When Sam and Helen Walton launched their modest retail business in 1962, one of their goals was to increase opportunity and improve the lives of others along the way. This guiding principle has played a major role in the phenomenal growth of their small enterprise into a global retail leader. This principle – to the benefit of deserving people and inspiring projects around the world – also drives the philanthropic mission of the Walton Family Foundation. Today the foundation is more focused than ever on sustaining the Walton’s timeless small-town values and their deep commitment to making life better for individuals and communities alike. By working with grantees and collaborating with other philanthropic organizations, the foundation is dedicated to making a positive difference in three focus areas:
Northwest Arkansas Community College is a full-service community college in Bentonville, Arkansas, that offers transfer and professional academics, remedial and advanced programs, college life activities and a full range of student services. Academics include professional degrees in healthcare and business, such as: * Marketing * Nursing * Physical Therapy * Respiratory Therapy Other programs of study include transfer degrees in the arts and sciences, such as: * Drama * Film * Fine Arts * International Languages * Environmental Regulation * Psychology * Sociology High-performing degree candidates also have the option of enrolling in the school’s honors program. North Arkansas Community College has an adult education division, as well, which offers GED-prep and classes in ESL and Computer Literacy. Student life activities are available to students in all divisions. Some examples of these activities include performing arts clubs, academic and professional clubs and other types of student organizations. The career services division sponsors a range of activities, including career readiness workshops, job fairs and on-campus recruiting seminars. They also provide career counseling and job-search assistance. Most programs have an open admissions policy, which allows anyone with a high school diploma or GED to enroll, simply by filling out an admissions application. Healthcare programs have additional requirements. Students may receive academic, departmental and other types of scholarships, as well as federal financial aid awards like grants and loans.
El Centro Hispano
Grant in 2025
El Centro Hispano's objective is to aid, support, and empower Hispanic families; to help them become self-sufficient; and to facilitate their transfer into their new culture while preserving and enriching their own.
VentureWell
Grant in 2024
VentureWell is a higher education network that cultivates revolutionary ideas and promising inventions. For nearly twenty years, They’ve been on a mission to launch new ventures from an emerging generation of young inventors driven to improve life for people and the planet.
PBS NewsHour
Grant in 2024
PBS NewsHour provides in-depth news and analysis of the issues that matter to you.
NPR Climate Desk
Grant in 2024
NPR Climate Desk is a multimedia news organization and radio program producer that delivers climate news.
Planet Forward
Grant in 2024
Planet Forward, a project of the Center for Innovative Media at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, teaches, celebrates, and rewards environmental storytelling by college students. It is the premier engagement tool for GW’s many sustainability initiatives. Emmy Award-winning journalist Frank Sesno formed Planet Forward in 2009 to empower new voices and lead a global conversation on the planet’s future. Engaging a diverse audience of college students from across the country, Planet Forward uses storytelling, media, and educational events to tell the stories of invention and innovation that can move the planet forward. Just one of the ways we work with students is our annual storytelling contest, Storyfest, which rewards winners with a storytelling expedition like no other. Watch the video above to see what our 2017 Storyfest winners experienced in the Amazon rainforest — and hear the real inspiration we provide students, from a diverse mix of colleges across the country.
Reasons to be Cheerful
Grant in 2024
Reasons to be Cheerful is a nonprofit organization that offers online editorial projects sharing stories of solutions and positive change.
Society of Environmental Journalists
Grant in 2024
Society of Environmental Journalists is a nonprofit firm that strengthens the reach and viability of journalism across all media.
University of Missouri
Grant in 2024
University of Missouri (also known as Mizzou) in Columbia, Missouri, is one of the oldest public universities in the region. Today Mizzou has grown to offer more than 280 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including those in medicine and other advanced professional fields. As a full-fledged university with much in the way of academics, research and college life offerings, Mizzou’s more than 30,000 students come from all over the country. Some of the more popular programs at the school include Journalism and Writing. Mizzou is also one of a small group of universities that offers Medicine, Law and Veterinary Medicine. Additional divisions include: *Agriculture *Arts and Sciences *Business *Education *Engineering *Nursing More than 600 student organizations also make their home at Mizzou, so that whatever a student’s interest is it can be found at Mizzou. In order to maintain itself as the competitive public university that it is, Mizzou has had to maintain fairly selective standards for admission. A great number of admitted students were valedictorians of their class or graduated in the top 10%. Mizzou considers grade point average, rigor of high school courses, SAT or ACT scores and other factors such as extracurricular involvement in its undergraduate admissions process. Graduate programs have individual requirements that may include course pre-requisites, undergraduate GPA and test scores. Students may be considered for academic merit scholarships awarded by the school. There are also federal aid sources such as Pell grants, loans and work-study to help those with a financial need to cover tuition costs. Veteran’s benefits are also offered.
The Associated Press
Grant in 2024
The Associated Press is one of the largest and trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers, and commercial customers. It is a not-for-profit news cooperative that is owned by American newspaper and broadcast members. It has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings. The Associated Press has been first to tell the world of many of history’s important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul. During its early years, The Associated Press delivered news by pigeon, pony express, railroad, steamship, telegraph, and teletype. In 1935, it began sending photographs by wire. A radio network was formed in 1973, and an international video division was added in 1994. Today, it employs the newest technology to collect and distribute content. The Associated Press is in the process of repairing its video and photography content: transitioning to high-definition, expanding its coverage and building a new and flexible infrastructure. It has one of the industry’s most sophisticated digital photo networks; a 24-hour continuously updated online, multimedia news service; a state-of-the-art television news service; and one of the largest radio networks in the U.S. The Associated Press’s commercial digital photo collection is one of the world's largest collections of historical and contemporary imagery. AP Mobile, the Associated Press’s award-winning news app, has been downloaded over 9 million times since its launch in 2008. Since the Pulitzer Prize was established, in 1917, The Associated Press has received 51 Pulitzers, including 31 photo Pulitzers. The Associated Press was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in New York with more than 280 offices worldwide, including every statehouse in the U.S. Most of its staffers are journalists and editors, and The Associated Press has more than 3,700 employees.
Young Entrepreneur Institute
Grant in 2023
Young Entrepreneur Institute provides children with the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship.
Opera in the Ozarks
Grant in 2023
Opera in the Ozarks offers summer music camps and has evolved into a mecca for university students and graduates in voice, instrumental music, and associated arts to prepare for professional careers, a location where opportunity, music, artist, and audience come together.
Ozark Regional Transit
Grant in 2023
Ozark Regional Transit offers public transportation services. They use the exterior and interior of their buses for advertising. They also offer shelter advertising, panel ads, and bus wraps.
Skydio
Series E in 2023
Skydio, Inc. is a drone manufacturer based in Redwood City, California, founded in 2014. The company designs, assembles, and supports advanced drones that leverage artificial intelligence to enhance user experience. Skydio's drones are utilized in various sectors, including public safety, inspection, and defense, catering to consumers, enterprises, and government customers. Their products feature an array of cameras and proprietary computer vision technology that allows for real-time obstacle recognition and avoidance, enabling autonomous flight and intelligent decision-making. The company's initial offering was the R1 drone, which could autonomously track and film targets without human intervention. This was followed by the Skydio 2, which was more affordable and boasted improved tracking capabilities. The flagship model, the X2, is equipped with advanced features such as night vision and 100x zoom, allowing ordinary users to operate drones with ease. Skydio is supported by prominent investors and strategic partners, contributing to its growth in the competitive drone market.
Entrepreneurship for All
Grant in 2022
Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) is accelerating economic & social impact in communities through inclusive entrepreneurship.
Ozark Regional Transit
Grant in 2021
Ozark Regional Transit offers public transportation services. They use the exterior and interior of their buses for advertising. They also offer shelter advertising, panel ads, and bus wraps.
Ozark Regional Transit
Grant in 2020
Ozark Regional Transit offers public transportation services. They use the exterior and interior of their buses for advertising. They also offer shelter advertising, panel ads, and bus wraps.
John Brown University
Grant in 2020
A private Christian college located in Northern Arkansas, John Brown University’s focus is on supplying its students with a Christ-based education that will aid their future in the arts, sciences, and professions. An interdenominational college with a large percentage of students coming from Baptist, Bible, and Presbyterian backgrounds, the school admits students of any faith who want to serve God and the community in their graduate careers. For traditional students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, JBU offers over 45 majors, including options like Art and Illustration, Biblical and Theological Studies and Journalism. JBU also offers degree completion, graduate and online programs to its students, ensuring that the educations requirements of students in many different stages of their education are met. Admissions requirements include record of a 2.5 unweighted high school GPA, and of an ACT score of 20 or SAT score of 950. Also needed for the application process are two references. With help of the JBU Subsidy—a funding program made up of donations—JBU is able to reduce cost to its students and provide an education at a lower tuition rate than many other private universities. John Brown University also offers a variety of financial aid opportunities to students looking to reduce the burden of tuition. Need- and merit-based scholarships are available to qualifying applicants. Students should fill out a FAFSA form to check their eligibility for Federal and State grants and other financial aid options. Student life follows JBU’s principle values of Scripture, Integrity, Uniqueness and Community. Chapel meets three times a week and students are required to attend a minimum of 21 chapels a semester. John Brown also offers over 25 clubs based in sports, academics and special interests, as well as a variety of musical and theatre options.
Fathers, Inc.
Grant in 2019
Fathers, Inc. is a national non-profit for the promotion of responsible fatherhood. FI works collaboratively with organizations around the country to identify and advocate for social and legislative changes that lead to healthy father involvement with children, regardless of the father’s marital or economic status, or geographic location.
The Mind Trust
Grant in 2019
Great schools are transformative. They improve the lives of the students they serve and create new possibilities for the communities where they are located. The Mind Trust works to ensure that every student in Indianapolis, no exceptions, has access to a great school.
Saint Louis University
Grant in 2019
Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, and Madrid, Spain. The university focuses on academic excellence, research, healthcare, and community service. It has a student population of nearly 13,000, encouraging students to develop their identities and ideas. The university has invested significant resources in its academic programs and student experience. It is also a research institution where faculty address local and global challenges, and it is recognized for its commitment to community service. In its classrooms, the university incorporates ethics, spirituality, and compassion across various subjects, with more than 80 courses integrating service into their curriculum. SLU students, faculty, and staff collectively contribute over a million service hours annually. Additionally, Saint Louis University plays a role in urban renewal, having funded over $850 million in campus improvements over the past 25 years, with an annual economic impact exceeding $715 million in the region.
National Gallery of Art
Grant in 2016
The National Gallery of Art is an independent non-profit organization located in Washington, D.C., founded in 1937 through the vision of financier and art collector Andrew W. Mellon. The gallery aims to provide the American public with access to an art museum comparable to those of other nations. It relies on private support from individuals, foundations, and corporations to enhance its permanent collection, present international exhibitions, and support educational and scholarly programs. Additionally, it is involved in conservation efforts to preserve its artworks. The gallery's endowment fund engages in alternative investment strategies, including real estate, timber, farmland, and venture capital, with assets managed by a board of trustees.
GreatSchools.org
Grant in 2012
GreatSchools is a non-profit organization with profiles of more than 200,000 preK-12 schools – public, public charter and private – and over one million reviews from parents, teachers and students sharing information about the schools they know best. We also have thousands of articles, worksheets, and videos to help parents encourage and support learning at home. Our new personalized education guide, GreatKids, helps parents see how their children are doing, support their learning, and find great education resources.
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