Our friend Serena Smith at State Farm let us know about a grant program you can apply for to make a positive impact on the Northwest Arkansas community. As a company, State Farm continues the effort to inspire and empower people to get involved in their communities by creating a positive, sustainable, and measurable social impact. In that spirit, the company is offering the State Farm Neighborhood Assist® grant program, again, for its ninth year. As in the past, the top 40 causes with the most public votes will each receive a $25,000 grant, with awards totaling $1 Million.

Now, more than ever, communities are in need of support. No matter what your passion – a literacy program, COVID relief efforts, social injustice initiatives or a playground in need of repair – you can be the catalyst for positive change.

The application window opens July 15 at 12 p.m. CST on www.neighborhoodassist.com and closes once 2,000 applications are received. Anyone living in the U.S., 18 years old or older, is eligible to apply. One submission per person will be accepted. It’s best to submit early. During the last two years, State Farm received 2,000 applications in under 24 hours.

The application is short and simple. Here are the questions applicants will be asked to answer:
•   What’s the name of your cause?
•   Mission statement
•   How much does your cause focus on an unmet need in your community?
•   Why do you feel the $25,000 grant would address the unmet need?
•   How much of a lasting impact on this community would the proposal make?

After the application window ends, a State Farm Review Committee will read and narrow down the submissions to 200 finalists. Once identified, the top 200 causes will appear on www.neighborhoodassist.com to be voted on by the public. The voting phase is Sept. 23 – Oct. 2, with each voter allowed 10 votes per day.

The 40 causes with the most votes will each receive a $25,000 grant. Winners will be announced Nov. 4. If an individual who is not affiliated with an organization wins a grant, a nonprofit will be matched to help run the program.

For more information, visit www.neighborhoodassist.com.

For more information about State Farm and your insurance needs, chat with our friend Serena Smith at State Farm! You can reach Serena by phone at 479.268.6431 or by visiting https://serenasmith.com.