UA Little Rock Graduate’s Class Project Leads to $110,000 for Florida Nonprofit Coffee Shop
When Tanner Smith signed up for a grant writing course offered by the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at UA Little Rock in fall 2024, he never imagined it would lead to one of the most impactful experiences of his life as well as a $110,000 windfall for a neighborhood coffee shop that is trying to make the world a better place one cup of coffee at a time.
Smith, who graduated in spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, wrote a grant for Happy Brew, a nonprofit coffee shop in Jacksonville, Florida, that employs individuals with physical and mental disabilities and creates a welcoming, accessible space for the community.
“I was blown away when I heard the news,” said Smith, who is a Little Rock native who moved to Jacksonville in 2023. “It’s one thing to do an assignment for a grade, but to see it actually benefit people in the real world is incredibly rewarding.”
The application to the Jim Moran Foundation originally sought just $20,000 to install a speed table ramp to make the shop more accessible for customers and employees. However, the foundation was so impressed that they awarded the $20,000 for the ramp as well as an additional $90,000 over the next three years to support the coffee shop’s operation and mission.
“We are so thankful for Tanner and the Jim Moran Grant we received for our accessible parking!” said Amy Franks, director of Happy Brew. “The grant was a blessing to our little coffee shop. We were floored and crying as we continue to operate at a loss of about $10,000 a month. You can imagine our sigh of relief to know that others also believe in our mission.”
Happy Brew was founded out of the Missing Voices Project through Flagler College, where families shared their hopes for a more inclusive community.
“As we listened to families, we learned that students with intellectual and developmental differences could teach us more about love and grace than we could ever discover on our own,” Franks said. “We wanted to create an environment where we could be in a community together, and what better place than a café designed for all abilities.”
Smith lives just a few blocks away from the coffee shop and is a regular customer of Happy Brew. His professor, Dr. Barb L’Eplattenier, encouraged students to work with a real client for the project, helping them gain practical experience while building their professional portfolios.
Franks said Smith went above and beyond to understand Happy Brew’s mission.
“Our experience working with Tanner on grant writing was exceptional! Tanner was extremely professional and compassionate to our employees and the process,” she said. “He patiently listened to our needs and met at Happy Brew often to see firsthand the environment. Tanner became part of our inter-ability community, inviting others to the coffee shop and researching extensively to see how we could become more accessible to others.”
The funds will allow Happy Brew not only to install the needed accessibility ramp but also to strengthen its programs.
“The additional funds will help us retain our occupational therapist, who works with our current employees, as well as a vibrant internship program that continues to grow,” Franks said.
Smith said the experience confirmed his interest in using writing to support causes that matter.
“This showed me that writing can open doors, change lives, and create opportunities,” he said. “That’s the kind of work I want to keep doing.”