National Giving Program Guidelines

The Walmart Foundation’s National Giving Program awards grants of $250,000 and above to nonprofit organizations implementing programs at multiple sites across the country. The Foundation may award grants through the National Giving Program which support the replication of a particularly innovative local or regional initiative at other sites around the country.National nonprofit organizations interested in applying for funding must first submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) that briefly outlines the program, the unmet need it addresses, the intended outcomes, the constituencies served, and the organization’s capacity to carry out the work. Please submit an LOI using the guidelines below.

Organizations that operate within their local community or on a state-wide basis may apply for funding through our State Giving Program by submitting an application online. Eligibility requirements and applications for the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program are available at: www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving

Funding Priorities and Eligibility Requirements

The Walmart Foundation supports programs and initiatives in four main areas of focus:

Education – Addresses the educational needs of underserved young people ages 12-25. Examples include programs focused on high school success, access and retention of first-generation college students and adolescent literacy.

Workforce Development / Economic Opportunity – Provides job skill training, counseling and support services for unemployed, underemployed and displaced workers. Examples include career counseling services, financial literacy initiatives and job readiness programs.

Health and Wellness – Improves access to health care, reduces health care disparities and promotes healthy lifestyles. Examples include food distribution programs, immunization clinics, health education organizations and personal health record technology.

Environmental Sustainability – Assists in the development or expansion of environmentally sustainable communities. Examples include energy auditing education programs, green job training and retrofitting/green building initiatives.

The Walmart Foundation has a particular interest in supporting the following populations:

Veterans and military families, traditionally underserved groups, the disability community and people impacted by natural disasters.

Eligibility Requirements:

Organizations eligible to seek funding from the Walmart Foundation’s National Giving program:

must be designated with current tax-exemption status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code,
must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a “public charity” within the meaning of either Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, and
must operate on a national scope through the existence of chapters or affiliates in a large number of states around the country; or possess a regional/local focus, but seek funding to replicate program activities nationally. In the case of proposals seeking funding for replication, organizations must demonstrate the capacity to support national expansion and be ready to begin the replication process.

Note: state and regionally focused organizations as well as affiliates of national organizations with local (versus national) programs are eligible to apply for funding through the Walmart Foundation's State Giving Program. For more information about the State Giving Program, click here.

Program and Budget Requirements

The proposed program must align with one or more of the Foundation’s main areas of focus and/or the Foundation’s other areas of interest.
The national giving program awards grants at or above $250,000.
Overhead (i.e., non program-related expenses) may not exceed 10 percent of the total program budget.
The Foundation is not currently making multi-year commitments. Organizations may, however, propose initiatives with timeframes that extend up to two years. No-cost extensions may be requested for up to an additional 12 months, if necessary.

Funding Exclusions

Funding requests for any type of initiative included in the list below are ineligible to receive funding through the National Giving Program.

Scholarship programs
Political advocacy groups
Athletic teams or events
Gala and event sponsorships
Research projects
Endowments
Infrastructure (Bricks and Mortar)
Capital Campaigns
Association/Chamber memberships
General operating expenses
Faith-based organizations when the proposed grant will only benefit the organization or its members.
Organizations that have received a grant of any amount from the Walmart Foundation National Giving Program within the current fiscal year. (Note: the Walmart Foundation’s fiscal year begins on February 1st.)

Letter of Inquiry Process

The Walmart Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or promotional materials from prospective grantees. The Foundation does, however, accept Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) regarding the National Grant Program provided that the prospective grantee fits within the guidelines of the National Giving Program.

The Letter of Inquiry (LOI) provides a brief synopsis of a prospective grantee program’s purpose. It should provide Foundation staff with a general understanding of the problem or issue the applicant organization seeks to address, the need for the proposed solution and your organization’s capacity to carry out the work.

The Walmart Foundation is interested in funding initiatives that are central to a prospective grantee organization’s core mission. This will increase the potential for the initiative’s continuation thereby enabling the program to have a significant and lasting affect on the target audience.

Submitted LOIs should be submitted in Word format, with a font size no larger than 10. LOIs should be limited to no more than three pages with no appendices and should include/address the following:

501(c)(3) Tax ID number of prospective grantee organization
Name, email address and phone number of the person who will serve as the primary contact for your organization regarding questions related to your LOI.
The Foundation supports initiatives that correspond with one or more of its areas of interest; in which focus area(s) is this program aligned? Name all that apply.
Unmet Need/Problem Statement - briefly define the problem or issue your program is designed to address. Why is it important? How does the problem/issue affect the target population?
Program Purpose & Benefits to Target Audience – briefly identify the program’s goals, its major components and the anticipated benefits for the target population.
Briefly identify your program's major outcomes, as documented evidence of the program's success.
Organizational Capacity – briefly describe the prospective grantee organization’s mission and strengths; also identify key staff who will oversee the program and describe their qualifications to administer the grant.
Budget – briefly describe the program’s estimated total budget.

Letters of Inquiry should be submitted by e-mail to ntlgive@wal-mart.com. Please write “National Grant Program LOI from [name of organization]” in the subject line. You will receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt of your LOI. The Walmart Foundation reviews LOI submissions on an ongoing basis.

Due to the large volume of inquiries we receive, we are unable to provide an exact timeframe during which we will complete LOI review. We do our best to review and process materials received in a timely manner, ideally six to eight weeks. If an LOI warrants additional consideration, organizations will be invited to submit a full proposal for funding consideration. Full proposals are reviewed and final funding decisions are made on an ongoing basis.

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