October 27, 2005 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Waltons and Wal-Mart: Self-Interested Philanthropy, argues that the Walton family and its company make donations more to advance personal and political objectives than to benefit needy people. The report, produced by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, says that the Walton Family Foundation, in Bentonville, Ark., has a relatively modest endowment—the Gates Foundations’ is about 36 times larger—given that the family’s net worth is about twice that of Bill Gates. It notes that the Wal-Mart Foundation, unlike most corporate donors, gives to religious groups, and that the institution is not always forthcoming about its grantees. Through their philanthropy, the Waltons and Wal-Mart focus on improving the education system by promoting charter schools and vouchers, which the report says could erode public-school education and potentially harm the country’s poorest students. Because of the scale of the Waltons’ wealth and their growing influence, watchdog groups, the news media, and government regulators should monitor carefully the family’s philanthropy, the report concludes.
Publisher: National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, 2001 S Street, N.W., Suite 620, Washington, D.C. 20009; (202) 387-9177; http://www.ncrp.org; 29 pages; $12.50 for members; $25 for nonmembers.
