Walmart Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Walmart Foundation supports initiatives in the areas of economic opportunity, sustainability, community development, and racial equity. This funder has supported some conservative and center-right organizations and think tanks.
IP TAKE: The Walmart Foundation admits that its grantmaking is a “highly competitive” process. Grantseekers should make certain that their letters of inquiry align well into the foundation’s funding priorities. While disaster relief aid is available to large, international organizations, the foundation predominately gives to U.S. organizations. The foundation does award grants to grassroots organizations, but they may have a more difficult time getting noticed.
While somewhat transparent, with news postings and a grants databse available on its website, the Walmart Foundation is not known as a very responsive or accessible funder. Previous grantseekers report the foundation as being opaque and bureaucratic, often not receiving any replies or updates on the status of their applications. Some find it the application process to be needlessly complicated, with little promise of a reward for your efforts. The foundation’s grant application guidelines change frequently, with some grantseekers finding their applications disqualified due to eligibility changes after they had already started. Securing a grant from the Walmart Foundation will require a great deal of patience, persistence, and attention to detail.
PROFILE: The Walmart Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Walmart Corporation. It works both nationally and locally to “make a positive impact in the communities we serve” by providing grants to “thousands of organizations that share our mission” and “inspiring volunteer efforts of Walmart associates.” A majority of this funder’s grantmaking stays in the U.S., but Walmart also supports organizations in areas around the world where its parent company maintains operations. The foundation also prioritizes Northwest Arkansas, where its parent company is based. The Walmart Foundation operates at the local, national, and international level with program areas in Creating Opportunity, Advancing Sustainability, and Strengthening Community. It also runs a signature program, the Center for Racial Equity, which funds research and advocacy toward “eradicating systematic disparities experienced by Black and African American communities in the United States.”
Grants for Work and Opportunity
Walmart’s Opportunity grantmaking aims to create and support inclusive opportunity for work and advancement in the retail and technology sectors. The retail opportunity sub-initiative aims supports research and evaluation on opportunity in retail industries, vocational training programs and the expansion of opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. The foundation does not outline specific goals for its technology opportunity giving. Opportunity grants have supported organizations including the 1EdTech Foundation, Climb Hire, Goodwill Industries International, Jobs for the Future, and the conservative think-tank the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.
Grants for Environment, Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Agriculture
Walmart’s Sustainability grantmaking area focuses on “support for programs that complement Walmart’s sustainability initiatives” and names climate, waste, nature, and people in supply chains as its priorities. In these areas, the foundation has supported a broad range of organizations and initiatives. Recent grantees include the First Peoples Conservation Council of Louisiana, the Rainforest Alliance, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation, and research on "using birds as indicators of pollinator diversity across the U.S.” at Cornell University.
Grants for Community Development and Food Systems
The Strengthening Community grantmaking area at Walmart supports local communities where Walmart does business in the U.S. and around the world. Grantmaking prioritizes volunteerism and building “inclusive and resilient communities.” One recent grant supported the Ad Council’s Love Has No Label campaign, which aims to “promote a more inclusive world through digital media and storytelling.” Another grantee, Welcoming America, used Walmart funding to train community leaders learn “strategies to increase belonging, and to help communities develop inclusive policies and practices that enable all residents, including immigrants, to thrive and contribute fully.” Giving for food systems stems from Walmart’s Healthier Food for All subprogram, which works to “connect people around the world with healthier food options” and supports “culturally relevant nutrition education.” Food systems grantees include the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, the Equitable Food Initiative, the Food and Research Action Center, and the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Pass the Love Campaign.
Grants for Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid
Walmart’s disaster relief and preparedness grantmaking also stems from its Strengthening Community focus area. While the foundation supports disaster recovery efforts by large international organizations like the American Red Cross, Convoy of Hope, and Americares, it also targets areas of “emerging risk” and helps communities prepare for possible emergencies. One disaster preparedness grantee, the St. Bernard Project, runs courses for “leader practitioners” that trains local authorities in emergency planning, strategizing, and effective use of funds. Another preparedness grange supported Healthcare Ready, a nonprofit that helps communities prepare for and respond to health needs during times of crisis. Other disaster relief and preparedness grantees include the Institute for Diversity and and Inclusion in Emergency Management, the International Medical Corps, New York Disaster Interfaith Services, and Operation BBQ Relief.
Grants for Racial Justice and Criminal Justice Reform
The Walmart Foundation’s newest grantmaking initiative, the Center for Racial Equity, aims “to address the drivers of systemic racism in society and accelerate change.” The initiative represents a $100 million commitment to be spent over five years, $35 million of which was disbursed as of January 2022. In addition to grantmaking, the center will also aim to “embed equity” into all of Walmart’s investments. This program names grantmaking sub initiatives for finance, health, education, and criminal justice. Grantmaking for financial inclusion focuses increasing opportunities for homeownership, entrepreneurship, income growth, and equitable access to financial services. A recent grant supported the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, which used funding for its beauty entrepreneur accelerator program. Health equity funding focuses on “health outcomes” and nutrition for Black and African-American families, and the education subprogram aims to achieve “equitable advancement through upskilling and strengthening talent pipelines.” The Center for Racial Justice also names criminal justice as an area of focus, prioritizing prevention programs for at-risk youth, interventions for incarcerated people, and social services upon reentry. The Center for Racial Justice has recently made grants to organizations including the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, the Harlem Children’s Zone, Atlanta’s Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and OneTen.
Grants for Higher Education
Although higher education is not one of Walmart’s stated giving priorities, the foundation supports a range of public and private colleges and universities, as well as related higher education organizations, across the United States. Recent grants have gone to Harvard College, New Jersey’s Montclair State University, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the University of Arkansas, Cornell University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, among others.
Important Grant Details:
The Walmart Foundation’s average grant size is about $6,000, but grants have been as large as $4 million. Generally, large national organizations receive grants of $50,000 or more, while smaller community-based outfits are the recipients of smaller grants. Walmart’s website features a searchable grants database.
The Walmart Foundation funds national nonprofits and local community organizations in areas where it has a business presence, that is to say, throughout the United States.
The Walmart Foundation currently runs open application programs for its Community grants and its Northwest Arkansas Giving Program. Eligibility, guidelines and due dates vary by program.
This funder tends to change its grantmaking program structure frequently; grantseekers should check its application process page periodically to keep up with new opportunities and updated guidelines.
The Walmart Foundation does not make grants to individuals, private foundations, political candidates or campaigns, or athletic sponsorships. Faith-based organizations may receive funding for projects that benefit the community outside of the organization and its members.
Grantseekers may reach out to the foundation through its Contact Form for further inquiries or questions about current opportunities.
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