Walton Family Foundation, Inc.

Giving Contact

Buddy Philpot, Director
PO Box 2030
Bentonville, AR 72712 USA
Phone: (479)464-1570
Fax: (501)464-1580

Donor Information

Founder: Established in 1987 by Sam M. Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores, one of the largest retailers in the country. Walton became a management trainee at JC Penny in 1940, and by 1945 was running his own franchise Ben Franklin store in Newport, AR, managing nine stores by 1959. In 1962, he opened his own discount store, Wal-Mart Discount City, in Rogers, AR. In 1992, there were over 1,650 Wal-Marts and 200 Sam's Wholesale Clubs nationwide. Sam Walton died in April 1992.

Helen Robson Walton, the late Sam Walton's wife, and her four children, S. Robson, James C., John T., and Alice L., all serve as directors of the Walton Family Foundation. Additionally, Helen R. Walton and the four Walton children serve as trustees of the Walton Foundation and the Sam M. and Helen R. Walton Foundation.

Giving Philosophy

The Foundation's main focus is systemic reform in education, with special emphasis on primary and secondary education. The Foundation also supports several university level programs that involve K-12 education and that address issues directly relating to children.

The Foundation also currently funds three scholarship programs:

Walton Scholarship--awarded to the children of Wal-Mart associates who are high school seniors and have exhibited superior standards academically and have been active in positions of leadership and responsibility.

International Scholarship Program--recruits students from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama to attend college in the United States.

Walton Delta Scholarship Program--awards grants to students from the Arkansas Delta region who are high school seniors interested in pursuing a career in teaching.

The Foundation also has particular interest in the Mississippi River's delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi, concentrating on economic development in the area and on enhancing the educational opportunities for students and adults.

Financial Summary

TOTAL GIVING: $96,930,923 (2001); $52,379,873 (2000); $50,192,310 (1998)

GIVING ANALYSIS: Giving for 2001 includes: foundation grants to United Way ($160,500) 1998: foundation grants to United Way ($132,000)

ASSETS: $948,658,074 (2001); $973,255,920 (2000); $547,887,222 (1998)

GIFTS RECEIVED: $44,907 (2001); $77,837,844 (1998); $589,131 (1996). NOTE: In 1998, and 2000 contributions were received from the Helen R. Walton Nonqualified Charitable Trust and in 2000 contributions were received from Walton Enterprises, LLC. In 2001, contributions were received from John T. Walton ($36,747) and Walton Enterprises, LLC ($8,160).

Typical Recipients

ARTS & HUMANITIES: Arts Centers, Museums/Galleries, Public Broadcasting, Visual Arts

CIVIC & PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Business/Free Enterprise, Chambers of Commerce, Clubs, Economic Development, Civic & Public Affairs-General, Hispanic Affairs, Housing, Law & Justice, Municipalities/Towns, Philanthropic Organizations, Public Policy, Urban & Community Affairs

EDUCATION: Arts/Humanities Education, Business Education, Business-School Partnerships, Colleges & Universities, Economic Education, Education Associations, Education Funds, Education Reform, Elementary Education (Private), Elementary Education (Public), Faculty Development, Education-General, Health & Physical Education, Literacy, Private Education (Precollege), Public Education (Precollege), Science/Mathematics Education, Social Sciences Education, Social Sciences Education, Student Aid, Vocational & Technical Education

ENVIRONMENT: Resource Conservation, Wildlife Protection

HEALTH: Cancer, Health Organizations, Long-Term Care, Mental Health, Research/Studies Institutes

INTERNATIONAL: International Environmental Issues, International Relief Efforts, Missionary/Religious Activities

RELIGION: Churches, Ministries, Religious Welfare, Social/Policy Issues

SCIENCE: Science Museums

SOCIAL SERVICES: Child Welfare, Community Service Organizations, Family Services, Food/Clothing Distribution, Scouts, Social Services-General, Substance Abuse, United Funds/United Ways, YMCA/YWCA/YMHA/YWHA, Youth Organizations

Contributions Analysis

GIVING PRIORITIES: Higher education.

ARTS & HUMANITIES: 3%. Supports museums, performing arts, and art centers.

CIVIC & PUBLIC AFFAIRS: 10%. Focus on free enterprise, community affairs, and philanthropic organizations.

EDUCATION: 83%. Supports private precollege education, colleges and universities, and education reform.

ENVIRONMENT: Approx. 1%. Supports wildlife protection.

SCIENCE: 2%. Supports Society of Natural History.

SOCIAL SERVICES: 2%. Supports Big Brothers & Big Sisters.

NOTE: Total contributions made in 2000.

Application Procedures

INITIAL CONTACT: Send a brief proposal letter of two pages or less to the foundation.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: The proposal should contain the following: proof of IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit status; a short history of the organization and its purpose; a description of the project goal and the qualifications of the staff involved; the amount of funding requested; list of trustees or directors and key staff; a copy of organization's most recent financial statements; and anticipated long- and short-term advantages of the project affecting the foundation as well as all others who stand to benefit. Do not send audio or video tapes unless requested by foundation. Should a grant be awarded, the recipient will be expected to make regular progress reports to the foundation during the course of the project, and an evaluation report will be presented to the foundation that will summarize how well the project did in meeting its stated goals and exactly how grant funds were spent.

Restrictions

Foundation does not fund: organizations without 501(c)(3) status; grants to individuals; endowments; scholarship that are not already part of the foundation's program; local church-related construction projects; travel expenses for groups to compete or perform; unestablished medical research programs; business-related activities such as start-up costs; and expenses related to groups or individuals participating in non-curricular enrichment programs. Also note the exclusion of program-related investment: investments with the purpose of providing loans in economically depressed regions; below-interest loans for construction of charter schools; and repayment of prior loans and conversion of outstanding loans to grants.

Foundation Officials

Stewart T. Springfield: director.

Alice Louise Walton: director. BORN: Newport, AR 1949. EDUCATION: Trinity University BBA (1971). CORPORATE EMPLOYER: president, chief executive officer, chairman: Llama Co./Llama Asset Management Co. CORPORATE AFFILIATION: director: Walton Enterprises Inc.; director: Arvest Bank Group Inc. NONPROFIT AFFILIATION: director: United Way Pillars Club; director: Walton Arts Center Council; chairperson: Northwest Arkansas Council; director: Easter Seals Soc-Arkansan Year.

Helen Robson Walton: don, director. BORN: Claremore, OK 1918. EDUCATION: University of Oklahoma BS (1941). CORPORATE EMPLOYER: vice president, treasurer: Walton Enterprises Inc. CORPORATE AFFILIATION: director: Arvest Bank Group Inc.

James C. Walton: director. BORN: 1948. CORPORATE EMPLOYER: president: Walton Enterprises Inc. ADDITIONAL CORPORATE EMPLOYER: president: Walton Enterprises II. CORPORATE AFFILIATION: chairman: TRH Bank Group Inc.; chairman: Weekly Vista; chairman: Springdale Bank & Trust; chairman: Security National Bank; chairman: Siloam Springs Bancshares Inc.; chairman: Ozark Living; chairman: Ozark Neighbor; chairman: First National Bank & Trust Co. Tulsa; chairman: McIlroy Bank & Trust; president, director: Farmers & Merchants Bank; chairman: First National Bank Rogers; director: Essick Air Products; chairman, director: Communication Publications Inc.; director: Corner Bookstore; chairman: Benton County Daily Record; director: Bolinger Valley Farm; chairman, president: Arvest Bank Group Inc.; director: Bank Bentonville.

John T. Walton: director. BORN: 1945. CORPORATE EMPLOYER: chairman: True North Partner LLC. CORPORATE AFFILIATION: director: Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; director: Walton Enterprises Inc.; director: Arvest Bank Group Inc.

S. Robson Walton: director. BORN: 1945. EDUCATION: University of Arkansas (1966); Columbia University JD (1969). CORPORATE EMPLOYER: chairman, director: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. NONPROFIT AFFILIATION: trustee: Wooster College.

Grants Analysis

Disclosure Period: calendar year ending 2001

Total Grants: $96,770,423*

Number Of Grants: 565 (approx)

Average Grant: $89,895*

Highest Grant: $21,735,000

Lowest Grant: $1,500

Typical Range: $2,000 to $25,000 and $200,000 to $1,000,000

Note: Giving excludes United Way. Average grant figure excludes four highest grants ($46,338,920).

Recent Grants

Note: Grants derived from 2001 Form 990.

Arts & Humanities

1,166,500: National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Ft. Worth, TX

1,020,000: National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC

297,138: Community Center for the Arts, Michigan City, IN

Civic & Public Affairs

2,500,000: Enterprise Corporation of the Delta, Jackson, MS

1,300,973; City of Rogers

615,768: Foundation for the Mid-South, Jackson, MS

605,962: National Council of La Raza, Washington, DC

312,800; Global Village Charter

240,000: Institute for Justice, Washington, DC

Education

22,290,000: Children's Scholarship Fund, Baltimore, MD

6,992,020: Children's Educational Opportunity Foundation of America, Bentonville, AR

6,080,124: School Futures Research Foundation, San Diego, CA

3,293,992: Teton Science School, Kelly, WY

1,850,000: Harding University, Searcy, AR

1,490,000: Urban Learning Communities, Denver, CO

1,416,000: University of the Ozarks, Clarksville, AR

1,375,000: John Brown University, Siloam Springs, AR

1,329,903: University of Arkansas Foundation, Fayetteville, AR

1,107,340: Core Knowledge Foundation, Charlottesville, VA

941,333: University of California San Diego Foundation, San Diego, CA

875,000: Washington Scholarship Fund, Washington, DC

507,974; Rogers Public Schools

500,000; Excellent Education for Everyone

500,000: New American Schools, Arlington, VA

498,379: Bentonville Public Schools, Bentonville, AR

433,250; University Scholarships

428,750: Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

422,188: Florida School Choice Fund, Tallahassee, FL

375,270: Leadership for Quality Education, Chicago, IL

287,065: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

242,000: Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Fayetteville, AR

233,312: California State University Sacramento Foundation, Sacramento, CA

227,000; California Network of Educational Charters, CA

225,000: Governor Dummer Academy, Byfield, MA

215,000: Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, Roxbury, MA

212,000; Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County, Inc.

205,000; Challenges, Choices and Images Literacy and Tech Center

203,735; Friends of Explore Charter School, Inc.

200,000: Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Los Angeles, CA

200,000: Teach for America, New York, NY

199,000; Key Academy Public Charter School

Environment

1,105,500; Nature Conservancy, Inc., CA

200,000: Jackson Hole Land Trust, Jackson Hole, WY

Religion

300,000: Presbyterian Church USA Foundation, New York, NY

Science

450,438: San Diego Society of Natural History, San Diego, CA -- Balboa Park

Social Services

10,000,000; Parents in Charge

7,611,900: MMAC Community Support Foundation, Milwaukee, WI

462,000: Outreach International, Independence, MO

332,400: Peel House Foundation, Bentonville, AR

200,000: Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Warwick, RI