The Delta is more than a region – it's a frontline for change. Its fertile soil is where grit lives, culture thrives, and communities rally together through generations of resilience. However, it's also where investment falls short and opportunity too often fails to reach the people who need it most.
We write this not just as funders but as long-standing partners in the Delta. One of us served as mayor of Forrest City, and the other leads the Walton Family Foundation's Home Region Program, which includes Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta.
While we come from different places and backgrounds, we are united in our belief that the Delta's future must be written by those who live its story every day. The communities here understand the region's distinct rhythms and its deep potential, and they deserve to be the ones shaping its next chapter.
We know real change starts with proximity, trust, humility, and deep listening. That's why the Walton Family Foundation and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation are investing in the people and places that are too often overlooked.
This year, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation celebrates 50 years of advancing equity in Arkansas. Rooted in Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller's legacy, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation's work has never been about handouts, but instead about turning shared commitments into actionable and meaningful collaboration. It's about working alongside communities and leaders to build power through generational wealth, educational, and economic advancement.
As the Walton Family Foundation launches its 2030 strategic plan, one core piece remains: The work in the Delta will continue, focused on ensuring that everyone who wants one has a seat at the table.
Both of our organizations' current strategies are anchored in community-driven change and efforts to ensure that every Arkansan can earn a livable wage, access quality education and economic opportunities, and, above all, thrive.
But we cannot do this alone. Despite our efforts, the Delta remains one of the most underfunded regions in the nation, receiving just $41 in philanthropic dollars per person, compared to the national average of $451 per person. That kind of disparity doesn't just hurt, it stalls capacity and momentum.
The Delta isn't lacking in creativity or ambition. It's lacking infrastructure, access, and, most importantly, belief from the outside.
As former mayor of Forrest City, I (Cedric) saw firsthand how small towns are often left out of federal relief and recovery efforts. During the first round of the Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding, nearly all dollars went to white business owners. Many Black entrepreneurs in the Delta, from barbers to caterers and shop owners, didn't even hear about PPP until the funds were gone. That experience prompted WRF to launch Delta Owned, an initiative that provided capital and technical support to 150 small businesses. The model has since inspired the Small Business Administration's (SBA) national Business Navigator program and strengthened relationships with local banks and community development financial institutions (CDFIs).
I (Robert) believe in inviting everyone to the table. In my role at the WFF, I've seen how centering community voices, from artists and educators to entrepreneurs and organizers, leads to more authentic, sustainable results. That's why we partner with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to support efforts like the Delta Philanthropy Forum – a collective space for funders to coordinate action and align dollars with grass-roots priorities.
The Delta isn't lacking in creativity or ambition. It's lacking infrastructure, access, and, most importantly, belief from the outside. For too long, narratives of poverty and despair have defined the Delta. But that's not the full story. Part of our work is not just to fund the future, but to change how the past and present are portrayed.
When we shift the frame, we change what's possible.
In places like Marvell, the Rural LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) partnership with the Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center is catalyzing a creative economy built by local artists. Organizations like Delta Circles are empowering women entrepreneurs and building financial literacy from the ground up. The Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative is mobilizing Black-led resources for Black-led solutions.
These are real people, creating lasting, tangible change right here in the Delta. And their work deserves to be celebrated! Both the Walton Family Foundation and Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation have supported community storytelling initiatives that uplift local culture and help the Delta define itself on its terms. Because when we shift the frame, we change what's possible.
We believe the Delta doesn't need saving. It needs backing. It needs more people, funders, policymakers, institutions and neighbors to show up and support it.
That means moving beyond transactional grants to transformational relationships. It means supporting long-term capacity, not short-term fixes. And it means seeing the Delta not as a place of scarcity, but as a place of robust history and potential.
The road ahead requires all of us. So we invite you to listen to Delta voices, invest in Delta ideas, and stand with Delta communities.
Let's shift the frame, share the mic, and shape a future worthy of this place we love and call home.
This article originally appeared in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on October 9, 2025.
