25k awards to many small LLCs — indicating repeat support for a few core partners alongside broad, seed-stage community investments.
Notable grantees: Heartland Action Inc, Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, American Library Association, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Communities Unlimited Inc
Grants are concentrated in the U.S., with all 21 recent grants going to domestic recipients. Arkansas is a major destination, including Bentonville, Little Rock, Fayetteville, and Helena-West Helena. Illinois is the top state by grant count, anchored by recipients in Wilmette and Chicago. Other recipient cities include Memphis, Tulsa, Detroit, Birmingham, Clarksdale, and Coweta, showing a regional footprint that reaches beyond Arkansas into nearby Heartland states and selected Midwestern locations.
The recent grants show support for health-policy advocacy, digital equity and broadband planning, digital learning and library skills training, and small-business support in economically distressed neighborhoods. Named initiatives include the Heartland Health Caucus, the Tennessee Community Accelerator Program, and the Accelerate Oklahoma Program.
The typical grant size is tightly centered at $50,000. The distribution provided shows a p25 of $50,000, a median of $50,000, and a p75 of $60,875.
No. Arkansas receives a large share of grants, but the recent record also includes recipients in Illinois, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Michigan, and Texas. All recent grants listed are to U.S. organizations.
No. Heartland Forward Inc is marked as not funding individuals, and the recent grants list shows organizational recipients such as Heartland Action Inc, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, and the American Library Association.
Yes. Heartland Action Inc appears in both 2024 and 2025, with grants of $125,000 and $300,000 tied to the Health Care Initiative and the Heartland Health Caucus. The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society also appears more than once, with awards in 2024 and 2025.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heartland Action Inc | Bentonville, AR | $300,000 | 2025 | To support the Heartland Health Caucus. |
| American Library Association | Chicago, IL | $60,000 | 2025 | To further the acceleration of digital learning, skills and training for the benefit of the general public, in a manner as each party hereto may reasonably determine in good faith, and shall collaborate on the design, enhancement, announcement and promotion of the DigitalLearn.org educational web site. |
| Benton Institute for Broadband and Society | Wilmette, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | To increase Oklahoma community leaders' ability to stimulate broadband infrastructure investment that supports economic development, telehealth delivery, distance learning, and civic engagement. |
| NovAI LLC | Tulsa, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Film Delta LLC | Clarksdale, MS | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Nehisi Ventures LLC | Tulsa, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Verified News Network LLC | Broken Arrow, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Gnargo Bike LLC | Bentonville, AR | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Domes by Joshua LLC | Coweta, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Abily LLC | Fayetteville, AR | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Heiss Mug LLC | Birmingham, AL | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Staley House LLC | HelenaWest Helena, AR | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| 1 Girl Revolution LLC | Detroit, MI | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| SecondKeys Inc | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Whats Next Teacher LLC | Tulsa, OK | $25,000 | 2025 | To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities. |
| Heartland Action Inc | Bentonville, AR | $125,000 | 2024 | To support the Heartland Forward Health Care Initiative (Caucus). |
| Benton Institute for Broadband and Society | Wilmette, IL | $64,500 | 2024 | To support the Tennessee Community Accelerator Program. |
| Communities Unlimited Inc | Fayetteville, AR | $50,000 | 2024 | To support Arkansas Connectivity Coalition- AR Digital Equity. |
| Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development | Little Rock, AR | $50,000 | 2024 | To support the Digital Equity planning. |
| University Of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture | Little Rock, AR | $50,000 | 2024 | To support the Digital Equity Plan 2023. |
| Benton Institute for Broadband and Society | Wilmette, IL | $11,545 | 2024 | To support the Accelerate Oklahoma Program. |
| BENTON INSTITUTE FOR BROADBAND & SOCIETY | Wilmette, IL | $129,000 | 2023 | To work with the state broadband office to develop a customized Accelerate program for Arkansas. |
| LULAC INSTITUTE INC | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | The Grant shall be used for educational outreach and enrollment activities for Latinx households in the EBB in Heartland Forward's geographic focus area. |
| WINROCK INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT | Little Rock, AR | $32,000 | 2023 | The grant shall be used to dedicate staff and resources to the Accelerate program-including community recruitment, participating in trainings with the Benton Institute, and supporting community cohorts. |
| COMMUNITIES UNLIMITED INC | Fayetteville, AR | $24,955 | 2023 | The grant shall be used to dedicate staff and resources to the Accelerate program-including community recruitment, participating in trainings with the Benton Institute, and supporting community cohorts. |
Heartland Action Inc
$300,000To support the Heartland Health Caucus.
To further the acceleration of digital learning, skills and training for the benefit of the general public, in a manner as each party hereto may reasonably determine in good faith, and shall collaborate on the design, enhancement, announcement and promotion of the DigitalLearn.org educational web site.
Benton Institute for Broadband and Society
$50,000To increase Oklahoma community leaders' ability to stimulate broadband infrastructure investment that supports economic development, telehealth delivery, distance learning, and civic engagement.
NovAI LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Film Delta LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Nehisi Ventures LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Verified News Network LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Gnargo Bike LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Domes by Joshua LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Abily LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Heiss Mug LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Staley House LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
1 Girl Revolution LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
SecondKeys Inc
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Whats Next Teacher LLC
$25,000To provide funding to businesses operating in economically depressed and/or blighted underserved areas in order to combat community deterioration, address unemployment and underemployment and ensure the sustainability of economic development in particular communities.
Heartland Action Inc
$125,000To support the Heartland Forward Health Care Initiative (Caucus).
Benton Institute for Broadband and Society
$64,500To support the Tennessee Community Accelerator Program.
To support Arkansas Connectivity Coalition- AR Digital Equity.
To support the Digital Equity planning.
University Of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture
$50,000To support the Digital Equity Plan 2023.
Benton Institute for Broadband and Society
$11,545To support the Accelerate Oklahoma Program.
BENTON INSTITUTE FOR BROADBAND & SOCIETY
$129,000To work with the state broadband office to develop a customized Accelerate program for Arkansas.
The Grant shall be used for educational outreach and enrollment activities for Latinx households in the EBB in Heartland Forward's geographic focus area.
The grant shall be used to dedicate staff and resources to the Accelerate program-including community recruitment, participating in trainings with the Benton Institute, and supporting community cohorts.
The grant shall be used to dedicate staff and resources to the Accelerate program-including community recruitment, participating in trainings with the Benton Institute, and supporting community cohorts.