Builders Vision

OVERVIEW: Builders Vision is the investment and philanthropy platform founded by Walmart heir Lukas Walton. Its core philanthropic and investment work centers on three interconnected sectors: Food & Agriculture, Energy and Oceans. The funder also maintains two place-based philanthropic programs in Chicago.

IP TAKE: Builders Vision is a large and still-evolving funder that uses grants, investments and other forms of flexible capital to advance systems change in energy, oceans and food and agriculture. Its grantmaking also has a strong Chicago component, where it supports community wealth-building, entrepreneurship and local food systems. According to IP’s coverage, the organization’s intends to increase its global giving in the years to come and will better coordinate its grantmaking with its impact investing. Grantmaking has increased steadily in recent years, making this funder a major player in the climate philanthropy scene. 

This is not an easy funder to access. Builders Vision does not advertise a general grant application or LOI process, and its own description indicates that staff identify potential partners through targeted research. Still, it is more accessible than a strict “invitation-only” label suggests: The funder now accepts general philanthropy inquiries through its website, and some collaboratives it backs periodically run open grant competitions.

For most grantseekers, networking through a current grantee, sector coalition, intermediary or cofunding partner is likely to be more productive than an unsolicited proposal. Strong prospects will have a close fit with one of Builders Vision’s current strategies and be able to demonstrate measurable impact, systems-level relevance or a clear role in building a stronger market or field.

PROFILE: Established in 2021, Builders Vision is an impact investing group that addresses social and environmental issues. It is also the giving vehicle of Lukas and Samantha Walton. Lukas, the grandson of Sam Walton, is known for his fierce privacy. Despite a 20% stake in Walton Enterprises, the family holding company, this third-generation Walton’s personal fortune was relatively unknown. It is a grantmaking and investing vehicle that is dedicated “to building a more humane and healthy planet.”

The funder’s current work is organized around Food & Agriculture, Energy and Oceans. Its grantmaking ranges from national and international environmental organizations to smaller place-based groups, particularly in Chicago. Builders Vision also makes grants outside its three named sectors, including support for arts organizations and animal welfare groups.

Builders Vision operates across the capital spectrum, using grants, direct investments and fund investments. Its investment team currently manages more than $15 billion across several portfolios, including a foundation endowment, donor-advised funds and Builders Bridge, a catalytic investment LLC. Its philanthropy aims to support early innovation and help create the conditions for promising approaches to grow. Builders Vision also provides partners with assistance related to impact measurement, fundraising, strategy, industry connections and coalition-building.

In addition to his work at BV, Lukas Walton also serves as the chair of the Walton Family Foundation‘s environment program committee. Lukas reportedly donated at least $150 million of his own fortune to WFF.

Grants for Clean Energy 

Builders Vision’s Energy work seeks “a clean energy future” driven by technological and industrial innovation. The funder deploys both grants and investments and increasingly emphasizes market development, commercialization, infrastructure and technologies that can accelerate the energy transition. Builders Vision does not publish an open application process for Energy grants.

• Builders Vision says it has 158 Energy partners and $2.2 billion in capital committed. This figure includes grants and investments and should not be interpreted as the program’s grantmaking total.
• The funder supports organizations and initiatives addressing industrial decarbonization, new technologies, clean-energy markets and other barriers to the energy transition.
• Builders Vision has worked with Renaissance Philanthropy on opportunities including cement decarbonization and has supported field-building and convening alongside its financial commitments.
• The funder’s earlier Energy grantmaking included a Midwest climate-equity portfolio. Builders Vision subsequently shifted toward a more global Energy strategy emphasizing technology and innovation.
• This funder also “advocates for change” by engaging “in a variety of activities to draw attention to solutions and efforts supporting the clean energy transition. For example, Builders Vision anchors the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst platform.”
• According to IPs coverage of this funder, early grantmaking focused on climate equity for the Midwest, but an announcement in 2024 indicated that the foundation’s future giving will focus on technology and innovation on a global scale.  
• Recent tax records illustrate the breadth of Energy-related giving. The Builders Initiative Foundation awarded $2 million to Rewiring America in 2024, while other recent or recurring recipients include Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Environmental Defense Fund and People for Community Recovery.

• Builders Vision reports 227 Oceans partners and $550.7 million in capital committed, including grants and investments.Its broader capital strategy includes a $70 million commitment to the Bahamas Debt Conversion Project for Marine Conservation, building on earlier grants and investments in the country.
• Builders Vision and the National Geographic Society have also developed a storytelling partnership that helps ocean partners communicate their work.The funder supports marine science, fisheries, restorative aquaculture, ocean-plastics work, conservation finance and organizations building markets around sustainable ocean industries.
• Foundation grantees have included the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Perry Institute for Marine Science, Ocean Conservancy, the Ocean Foundation, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Island Institute and Puget Sound Restoration Fund.
• Builders Vision also supports the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA), a collaborative that pools philanthropic support for ocean-climate work and frontline organizations. ORCA says its primary grantee partners are already in place for the current funding cycle, but it welcomes introductions from organizations working on oceans, climate and community resilience and may connect them with future opportunities.

Grants for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems 

Builders Vision’s Food & Agriculture program works toward a “resilient, diversified and healthy food and agriculture system.” Grantmaking and investments support changes in agricultural production, markets, financing, food access and health.

• The funder says it has 168 Food & Agriculture partners and $2.4 billion in capital committed, including both philanthropic and investment capital.
• Areas of interest include regenerative and sustainable agriculture, agricultural finance, diversified crops and supply chains, institutional food systems, healthy food access and efforts to improve the economics of sustainable farming.
• Builders Vision partnered with the Rockefeller Foundation to launch the Food is Medicine Impact Fund, a pooled philanthropic fund hosted by RF Catalytic Capital that supports greater adoption of Food is Medicine programs.
• One initiative of the Food is Medicine Impact Fund, administered by the Center for Health Care Strategies, used an LOI process in early 2026 to support state agencies developing Food is Medicine capacity. That opportunity is now closed and was not a general nonprofit grant competition.
• Builders Vision also works with MBOLD, a coalition focused on food and agriculture supply chains, and supports organizations developing stronger markets and infrastructure for sustainable agriculture.
• Recent foundation grants include $1 million to Common Market Philadelphia and $905,000 to Practical Farmers of Iowa in 2024. Other recent or recurring grantees include Partnership for a Healthier America, Grow Greater Englewood, Growing Home and No Kid Hungry.

This is a broad program, but the strongest prospects are likely to be organizations whose work tackles a systemic barrier in agriculture, food markets, nutrition or regional food infrastructure rather than an unrelated food-service project.

Grants for Chicago

Chicago is an important place-based priority for Builders Vision. Its current strategy identifies two distinct philanthropic programs: Good Neighbor and Food Systems in Chicago. Builders Vision reported in April 2026 that it had awarded nearly $165 million to Chicago-based organizations since 2019.

Good Neighbor

The Good Neighbor program focuses on community wealth-building, ownership, entrepreneurship and economic opportunity. Builders Vision particularly supports organizations and entrepreneurs working on Chicago’s South and West sides.

Food Systems in Chicago

Builders Vision’s Food Systems in Chicago work predates Good Neighbor and remains a distinct program. It focuses on stronger neighborhood food economies and healthy food access, with current work concentrated in Austin, Englewood and North Lawndale.

Recent initiatives include support for fresh-food markets and community food collaborations in these neighborhoods. Builders Vision has highlighted Forty Acres Fresh Market, Go Green on Racine Fresh Market and the Austin Eats Collaborative as examples of the strategy.

Builders Vision is also a current supporter of the Chicago Region Food System Fund, a collaborative fund that periodically runs open grant competitions. Its 2026 round offered $3.57 million in grants ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations and fiscally sponsored projects working within roughly 200 miles of Chicago. That round closed in July 2026, but the fund is worth watching for future opportunities.

Grants for Arts and Culture

Arts and culture is not a named Builders Vision funding sector, but tax filings show recurring support for arts and cultural organizations. This giving includes both Chicago organizations and some national arts intermediaries.

• Recent or recurring foundation grantees include United States Artists, Hyde Park Art Center, Springboard for the Arts, Center for Cultural Innovation and Public Media Institute.
• Grantseekers should view arts funding as an additional giving interest rather than a formal open program. Chicago connections may strengthen alignment, but Builders Vision does not publish arts grant guidelines or an application process.

Grants for Animal Welfare and Wildlife Conservation

Builders Vision does not currently name animal welfare as a funding sector, but its tax filings reveal substantial and recurring giving in this area. Animal welfare should be considered an observed giving interest rather than a named Builders Vision program.

• Best Friends Animal Society received $1 million from the foundation in 2024 and approximately $8.8 million across 10 grants from 2021 through 2024.
• Spay Arkansas received approximately $781,000 across six foundation grants from 2020 through 2024.
• Conservation organizations in the broader portfolio include World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy, although some of this work also overlaps with Builders Vision’s formal Oceans and environmental strategies.

Important Grant Details:

The latest available Builders Initiative Foundation Form 990-PF is for 2024. The foundation reported $96.8 million in grants across 390 grants to 234 distinct grantees. Its median grant was $150,000, the average was approximately $248,000, and the largest reported grant was $4 million, which went to the Chicago Community Foundation.

Across the 2020 to 2024 period, available IRS data shows roughly $310 million awarded through 1,277 grants to 548 organizations.

• The funder does not advertise a general open application or LOI process. Its website says staff identify organizations aligned with its goals, research potential partners and consider how prospective partners intend to measure impact.
• Builders Vision makes hundreds of grants a year to organizations of every size. 
• Chicago is a major geographic priority, while Energy, Food & Agriculture and Oceans grantmaking may be national or international.
• Builders Vision also uses donor-advised funds and other philanthropic capital vehicles, so the Builders Initiative Foundation’s 990-PF does not represent all of the platform’s grantmaking.
• Builders Vision places significant emphasis on impact measurement. Its grantmaking process includes examining prospective partners’ intended impacts and how they plan to measure and manage progress. Builders Vision’s grant and investment approach.
• To learn more about its giving, see the Partner Spotlights and Case Studies and Impact pages.
• This funder does not provide a way to get in touch, it does maintain a account on LinkedIn, which provides a way to get in touch and, perhaps, network with staff.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

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