Foundations & Grantmakers in Arkansas
887 grantmakers in Arkansas reported grants on their latest 990s. The 298 that made at least 5 grants gave $1.3B. The largest by giving are Walton Family Foundation Inc, WAL-Mart Foundation and The Rob Walton Foundation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Arkansas grants
Foundation giving in Arkansas at a glance
Active grantmakers
887
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$1.3B
from the 298 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$21K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$75K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Arkansas by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walton Family Foundation Inc | Bentonville | $562.3M | 1,020 |
| 2 | WAL-Mart Foundation | Bentonville | $113.9M | 144 |
| 3 | The Rob Walton Foundation | Bentonviille | $107.1M | 61 |
| 4 | Windgate Charitable Foundation Inc | Little Rock | $105.6M | 341 |
| 5 | Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation Inc | Bentonville | $58.8M | 16 |
| 6 | Arkansas Community Foundation Inc | Little Rock | $58.7M | 827 |
| 7 | Alice L Walton Foundation | Bentonville | $47.1M | 95 |
| 8 | Town Branch Foundation | Bentonville | $30.0M | 63 |
| 9 | Alumbra Innovations Foundation | Bentonville | $28.5M | 137 |
| 10 | Pure Inc | Bentonville | $27.3M | 93 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 5 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 51 · 23%
- Human Services 30 · 14%
- Health 29 · 13%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 18 · 8%
- Religion Related 18 · 8%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 17 · 8%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (45% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Arkansas
- Arkansas Community Foundation Inc $58.7M · 827 grants
- Union County Community Foundation Inc $714K · 24 grants
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Arkansas
Foundations based in Arkansas whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas | 77% (37) | 48 in 2024 | $15K |
| 2 | Mahoney Family Foundation Inc | 68% (21) | 31 in 2025 | $2K |
| 3 | Arkansas Pharmacists Association | 65% (13) | 20 in 2024 | $5K |
| 4 | Elliott-Coffman Charitable Foundation | 57% (16) | 28 in 2025 | $1K |
| 5 | Robert E and Catherine Woodson Sampley Foundation | 55% (26) | 47 in 2025 | $7K |
| 6 | The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation | 52% (42) | 81 in 2024 | $54K |
| 7 | Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation Inc | 51% (22) | 43 in 2024 | $58K |
| 8 | Arkansas Community Foundation Inc | 38% (186) | 487 in 2025 | $119K |
| 9 | Town Branch Foundation | 38% (15) | 40 in 2024 | $599K |
| 10 | Elisabeth D Wagner Foundation | 38% (9) | 24 in 2025 | $2K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 298 grantmakers in Arkansas with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Walton Family Foundation Inc
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$6.1B
Grants
1,020
Total Given
$562.3M
WAL-Mart Foundation
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$23.4M
Grants
144
Total Given
$113.9M
The Rob Walton Foundation
Bentonviille, AR
Assets
$441.2M
Grants
61
Total Given
$107.1M
Windgate Charitable Foundation Inc
Little Rock, AR
Assets
$421.0M
Grants
341
Total Given
$105.6M
Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation Inc
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
16
Total Given
$58.8M
Arkansas Community Foundation Inc
Little Rock, AR
Assets
$895.9M
Grants
827
Total Given
$58.7M
Alice L Walton Foundation
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$4.7B
Grants
95
Total Given
$47.1M
Town Branch Foundation
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$500.0M
Grants
63
Total Given
$30.0M
Alumbra Innovations Foundation
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$113.5M
Grants
137
Total Given
$28.5M
Pure Inc
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$1.4M
Grants
93
Total Given
$27.3M
Penner Family Foundation Inc
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$85.5M
Grants
81
Total Given
$25.3M
Arkansas Animal Rescue Foundation
Little Rock, AR
Assets
—
Grants
26
Total Given
$19.5M
Arkansas Public School Resource Center
Little Rock, AR
Assets
$15.5M
Grants
16
Total Given
$12.6M
John & Ashley Rausch Family Charitable
Fayetteville, AR
Assets
$51.3M
Grants
7
Total Given
$8.7M
The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Little Rock, AR
Assets
$151.5M
Grants
106
Total Given
$6.5M
Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas
Little Rock, AR
Assets
$3.5M
Grants
18
Total Given
$4.9M
The Philip R Jonsson Foundation
Little Rock, AR
Assets
—
Grants
6
Total Given
$4.4M
Arvest Foundation
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$21.0M
Grants
562
Total Given
$4.3M
Tri S Foundation
Bentonville, AR
Assets
—
Grants
18
Total Given
$4.2M
East North Street Foundation LLC
Alexander, AR
Assets
$6.6M
Grants
9
Total Given
$3.9M
Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development
Little Rock, AR
Assets
$158.5M
Grants
32
Total Given
$3.8M
The Murphy Foundation
El Dorado, AR
Assets
$16.9M
Grants
61
Total Given
$3.7M
Mercy Health Foundation Fort Smith
Fort Smith, AR
Assets
$26.1M
Grants
6
Total Given
$3.5M
Becky and Bob Alexander Charitable
Rogers, AR
Assets
$39.4M
Grants
35
Total Given
$3.5M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Arkansas
What are the largest foundations in Arkansas?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Walton Family Foundation Inc ($562.3M across 1,020 grants), WAL-Mart Foundation ($113.9M) and The Rob Walton Foundation ($107.1M). Together the top 10 account for 85% of the $1.3B given by the 298 grantmakers in Arkansas that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Arkansas?
The typical grant is about $21K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $75K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Arkansas?
Yes. We found 2 community foundations in Arkansas with grant activity. The largest by giving are Arkansas Community Foundation Inc and Union County Community Foundation Inc. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Arkansas foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Arkansas from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.