Funder Spotlight

The Walmart Foundation

Corporate philanthropy has been a growing source of support for ACCESS and has played a vital role in our recent programmatic growth. During what was a down year for many corporations, ACCESS was able to more than quadruple its corporate fundraising total over the previous year thanks to the strong – and growing – need for our services, the clarity of our mission and our ability to effectively leverage resources, last year allowing ACCESS to return $61 in financial aid for every $1 invested in our one to one advising program.

Many corporations see philanthropy as a method of increasing brand recognition in the communities they serve; however, for Walmart – whose closest store to Boston is in Lynn – the prime motivator for their corporate philanthropy has always been need. And, as Chris Buchanan, Senior Manager for Public Affairs and Government Relations for The Walmart Foundation, said recently, “With the economy as it is, ACCESS’s work is more important now than ever before.”

The Walmart Foundation’s open and responsive approach to philanthropy has enabled it to grow to become the 5th largest corporate donor in Massachusetts, according to the Boston Business Journal. Mr. Buchanan, who chairs the state giving councils for Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, says he sees no slow down in the Foundation’s charitable giving. “If anything, we’re looking to see where we can be more effective.”

Thanks to its resources and national recognition, Walmart has been able to adopt a state giving program with a broad mission and the operational flexibility that allows it to react quickly and provide resources where they are needed most. Whether it’s responding to weekly calls from nonprofits looking to fill funding voids left by corporations who have had to curtail their giving or hosting events at the state house to highlight effective nonprofits, Mr. Buchanan and The Walmart Foundation are happy to help.

“In the end,” said Mr. Buchanan, “it’s not about Walmart. It’s about supporting organizations that are doing great work.”

The Walmart Foundation’s first investment in ACCESS in December 2008 helped the organization provide more than 2,300 high school seniors with an affordable path to – and through – a postsecondary education during the last school year, as well as plan for this fall’s expansion of programming to 9th graders.

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