Roughly 70% of philanthropic dollars flow to the places where foundations are headquartered, leaving rural communities in the Delta and beyond consistently overlooked. The Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation is flipping that model, bringing funders directly into rural Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana to build real relationships and unlock equitable investment. Join Kim Davis and Dr. Joyvin Benton as they share how their two-part model, Chat and Chew paired with Jumpstart, is turning one-day conversations into long-term community impact.
What you’ll learn:
- How the Chat and Chew model brings funders face-to-face with rural nonprofits through capacity building, matchmaking, and on-the-spot seed grants
- Why 16+ participating foundations, including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Google, are investing in this model
- How Jumpstart sustains funder relationships and pipeline-building long after the two-day convening ends
- Early outcomes from year three and what peer funders can replicate in their own regions
- Practical ways to collaborate with other funders to close equity gaps in your service area
Seats are limited. Reserve your spot today and see what responsive philanthropy can look like.
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Speakers
Kim Davis
President, Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation
Joyvin Benton
Program Officer, Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation
Kim Davis is a philanthropic leader with more than two decades of experience. As President of the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation, he oversees more than $100 million in assets and leads investments across North Texas, West Texas, and Arkansas. A 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholar and former gubernatorial appointee to the Arkansas State Board of Education, Kim believes philanthropy is at its best when it listens first and builds strong community partnerships.
Joyvin Benton serves as a Program Officer at the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation, supporting nonprofits across South Arkansas and the Arkansas Delta. She holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in systems and policy and brings deep expertise in research, evaluation, and public policy to her role. Dr. Benton is an alumna of Independent Sector’s Next Generation Fellowship and a 2026 Mosaic Changemaker Fellow.
