Alice Walton, heiress to the Walmart fortune, has donated an estimated $1.5 billion to charitable causes throughout her lifetime. Her most recent charitable gift of $390 million includes $249 million to help fund the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, Arkansas, her family’s hometown. This contribution makes her one of the 30 biggest lifetime givers in the country and ranks her as America’s 26th-most generous philanthropist.
The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine is seeking accreditation to offer a four-year MD program that will incorporate arts, humanities, and whole health principles into traditional medical education. It is set to open in 2025 and will be connected to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, a philanthropic endeavor funded by the Waltons, where Alice served as board chair for a decade. The museum, which cost $1.6 billion to open in 2011, features works by renowned artists such as Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keeffe.
Alice Walton has been actively involved in philanthropy over the past decade, contributing more than $5.7 billion to five family charitable foundations. This includes donations to organizations focused on education reform, the environment, and the region surrounding Bentonville. Her Art Bridges Foundation has spent over $490 million acquiring and loaning out works of American art to museums across the country since its founding in 2016.
Despite her significant contributions, Walton’s lifetime giving total may potentially be higher due to $2.3 billion in Walmart stock gifts that Forbes was unable to track to their charitable recipients. It is possible that some of this stock may have been donated to the Waltons’ foundations after 2022 or to other nonprofit organizations. Walton’s increasing philanthropy suggests that she is only at the beginning stages of giving back to the community.
In a press release announcing her retirement as chair of the Crystal Bridges museum in 2021, Walton expressed her intention to focus on her board chair roles at new organizations focused on the arts, health, and well-being. Her dedication to philanthropy and commitment to supporting various causes indicate that she will continue to make a significant impact through her charitable endeavors in the future.
