Foundation Director Speaks on Using Strengths for Philanthropy

In a Feb. 6 lecture, Julie Gehrki, senior director of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s nonprofit charitable arm, the Wal-Mart Foundation, spoke on the importance of companies focusing their philanthropic energies on what they do well.

Gehrki is an alumna of the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, where she gave the lecture.

“Wal-Mart is the biggest seller of everything,” Gehrki said, explaining that it took until 2010, and some expensive mistakes, for the world’s largest retailer to find an improved impact and emphasis for its philanthropic work in the U.S.

Market research revealed most Americans think of the chain’s stores as grocery sellers, so Wal-Mart launched a $2 billion campaign against American hunger and found it a natural fit, Gehrki said. The foundation announced the campaign in May 2010.

With 140 million families who enter Wal-Mart stores each week and hunger a problem “in every community,” the cause was one that employees, customers and other corporations could join Wal-Mart in tackling, Gehrki said.

Besides providing food, funds and refrigerator trucks and collecting community food donations at local stores, Wal-Mart has been able to use its logistics expertise to help food pantries across the nation, she said.

As part of the work to eradicate U.S. hunger, Little Rock is a pilot site for a universal, in-classroom breakfast project in schools, Gehrki said. Other connected projects include expanding summer food programs for children who receive free and reduced lunches in schools.

Improving the effectiveness of a company’s giving requires zeroing in on what a company does well and saying “no” to causes that don’t fit that and won’t use employees’ skills, Gehrki said.

“I think you’ve got to realize what you’re good at and what’s important to you. What do you have more of and do better than anyone else?”