The Carol and Witt Stephens Charitable Foundation focuses its giving in a small number of targeted, high-dollar grants, with a dominant emphasis on scholarship and student support through the Jefferson Scholars Foundation. Secondary interests include regional cultural institutions and conservation—both game/wildlife habitat and research—and occasional support for local faith-based organizations. The foundation tends to make large, general‑purpose grants rather than many small project-specific awards.
A single scholarship pipeline stands out in the Carol and Witt Stephens Charitable Foundation’s recent giving: Jefferson Scholars Foundation received the largest grants on file, including $1,320,000 in 2023 and $660,000 in 2024 for its general fund. That scale sits alongside a smaller but still deliberate set of awards to Arkansas institutions, conservation groups, and select community organizations. The foundation’s pattern is not broad-based micrograntmaking; it is concentrated in fewer, higher-value gifts, often with general-fund or endowment language attached. Arkansas museums and wildlife organizations are recurring beneficiaries. The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation received $200,000 in both 2023 and 2024, while the Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation was awarded $151,000 in 2023 and $12,000 in 2024 for an endowment fund. The portfolio also reaches into music, healthcare, faith communities, and memorial gifts, with grants such as $20,000 to the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra for the Stella Boyle Smith Music Center and $10,000 to UAMS Foundation for the Orthopedic Spine Hospital.
Undergraduate scholarship and student support is the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent awards. Jefferson Scholars Foundation received two large general-fund grants, showing a sustained commitment to higher-education support. Cultural institutions in Arkansas are another visible area. The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation received $200,000 in 2023 and another $200,000 in 2024 for general fund support, while Arkansas Symphony Orchestra received $20,000 for the Stella Boyle Smith Music Center. Conservation also appears in multiple forms. The Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation received $151,000 for general fund support and $12,000 for a memorial endowment fund. Elsewhere, Tall Timbers Foundation received $105,000 for the Albany Quail Endowment and Stoddard Bird Lab Endowment, and International Game Fish Association received $10,000 for its billfish research and conservation endowment.
Typical grant size centers on mid-sized awards: the p25 is $1,892, median is $10,000, and p75 is $20,000. That spread reflects a portfolio with a few very large gifts and many smaller awards. The recent record also shows repeat recipients across years, including Jefferson Scholars Foundation, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation, New Life Church, Tall Timbers Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Sculpture at the Rivermarket, Darby's Warrior Support, and Delta Waterfowl Foundation. The foundation is not a program-related-investment funder and does not fund individuals.
$976K
$1.6M
$438K
$982K
Most grants fall between $2K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Highly concentrated giving: a small number of large grants dominate total dollars, with repeat multi‑grant relationships to a few core organizations and a preference for unrestricted/general fund or endowment gifts.
Notable grantees: Jefferson Scholars Foundation, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation, Tall Timbers Foundation, New Life Church
Grantmaking is heavily Arkansas-centered: 62% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Arkansas is also the top state by grant count. Little Rock appears repeatedly through the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, UAMS Foundation, Women & Children First, and Sculpture at the Rivermarket. Other Arkansas recipient cities include Conway, Springdale, Searcy, Pine Bluff, and North Little Rock. Outside Arkansas, the foundation’s grants still stay within the United States, including Charlottesville, VA; Tallahassee, FL; Gladstone, NJ; and Dania, FL.
Recent grants point to undergraduate scholarship support, Arkansas arts institutions, wildlife conservation and habitat work, and selected faith-based community support. Specific examples include major general-fund support for Jefferson Scholars Foundation, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, and Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation, plus conservation-related gifts to Tall Timbers Foundation, International Game Fish Association, and Delta Waterfowl Foundation.
The typical grant size is $10,000 at the median, with a p25 of $1,892 and a p75 of $20,000. The recent record also includes much larger awards, such as seven-figure and six-figure gifts to scholarship and Arkansas cultural or conservation organizations.
Yes. Although Arkansas receives most grants, the foundation has also given to recipients in Virginia, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, California, and North Dakota. Recent non-Arkansas recipients include Jefferson Scholars Foundation in Charlottesville, Tall Timbers Foundation in Tallahassee, and International Game Fish Association in Dania.
No. The foundation is listed as not funding individuals and not making program-related investments, so its giving is directed to organizations rather than direct individual support or PRI activity.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Jefferson Scholars Foundation, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation, New Life Church, Tall Timbers Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Sculpture at the Rivermarket, Darby's Warrior Support, and Delta Waterfowl Foundation.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEFFERSON SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $669,515 | 2026 | 38,500 UNITS OF ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS LP |
| ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS FOUNDATION | LITLE ROCK, AR | $200,000 | 2026 | REIMAGINING THE ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS CAMPAIGN |
| TALL TIMBERS FOUNDATION | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $30,124 | 2026 | ALBANY QUAIL PROJECT |
| ARKANSAS GAME & FISH FOUNDATION | LITLE ROCK, AR | $21,000 | 2026 | MALLARDS FOR MARION & GET IT FOR GAME WARDENS |
| USET FOUNDATION | GLADSTONE, NJ | $20,000 | 2026 | PATHWAY TO THE PODIUM |
| NEW LIFE CHURCH | CONWAY, AR | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND | SPRINGDALE, AR | $10,000 | 2026 | 2025 A DAY OF HOPE PRESENTING SPONSORSHIP |
| SCULPTURE AT THE RIVERMARKET | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | BRITTANY ANN HILDEBRAND FUND FOR ADHD PRESCRIPTION REFORM |
| FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | MAGNOLIA, AR | $2,000 | 2026 | TUCKER ELLIOTT FRANKS SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| DELTA WATERFOWL FOUNDATION | BISMARCK, ND | $1,100 | 2026 | PREDATOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM |
| ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS FOUNDATION | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SALEM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH | SALEM, AR | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| TALL TIMBERS FOUNDATION | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $37,915 | 2025 | ALBANY QUAIL ENDOWMENT & STODDARD BIRD LAB ENDOWMENT |
| USET FOUNDATION | GLADSTONE, NJ | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| NEW LIFE CHURCH | CONWAY, AR | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND | SPRINGDALE, AR | $10,000 | 2025 | LUNCH BREAK GOLD SPONSOR |
| SCULPTURE AT THE RIVERMARKET | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $1,500 | 2025 | DANCING WITH OUR STARS |
| DELTA WATERFOWL FOUNDATION | BISMARCK, ND | $1,100 | 2025 | PREDATOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM |
| ARKANSAS FOOD BANK | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $1,000 | 2025 | IN HONOR OF JINCIE WILLIAMS |
| JEFFERSON SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $660,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS FOUNDATION | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| TALL TIMBERS FOUNDATION | TALLAHASSEE, FL | $105,000 | 2024 | ALBANY QUAIL ENDOWMENT STODDARD BIRD LAB ENDOWMENT |
| USET FOUNDATION | GLADSTONE, NJ | $20,000 | 2024 | PATHWAY TO THE PODIUM |
| ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $20,000 | 2024 | STELLA BOYLE SMITH MUSIC CENTER |
| NEW LIFE CHURCH | CONWAY, AR | $12,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARKANSAS GAME & FISH FOUNDATION | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $12,000 | 2024 | MEMORIAL FOR SAM LEDER MARION MCCOLLUM ENDOWMENT FUND |
| ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND | SPRINGDALE, AR | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $10,000 | 2024 | MEMORIAL JD SIMPSON |
| INTERNATIONAL GAME FISH ASSOCIATION | DANIA, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | IGFA BILLFISH RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION ENDOWMENT |
| WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| UAMS FOUNDATION | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $10,000 | 2024 | ORTHOPEDIC SPINE HOSPITAL |
| SCULPTURE AT THE RIVERMARKET | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DARBY'S WARRIOR SUPPORT | SEARCY, AR | $1,625 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DELTA WATERFOWL FOUNDATION | BISMARCK, ND | $1,100 | 2024 | PREDATOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM |
| JEFFERSON REGIONAL FOUNDATION | PINE BLUFF, AR | $1,000 | 2024 | MEMORIAL BILL BRIDGFORTH |
| Jefferson Scholars Foundation | Charlottesville, VA | $1,320,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation | Little Rock, AR | $200,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation | Little Rock, AR | $151,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| New Life Church | Conway, AR | $112,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Tall Timbers Foundation | Tallahassee, FL | $20,200 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Salem First Baptist Church | Salem, AR | $10,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| The Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $10,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Sculpture at the Rivermarket | Little Rock, AR | $5,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Torrance Memorial Foundation | Torrance, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Darby's Warrior Support | Searcy, AR | $3,000 | 2023 | General Fund |
| Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame | North Little Rock, AR | $2,695 | 2023 | Honoring Sissy Jones |
| First Ward Living Grace Food Pantry | Pine Bluff, AR | $1,500 | 2023 | General Fund |
JEFFERSON SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$669,51538,500 UNITS OF ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS LP
REIMAGINING THE ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS CAMPAIGN
MALLARDS FOR MARION & GET IT FOR GAME WARDENS
PATHWAY TO THE PODIUM
NEW LIFE CHURCH
$12,000GENERAL FUND
ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$10,0002025 A DAY OF HOPE PRESENTING SPONSORSHIP
SCULPTURE AT THE RIVERMARKET
$5,000GENERAL FUND
GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$5,000BRITTANY ANN HILDEBRAND FUND FOR ADHD PRESCRIPTION REFORM
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$2,000TUCKER ELLIOTT FRANKS SCHOLARSHIP FUND
DELTA WATERFOWL FOUNDATION
$1,100PREDATOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
SALEM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
$50,000GENERAL FUND
ALBANY QUAIL ENDOWMENT & STODDARD BIRD LAB ENDOWMENT
NEW LIFE CHURCH
$12,000GENERAL FUND
ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$10,000LUNCH BREAK GOLD SPONSOR
SCULPTURE AT THE RIVERMARKET
$5,000GENERAL FUND
DELTA WATERFOWL FOUNDATION
$1,100PREDATOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
JEFFERSON SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$660,000GENERAL FUND
ALBANY QUAIL ENDOWMENT STODDARD BIRD LAB ENDOWMENT
NEW LIFE CHURCH
$12,000GENERAL FUND
MEMORIAL FOR SAM LEDER MARION MCCOLLUM ENDOWMENT FUND
ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$10,000GENERAL FUND
IGFA BILLFISH RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION ENDOWMENT
WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST
$10,000GENERAL FUND
SCULPTURE AT THE RIVERMARKET
$5,000GENERAL FUND
DELTA WATERFOWL FOUNDATION
$1,100PREDATOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
JEFFERSON REGIONAL FOUNDATION
$1,000MEMORIAL BILL BRIDGFORTH
Jefferson Scholars Foundation
$1,320,000General Fund
New Life Church
$112,000General Fund
Salem First Baptist Church
$10,000General Fund
Sculpture at the Rivermarket
$5,000General Fund
Torrance Memorial Foundation
$5,000General Fund
Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame
$2,695Honoring Sissy Jones
First Ward Living Grace Food Pantry
$1,500General Fund