FHLB Dallas and Southern Bancorp Award $3,000 Grant to Help Arkansas Youth Prepare for College and Careers
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and its member Southern Bancorp are supporting efforts to help Arkansas students prepare for life after high school through a $3,000 Partnership Grant Program (PGP) award to Mamás Unidas LR. The funding will strengthen the nonprofit organization’s ability to provide college and career readiness resources to young people and their families, with a particular emphasis on financial literacy.
The grant will help Mamás Unidas LR expand its educational programming and reach more Arkansas families navigating the transition from high school to higher education and employment. As part of the initiative, the organization plans to hire a program coordinator who will organize and conduct a series of workshops focused on college and career preparation.
The workshops will address practical issues that students and their parents may encounter when planning for education after high school. Financial literacy will be a central component, giving families information and tools that can help them make informed decisions about the costs associated with college, career preparation and long-term financial stability.
FHLB Dallas announced the grant during a celebratory event in Little Rock, Arkansas, held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Partnership Grant Program. The award is part of a broader commitment by FHLB Dallas and its members to support community-based organizations working to improve economic opportunities and strengthen local communities.
In 2026, FHLB Dallas and its participating members in the Bank’s five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas awarded a combined $1.8 million through the PGP. The program provides financial support to organizations that play an important role in addressing affordable housing and economic development needs.
Supporting Students and Families
For Mamás Unidas LR, the grant represents an opportunity to expand its reach and increase the organization’s capacity to serve students and parents.
Sandra Carmona Jobe, development director at Mamás Unidas LR, said the funding will directly enhance the organization’s ability to support families as they work toward higher education and greater economic stability.
The transition from high school to college or a career can involve a wide range of decisions. Students may need to determine which educational or career path best fits their interests and goals, while families often have to consider tuition, living expenses, financial aid, scholarships, transportation and other costs.
By providing workshops that combine college and career readiness with financial education, Mamás Unidas LR aims to help families approach these decisions with greater knowledge and confidence.
The organization expects the new program coordinator to play a central role in expanding these efforts. The coordinator will help organize workshops, connect with participating families and support the delivery of educational programming.
The additional staffing capacity is particularly important for a community-based nonprofit. Organizations serving local populations frequently face challenges associated with limited staffing and resources, even when demand for their programs is growing. The PGP award gives Mamás Unidas LR resources that can be directed toward expanding its operations and increasing its ability to reach young people.
Financial Literacy as a Key Component
Financial literacy is an important element of the initiative because education decisions are closely connected to a family’s financial circumstances.
Understanding how to plan for educational expenses can help students and parents evaluate different options and prepare for the financial responsibilities associated with postsecondary education. Financial education can also help families develop broader money-management skills that extend beyond the college years.
Mamás Unidas LR’s planned workshops will therefore focus not only on helping students identify educational and career opportunities, but also on helping families understand the financial considerations involved in pursuing those opportunities.
For students, early exposure to financial concepts can provide a foundation for making responsible decisions as they move into adulthood. For parents, access to practical financial information can help them participate more effectively in conversations about educational planning and future career goals.
The program’s focus on both students and parents reflects the role families often play in helping young people make decisions about education and employment.
Partnership Grant Program Marks 30 Years
The award comes as FHLB Dallas celebrates the 30th anniversary of its Partnership Grant Program. Since its creation, the PGP has provided a mechanism for FHLB Dallas members to increase their support for local organizations addressing community development needs.
Under the program, participating FHLB Dallas members can receive matching funds for contributions made to eligible community-based organizations. The program provides up to a 5-to-1 match of member contributions, with a maximum of $25,000 available per member.
This structure allows FHLB Dallas members to amplify their charitable contributions and provide additional resources to organizations working directly within their communities.
Southern Bancorp’s participation in the program helped make the $3,000 award to Mamás Unidas LR possible. As an FHLB Dallas member, Southern Bancorp was able to leverage the PGP to increase the impact of its support for the nonprofit.
The partnership illustrates how financial institutions and community organizations can work together to address local economic and educational challenges.
Southern Bancorp’s Role
Southern Bancorp has a mission that includes supporting communities and expanding economic opportunity. Through its participation in the PGP, the institution is helping Mamás Unidas LR strengthen its ability to deliver services to Arkansas youth and their families.
Conner Wood, CRA officer at Southern Bancorp, described the grant as an investment in Mamás Unidas LR’s operational capabilities and long-term impact.
By contributing resources to the organization, Southern Bancorp can help expand access to educational programming for Arkansas families. The partnership is intended to help more young people pursue postsecondary education, work toward their personal goals and develop stronger financial futures.
The grant also demonstrates how community-focused financial institutions can use partnerships to support initiatives beyond traditional banking services. Programs that promote education, financial literacy and economic mobility can contribute to broader community development by helping individuals develop skills and knowledge that may improve their long-term opportunities.
Building Economic Stability Through Education
Education after high school can be an important pathway toward employment and economic advancement. However, students and families may face barriers when trying to navigate the postsecondary education system.
These barriers can include limited knowledge about available programs, uncertainty about career choices and difficulty understanding the financial aspects of pursuing additional education.
Community organizations such as Mamás Unidas LR can help address these challenges by providing information and guidance directly to families.
The PGP funding is expected to help the organization reach students earlier in the decision-making process. Early engagement can give young people more time to explore career options, research educational opportunities and consider the financial implications of their choices.
For parents, workshops can provide an opportunity to learn alongside their children and better understand the resources available to support postsecondary education.
The broader objective is to equip families with knowledge that can support informed decision-making and contribute to long-term economic stability.
Expanding the Capacity of Small Nonprofits
Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, highlighted the importance of the PGP in helping small nonprofit organizations expand their community impact.
Community-based nonprofits often have strong relationships with the people they serve because they understand local needs and challenges. However, their ability to expand programs can be constrained by staffing and financial resources.
A relatively modest grant can therefore have a meaningful impact when it supports an organization’s operational capacity.
In the case of Mamás Unidas LR, the funding will help support the hiring of a program coordinator. Rather than simply providing one-time assistance for an individual workshop or event, the grant is expected to help the organization establish additional capacity to deliver a broader series of programs.
This can allow Mamás Unidas LR to engage with more families and provide more consistent educational resources.
FHLB Dallas views partnerships such as this as a way for its members to strengthen the organizations already working in their communities. By combining the resources of financial institutions with the local knowledge and relationships of nonprofits, the program can help address community needs more effectively.
Focus on Arkansas Youth
The initiative is particularly focused on Arkansas youth and the decisions they face after completing high school.
Preparing for college or a career can be a significant transition. Students must often make decisions that can influence their educational and professional paths for years to come.
Providing structured guidance during this period can help students better understand their options and develop realistic plans for achieving their goals.
Mamás Unidas LR’s workshops are designed to provide that support while incorporating financial literacy into the discussion. This approach recognizes that educational planning and financial planning are closely connected.
Students who understand their educational choices and the financial responsibilities associated with them may be better positioned to make decisions that align with their long-term goals.
Parents can also benefit from gaining greater familiarity with the financial and educational considerations involved in supporting their children.
Broader Community Impact
The potential impact of the program extends beyond individual students and families. When young people have access to education and career preparation resources, the benefits can contribute to the broader economic health of a community.
Postsecondary education and workforce preparation can help individuals develop skills that support employment and career advancement. Greater financial literacy can also contribute to more informed financial decisions throughout adulthood.
From this perspective, the grant represents an investment not only in students but also in the future economic strength of the communities they will eventually enter as workers, professionals, entrepreneurs and community members.
FHLB Dallas and Southern Bancorp’s support of Mamás Unidas LR demonstrates the role that financial institutions can play in advancing community development through targeted partnerships.
A Continued Commitment to Community Investment
The $3,000 award to Mamás Unidas LR is part of FHLB Dallas’ larger 2026 PGP commitment. The $1.8 million awarded across its five-state District demonstrates the program’s continued role as a source of funding for organizations working on affordable housing, economic development and related community priorities.
As the Partnership Grant Program reaches its 30th anniversary, FHLB Dallas continues to emphasize collaboration between its members and community-based organizations.
The Mamás Unidas LR initiative illustrates one way those partnerships can support economic development: by helping young people develop the knowledge and resources needed to pursue education and careers.
For Mamás Unidas LR, the immediate goal is to use the funding to hire a program coordinator and expand college and career readiness workshops. For participating students and parents, the program will provide an opportunity to gain practical information about educational planning, career preparation and financial literacy.
Ultimately, the partnership between FHLB Dallas, Southern Bancorp and Mamás Unidas LR reflects a shared focus on creating stronger opportunities for Arkansas families. By investing in young people and giving families access to financial and educational resources, the organizations aim to help students make informed decisions about their futures and build a stronger foundation for long-term economic stability.
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