Forward Arkansas
Forward Arkansas is a Little Rock-based non-profit founded in 2015 that convenes educators, districts, and communities to improve educational outcomes for Arkansas students through initiatives including the LeARner Collective, EPP Design Collaborative, and Community Schools Strategy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLittle Rock, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Forward Arkansas does
Forward Arkansas is a Little Rock-based non-profit education organization founded in 2015 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation to improve educational outcomes for Arkansas students from early childhood through K-12. Operating as a statewide convener and strategic partner, the organization connects educators, school districts, universities, communities, families, and policymakers to design and implement education improvement initiatives. Its programmatic portfolio spans eight interconnected offerings: the LeARner Collective (school transformation with 20 inaugural schools across the Arkansas Delta and Northwest Arkansas), the Arkansas Tutoring Corp (created via Act 912 in 2021 to address pandemic-related learning loss), the Community Schools Strategy (active in Little Rock and Batesville), the Educator Preparation Program Design Collaborative (partnering with eight universities including Arkansas State, Arkansas Tech, Harding, SAU, UAFS, UALR, UAPB, and UCA), the Center for Early Learning Solutions (launched 2025-2026), and an Outcomes-Based Contracting High-Impact Tutoring Cohort (launched October 2025 with five districts).
Forward Arkansas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forward Arkansas
- Legal name
- Forward Arkansas
- Website
- https://forwardarkansas.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Forward Arkansas is a Little Rock-based non-profit founded in 2015 that convenes educators, districts, and communities to improve educational outcomes for Arkansas students through initiatives including the LeARner Collective, EPP Design Collaborative, and Community Schools Strategy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forward Arkansas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs (EDANAJAF), Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)
Keywords
Where Forward Arkansas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Little Rock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forward Arkansas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grants and Foundation Funding: Forward Arkansas operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily by major foundations including the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation. The organization receives grants to support its education improvement initiatives across Arkansas.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Forward Arkansas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forward Arkansas is a non-profit education organization that convenes educators, school districts, universities, families, communities, and policymakers across Arkansas to design, fund, and implement programs that improve K-12 student outcomes. Its work spans educator preparation, school transformation, high-impact tutoring, community schools, early childhood learning, and statewide education research. The organization channels philanthropic funding into planning grants, implementation grants, and technical assistance to partner institutions.
Product overview
Forward Arkansas is a non-profit education organization that offers multiple interconnected programs and initiatives rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include the LeARner Collective (school transformation initiative), Arkansas Tutoring Corp (statewide tutoring), Community Schools Strategy (family-community-school partnerships), EPP Design Collaborative (educator preparation support), Center for Early Learning Solutions (early childhood focus), Outcomes-Based Contracting (performance-based education model), State of Education reports (research and analysis), and Teach Arkansas (teacher recruitment campaign). These programs work together to improve student outcomes across Arkansas's education system from early childhood through K-12.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- LeARner Collective A school transformation initiative that engages school teams — teachers, principals, and staff — from Arkansas schools to develop innovative and practical solutions addressing specific needs, with a focus on literacy, durable skills, and student-centered learning. Designed for K-12 schools and educators across Arkansas.
- Arkansas Tutoring Corp A statewide tutoring initiative created through Act 912 in 2021, designed to accelerate student learning and directly benefit struggling students by addressing pandemic-related learning loss. Intended for K-12 students across Arkansas.
- Community Schools Strategy
Companies that use Forward Arkansas
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Forward Arkansas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Forward Arkansas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Southern Education FoundationcoreForward Arkansas partnered with The Center for Outcomes-Based Contracting at the Southern Education Foundation to implement the first-ever state-based OBC High-Impact Tutoring Program in Arkansas.
- U.S. PREPminorNational expert partner providing technical assistance to educator preparation programs in the EPP Design Collaborative.
- 2RevolutionsminorEducation design lab providing technical assistance and design support to educator preparation programs in the EPP Design Collaborative.
- 2RevolutionsminorNational partner supporting the LeARner Collective program, providing professional development and coaching to participating school teams.
- Arkansas Coalition for Community Schools (ACCS)coreForward Arkansas initiated the ACCS coalition to support development and implementation of community schools in Arkansas, working with Little Rock and Batesville School Districts.
- Heartland ForwardcoreConvener of the Arkansas Connectivity Coalition; partnered with Forward Arkansas on digital divide initiatives and broadband access for students and families.
- Arkansas Connectivity CoalitioncoreCoalition of 15+ organizations working to expand broadband access across Arkansas; Forward Arkansas is a member supporting digital equity for education.
- Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc.minorMember of Arkansas Connectivity Coalition supporting broadband infrastructure expansion.
- Diamond State NetworksminorMember of Arkansas Connectivity Coalition supporting broadband infrastructure.
- Winrock InternationalminorMember of Arkansas Connectivity Coalition providing technical support for broadband planning.
- Arkansas Black Mayors AssociationminorMember of Arkansas Connectivity Coalition focused on digital equity in underserved communities.
- Benton Institute for Broadband & SocietyminorProvider of Accelerate Arkansas program providing 30+ hours of expert counseling on broadband planning for Arkansas communities.
- Communities UnlimitedminorMember of Arkansas Connectivity Coalition providing technical support for broadband planning in Arkansas communities.
- Arkansas Department of EducationcoreForward Arkansas collaborates closely with the Arkansas Department of Education to align education initiatives with state priorities including LEARNS Act implementation.
- Teach Plus ArkansasminorPartnership supporting teacher leadership and policy advocacy; Teach Plus Arkansas Policy Fellowship includes 20 Arkansas teachers.
- Arkansas Children's Northwest HospitalminorDr. Malachi Nichols serves on the Family Advisory Board, connecting health and education sectors.
- City Year Little RockminorPartner organization providing tutoring and student success support to Little Rock schools; serves at Mabelvale Elementary, Mabelvale Middle, Cloverdale Middle, and JA Fair schools.
- EY-ParthenonminorProvided support for the State of Education in Arkansas 2023 report, including stakeholder engagement and data analysis.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Forward Arkansas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Communities In Schools: National nonprofit that places site coordinators inside schools to integrate community resources for students, directly comparable to Forward Arkansas's Community Schools Strategy and Arkansas Coalition for Community Schools initiative.
- City Year: Nonprofit placing AmeriCorps members in schools for tutoring and student support. City Year Little Rock is a documented Forward Arkansas partner serving Little Rock schools, with overlapping student success mission and outcomes-based language.
- Heartland Forward: Arkansas-based nonprofit convener focused on economic opportunity including broadband/digital divide. Partnered with Forward Arkansas on the Arkansas Connectivity Coalition, sharing state-level policy convening model.
- Southern Education Foundation: Active strategic partner of Forward Arkansas via the Center for Outcomes-Based Contracting; both organizations focus on education equity in the South, with OBC tutoring being a shared core initiative.
- The Chicago Public Education Fund: A nonprofit that invests in Chicago's public schools by developing educators and principals, very similar in model to Forward Arkansas's EPP Design Collaborative and stakeholder convening approach. Executive Director Ben Kutylo led program investments here before joining Forward Arkansas.
Broad incumbents
- Education Trust: National advocacy and research nonprofit focused on educational equity and closing achievement gaps. Comparable policy and equity mission to Forward Arkansas's State of Education reports and policy engagement work.
- TNTP (The New Teacher Project): National nonprofit focused on teacher recruitment, training, and retention with policy advocacy. Comparable to Forward Arkansas's educator preparation and Teach Arkansas work, but operates nationally and at much larger scale.
- Teach For America: National corps-based teacher placement nonprofit. Senior Forward Arkansas staff (Ima Dixon) taught through TFA, and the organizations share an educator pipeline and equity-focused mission.
Others
- Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation: One of Forward Arkansas's two founding funders and core ongoing financial partner. Listed because of its unique positioning as a funder-turned-ecosystem-builder in Arkansas education, with overlapping board and programmatic interests.
Emerging players
- Battelle for Kids: Nonprofit that partners with schools and districts on personalized learning and educator effectiveness. Comparable to Forward Arkansas's LeARner Collective and EPP Design Collaborative in approach and target audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Forward Arkansas social profiles
Digital presenceForward Arkansas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forward Arkansas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Forward Arkansas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forward Arkansas M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Forward Arkansas
What does Forward Arkansas do?
Forward Arkansas is a non-profit education organization that convenes educators, school districts, universities, families, communities, and policymakers across Arkansas to design, fund, and implement programs that improve K-12 student outcomes. Its work spans educator preparation, school transformation, high-impact tutoring, community schools, early childhood learning, and statewide education research. The organization channels philanthropic funding into planning grants, implementation grants, and technical assistance to partner institutions.
Is Forward Arkansas a public or private company?
Forward Arkansas is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Forward Arkansas founded?
Forward Arkansas was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Forward Arkansas based?
Forward Arkansas is headquartered in Little Rock, United States, in the North America region.
How does Forward Arkansas make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic Grants and Foundation Funding.
Who are Forward Arkansas's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Communities In Schools, City Year, Heartland Forward, Southern Education Foundation and The Chicago Public Education Fund. Broad incumbents are Education Trust, TNTP (The New Teacher Project) and Teach For America. Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation is listed as an others. Battelle for Kids is listed as an emerging player.
Does Forward Arkansas have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forward Arkansas.
What industry is Forward Arkansas in?
Forward Arkansas's product category is Education Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.