The Walmart Foundation is a major provider of funding that uses the advantages of being a part of the Walmart business chain to create opportunities for people and make the world a better place. The foundation works in different fields, providing grants to those who share Walmart’s philanthropic priorities. The proposal guidelines are available in open access, and organizations willing to receive a grant can quickly check if they are eligible to do it and inspect the application rules.
The Walmart Foundation funds many projects, and its philanthropy is based on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Thus, the organization focuses its support on specific areas, namely those associated with creating opportunities, advancing sustainability, strengthening community, and advancing racial equity (Walmart Foundation, 2022). People can qualify for grants in the fields of economic opportunity in retail and diversity in the talent pipeline. The Walmart Foundation’s sustainability programs include climate, waste, natural resources, and people working in supply chains. The organization supports local communities, promotes healthy food, and uses its resources to identify upcoming disasters and help people prepare for them. Furthermore, the foundation has its own Center for Racial Equity to fight racism and accelerate change in society (Walmart Foundation, 2022). Organizations operating in the areas mentioned above have a high chance of receiving grants from the Walmart Foundation.
Although the foundation does not focus on education, it supports the corresponding programs to advance racial equity. In October 2021, Walmart Inc. and Walmart.org announced several initiatives related to increasing access to education for Black and African Americans (Walmart Foundation, 2022). The program implied that three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) would become Walmart’s partners, and the foundation would pay tuition and books in full (Walmart Foundation, 2022). In addition, the foundation invested a lot of money to provide a set of grants as a contribution to the educational system. Everything mentioned above demonstrates that the Walmart Foundation tries to support the world as much as possible, even if it does not focus on a particular field.
Still, the Walmart Foundation is a large funding provider, meaning that applying for a grant might require sending a proposal that would stand out from other submissions. First of all, applications are invitation-only in almost all focus areas of the foundation. The only exception is the field of local community support, which works according to the principles of open application (Walmart Foundation, 2022). Thus, a standing-out submission should extend the foundation’s focus areas and illustrate a concept containing new ideas and approaches that align with the program’s giving strategies.
Overall, the best way to receive a grant from the Walmart Foundation is an application that follows the proposal guidelines and aligns with the principles appreciated by the company. Those principles are diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the applications complying with them have considerably higher chances of being approved. Although the Walmart Foundation focuses its support on specific areas, they are extensive and can cover many aspects of societal life. In other words, an organization’s grant proposal that follows Walmart’s philanthropic priorities may be appreciated and approved even if it is not entirely concentrated in a particular area listed in the guidelines. A desire to make the world a better place and sharing Walmart’s values and fundamental beliefs can help organizations build successful relationships with the foundation and gain an opportunity to reapply in the future.