BusIness GuIde

NONPROFIT CORRIDORGlobal Nonprofits Headquarter in Little RockECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTHeifer International, which works to end hunger and poverty, is headquartered on a 30-acre campus in downtown Little Rock.Led by the Clinton Presidential Center,Heifer International and WinrockInternational, Little Rock hasemerged as a major center for globalnonprofit organizations. With institutionslike Arkansas Children’s Hospitaland the University of Arkansasfor Medical Sciences bringing inworld-class talent from around theglobe, Little Rock is developing theinternational community needed toattract individuals and families workingin the growing nonprofit industry.The Little Rock Regional Chamber ofCommerce, in partnership with theArkansas Coalition for Excellence andthe University of Arkansas at LittleRock Center for Nonprofits, hosts aNonprofit Executive Series. The event,held quarterly, features leading expertscovering topics such as board governance,development and financial planning.Nonprofit executives attend tolearn about key trends in the industryand network with other nonprofitleaders from throughout the region.Little Rock's attractive cost of living,great location, thriving downtown,strong work force, new nonprofit incentiveand, most importantly, commitmentto building on the city'sstrong nonprofit corridor have madeit an ideal place for leading nonprofitheadquarters.William J. ClintonFoundationThe Clinton Foundation, headquarteredat the Clinton Presidential Centerin Little Rock, works to supportthe many initiatives of PresidentClinton throughout the world. Anchoringthe east end of the city, theClinton Presidential Center servesas an economic development enginefor the region while continuing to beone of the largest tourism attractionsin our state. The Clinton Center wasawarded the Silver LEED (Leadershipin Energy and EnvironmentalDesign) certification rating from theU.S. Green Building Council. TheClinton Foundation raised approximately$165 million in private fundsto build the Clinton Center, whichopened in November 2004 and includesthe Clinton Presidential Library,the Clinton School of PublicService and the Clinton PresidentialPark. For more information, visitwww.clintonfoundation.org.The University of Arkansas ClintonSchool of Public Service offers theonly master’s degree of its kind in theworld. The Clinton School’s lectureseries, free to the public, has generatedinternational acclaim, bringingin speakers such as Madeleine Albrightand Henry Kissinger.Heifer InternationalHeifer International, which workswith communities worldwide to endhunger and poverty and to care forthe Earth, is headquartered on a 30-acre campus in downtown LittleRock, next to the Clinton PresidentialCenter. An internationally recognized"green" headquarters and expertstaff make Heifer Internationala major addition to Little Rock’s internationalpresence in the field ofsustainable development.In June 2009, Heifer Village willopen a unique, family friendly destinationon its campus. This newestaddition to Little Rock’s growing listof cultural activities highlights solutionsto extreme hunger and povertyand provides a public space for eventsand learning. This 15,886-square-footattraction will house exhibits, eventsand programming of internationalcaliber. Open seven days a week, HeiferVillage is a state-of-the-art learningcenter where visitors can interact withmany of the solutions being used inHeifer projects around the world.With revenue of over $100 million inFY '08, Heifer International continuesto enjoy great success in Little Rockwhile providing service to hundredsof thousands of people in 50 countriesaround the world.Winrock InternationalLittle Rock is also home to WinrockInternational, whose headquartersearned the Gold LEED certificationfrom the U.S. Green Building Council.Winrock works with people aroundthe world to increase economic opportunity,sustain natural resources andprotect the environment. Winrockmatches innovative approaches in agriculture,natural resources management,clean energy and leadership developmentwith the unique needs of itspartners.By linking local individuals and communitieswith new ideas and technology,Winrock is increasing long-termproductivity, equity and responsibleresource management to benefit thepoor and disadvantaged of the world.Lions World Servicesfor the BlindA fourth major nonprofit headquarteredin Little Rock is Lions WorldServices for the Blind, founded in1947, whose mission is to serve theblind and visually impaired by equippingthem with the skills to functionin our "sighted" society. They, too,are investing a sizable amount, over$20 million, in a new headquartersand campus. It will be located nextto the Clinton Presidential Centerand Heifer International, east of Interstate30 in downtown Little Rock.When this impressive facility is completed,it will mark the fourth globalnonprofit to construct a multi-million-dollarheadquarters in LittleRock in the past few years.EAST (Environmentaland Spatial Technology)InitiativeHeadquartered in Little Rock, theEAST (Environmental and SpatialTechnology) Initiative began in 1996in a single classroom in rural Arkansasand has since grown to over 230schools in six states. In 2001, EASTincorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofitgoverned by a Board of Directors composedof business, education andgovernment leaders. Working togetherwith a dedicated executive andprogram staff, the EAST Initiativesucceeds in delivering a relevant andlife-changing experience for studentsthat produces value for schools, communitiesand the work force. To developas learners for a new era, EASTstudents are equipped with the toolsof the future. They routinely interactwith hardware and sofware in animation,computer-aided design, engineeringdesign, visualization, databasedesign, webpage design, programming,office automation, digital filmmaking,virtual reality, global positioning systemsand geographic information systems.The students, working in teams,tackle sophisticated service-orientedprojects. In the process of solving theseproblems, they learn to become creative,intuitive, adaptable learners whocan solve unpredictable, real-worldproblems. lLittle Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce 2009 Business Guide 67