SPRINGDALE — A local scholarship organization plans on expanding its services and building a new, centralized headquarters.
The Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas on Thursday announced plans to build a new center during an event at the future building site at 806 Founders Park Drive West in Springdale. The current headquarters is in Bentonville.
The organization also officially launched “Building for Success,” a capital campaign working to raise $7.4 million for land acquisition, construction and expanded program offerings.
The Single Parent Scholarship Fund offers financial assistance and support services — including family counseling and a food pantry — to families with single parents pursuing higher education. It serves families in Washington, Benton, Madison and Carroll counties.
“What started as a grassroots effort has blossomed into a full-service organization providing a breadth of support and services that go far beyond tuition, recognizing that single parents face unique challenges in their pursuit of higher education as well as economic stability,” said Anthony Sumlin, chairman of the organization’s board.
Marjorie Marugg-Wolfe and Ralph Nesson founded the organization in 1984. The Single Parent Scholarship Funds of Benton County and Washington County provided $3,450 in scholarships in their first year for 15 families.
The organization has served 21,000 families and awarded almost $19 million in scholarships during its more than 40-year existence, Sumlin said. The organization awarded $1,100,934 in scholarships in 2024 to 253 recipients with a total of 452 children. Full-time recipients get $2,500 per semester.
The Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas partners with more than 30 post-secondary institutions. Schools with representatives attending the event included the University of Arkansas, Northwest Technical Institute, John Brown University, Crowder College, Northwest Arkansas Community College and Harding University.
“I’m deeply honored to be here today and to see how far this mission has come since my dad first saw the need more than four decades ago,” said Chava Nesson Boyett, daughter of Ralph Nesson and a current community ambassador for the organization. “My father believed in the power of community to lift up families who are working so hard to create a better life, and he dedicated himself to making sure they didn’t feel forgotten.”
The Single Parent Scholarship Funds of Benton County and Northwest Arkansas merged to become a single organization in 2021. Krystle Goodwin, public communications director, said a larger, more centralized organization will help the organization serve a growing number of recipients.
Maegen Donahoe, a current scholarship recipient and registered nursing student at North Arkansas College, spoke about the organization’s impact. She said her journey as a single mother offers an example of determination for her children but also includes good deeds from others along the way.
“When I got the congratulations email on being a part of the Single Parent (Scholarship Fund) family, my journey to our higher education and better future completely changed,” Donahoe said.
She said she was grateful for the financial support but also pointed to resources such as back-to-school supplies for her children, the food pantry, family counseling and a network of people in similar life circumstances. Donahoe also said a closer facility would help her and others in the program take better advantage of the organization’s services.
“The benefits of a more centralized and accessible location would help my family be successful by lowering our gas expense and our drive time, opening more opportunities for us to utilize the Single Parent facility,” she said.
The new building plans — drafted with help from Core Architects — include larger pantry spaces, individual study spaces, a multi-purpose education space and a separate wing for counseling services. The plans also include a multi-purpose space serving as a kitchen, breakroom and shelter.
Construction will start when the $7.4 million goal is met. Stacy Segar, senior director of philanthropic strategy, said the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas has already received early commitments from foundational donors. She said they have already raised $4,862,033, or 66% of the $7.4 million budget for the facility.
The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation provided a lead gift for the new facility, Segar said. The building will be called the Pat Walker Center for Success.
Frankie Rankin, chief philanthropy officer, said the Mabee Foundation also awarded a $1 million challenge grant. The organization must raise an additional $1.8 million before April 2026 to receive the Mabee Foundation grant.
Segar encouraged event attendees to contribute to the campaign. She also invited them to speak with organization leaders to learn more about the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas’ mission and services.
“We know that together, because this community is strong and this community is generous, we will turn this vision into a reality,” Segar said.
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