Walton Family Foundation To Invest $302 Million In Projects In Arkansas

The Walton Family Foundation said its new strategic plan includes an anticipated investment of more than $302 million in Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta through 2020 — close to its global spending outlay one year ago.

Arkansas is considered part of the foundation’s “home region.” In 2013, the Walton Family Foundation spent $325 million in domestic and international projects globally and roughly $34 million in grant funding just in Northwest Arkansas. That number is expected to rise by as much as 50% in the coming years.

The foundation has routinely invested in projects centered around education, arts and culture, and economic development for its 30 year existence.

In Northwest Arkansas, the initiatives include:

• Expanding high-achieving pre-K-12 school options;
• Establishing the region as a leader in arts and cultural amenities; and
• Strengthening coordinated regional economic development;

“Our schools – whether they be traditional districts, private or public charter schools– should be, and can be, among the best in the nation. Our children deserve it. Our ability to sustain long-term economic development demands it. The addition of a high-performing independent private school and new public charter schools will help to reach a new level of educational success,” the foundation said in a statement.

Across Arkansas and in the Delta, projects will focus on educational improvement, public safety, youth engagement and targeted job creation.

“Opportunities abound in the Delta and the Walton Family Foundation is committed to providing necessary resources to help make a difference in the lives of people there,” the foundation said.

Last week the foundation, through a partnership with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, established a strategic partnership with the Arkansas Board of Education.

The ForwARd initiative is expected to create a comprehensive plan to strengthen public education in the state targeted on recommendations for academically distressed schools and districts.

Later this fall, the ForwARd initiative will release The State of Public Education in Arkansas, a report featuring baseline data on the state’s educational outcomes.

The ForwARd initiative will also begin to convene educators, parents, educational advocacy stakeholders, and policymakers in support of a strategic planning process. The comprehensive strategic plan is scheduled to be completed by summer 2015.

The Walton Family Foundation was started by Sam and Helen Walton, founders of retail giant Wal-Mart, as a philanthropic endeavor to help communities and individuals.