SPRINGDALE, Ark. (April 16, 2026)

Jones Center has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from Walmart to launch the state’s first-ever regional volunteer center. This transformative initiative will connect Northwest Arkansas residents to each other through meaningful service opportunities, improving their overall health and well-being while strengthening nonprofit capacity across the region.

The 12-month grant funds the planning for a future volunteer center to open in 2027 and tackles two growing challenges: social connection and nonprofit instability. By building a strong culture of volunteerism, it will bring people together and strengthen the entire community.

“We are excited to build on Jones Center’s reputation for promoting connection and community health,” said Joe Lloyd, Jones Center president and CEO. “This initiative creates a path for every resident to find purpose through service, and every nonprofit to have the tools they need to thrive.”

Volunteerism boosts physical and mental health by promoting social connection. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General reported loneliness as a significant health concern with widespread impact. Nearly 50% of U.S. adults experience loneliness, according to the report. This lack of social connection increases the risk of premature death to a level comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes per day and is linked to heart disease, stroke, dementia, anxiety, and depression.

“The links between volunteering, feeling connected, and health are significant,” noted Emily Ironside, Jones Center chief strategy officer. “When you experience a strong sense of belonging and purpose, you are happier and healthier. It seems simple, but finding connection is becoming harder for many, including young adults, older adults, and those with health, economic, or social barriers. We want to solve for that.”

Volunteerism also bolsters the nonprofit sector. Northwest Arkansas is home to 2,930 nonprofits employing nearly 22,000 people. For three decades, Jones Center has served as a cornerstone for nonprofit sustainability in Northwest Arkansas. Through its Jones Community for Nonprofits campuses in Springdale and Rogers, the organization provides affordable office space and resources to more than 100 nonprofit affiliates, delivering over $3.5 million annually in space rental discounts. These campuses power services for more than 270,000 residents and host 250–300 nonprofit meetings and events each year.

“This is a challenging time for the nonprofit sector as priorities shift for many major grantors,” explained Ironside. “In addition to connecting people, volunteerism strengthens nonprofits because they benefit from the skills and experience volunteers provide. Increasing volunteerism in Northwest Arkansas is more than an opportunity; it’s an imperative.”

The future volunteer center will be headquartered at the Jones Community for Nonprofits campus in downtown Springdale, adjacent to Jones Center, with a satellite location in the downtown Rogers nonprofit campus. Both sites will serve as hubs for coordination, training, and technology integration, including shared services for nonprofits such as volunteer screening, onboarding, and compliance.

“For Walmart, the regional volunteer center is about supporting a systems-approach to creating a more caring and connected community,” said Julie Gehrki, senior vice president of philanthropy at Walmart Inc. “Taking a major step to grow volunteerism across the region will reinforce social bonds while enhancing local nonprofits and their impact. We’re proud to support Jones Center to make this vision a reality.”

Why Volunteerism Matters:

• According to AmeriCorps, Arkansas’s current volunteer rate is 28 percent, representing about 871,000 residents. Raising the rate to 39 percent, the national top 10 state average, would engage 333,000 more people in service.
  

• Volunteerism promotes social connection, which is linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
  

• Volunteerism strengthens the nonprofit sector by encouraging charitable giving. The Do Good Institute reports that volunteering increases charitable giving by 14.5 percent.

Volunteering is a requirement for some local groups. Approximately 40,000 public high school students in Northwest Arkansas are required to volunteer to graduate as part of the Arkansas LEARNS Act implemented in 2023. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) participants are now required to volunteer to receive benefits following a change to federal law, affecting an estimated 20,000 people in Washingtonand Benton counties.

"While there are groups with specific volunteer requirements,” said Ironside, “the goal is to support a larger volunteer ecosystem by creating easy-to-use tools for everyone to find meaningful service opportunities.”

Jones Center will collaborate with corporate, nonprofit, and civic partners to ensure a comprehensive approach. Planning will include advisory councils, town halls, and benchmarking with national peers. Coletta Patterson was recently appointed as the regional volunteer center planning director to lead the planning and preparation for the 2027 launch.

“This grant embodies the spirit and purpose of Jones Center,” said Lloyd. “It’s more than funding; it’s an investment in a future where volunteerism becomes the heartbeat of Northwest Arkansas.”

Plans for the volunteer center were announced during National Volunteer Month on April 16, 2026, at Jones Center’s 30th anniversary event featuring a panel on the role of community spaces in supporting public health. Panelists included Ralph Clare, executive vice president for Health and Wellness at Walmart Inc., Claude Pirtle, M.D. president of Heartland Whole Health Institute, Julie Gehrki, senior vice president of philanthropy at Walmart Inc., Tim Grailer, Head of Community Impact and Finance Operations for Tyson Foods, and Celia Swanson, president of the Harvey and Bernice Jones Trust board.