Whitaker Family Foundation

FAYETTEVILLE, AR EIN: 47-2311665 Website

The Whitaker Family Foundation is a private, independent foundation based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Established in December 2014 by family members of the late C. Don Whitaker and his wife, L. Pauline Whitaker, the foundation operates as a not-for-profit corporation under Arkansas law. The foundation is dedicated to raising public awareness and creating funding to support medical and scientific research, as well as education and youth development initiatives.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$1.6M

+91.4% YoY

Grant Count

-22.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$229K

+146.1% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission centers on building a better future by supporting healthcare and education for children. Specifically, the foundation:

Funds medical research and clinical research trials in children's health, wellness, and disease prevention
Supports improved and meaningful social, economic, and emotional engagement and education for youth
Builds upon the philanthropic vision of four generations of the Whitaker family
Seeks to empower children and youth to develop into healthy, confident, independent contributors to society

The foundation's focus areas include education, human services, and medical research, with particular emphasis on children's health conditions and youth development.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

of $100,000.

How to Apply

ing capacity.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports multiple cities and states, with primary focus areas including:

Arkansas (including Bentonville, Conway, Fayetteville, and Rogers)
Delaware
Minnesota
Missouri (including Branson)

Grant Distribution by State

Arkansas $4.3M (92%)

Missouri $271K (6%)

Minnesota $100K (2%)

Delaware $15K (0%)

States

Arkansas Delaware Minnesota Missouri

Cities

BENTONVILLEBRANSONCONWAYDEWITTFAYETTEVILLEFORT SMITHHARRISONLITTLE FLOCKLITTLE ROCKROCHESTERROGERSSEDALIASILOAM SPRINGSSPRINGDALESPRINGFIELDWILMINGTON

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue:

Total assets: $13.9 million (as of 2023); $18.4 million (as of 2024)
Annual revenue (2023): $2,154,402
Annual expenses (2023): $987,784
Annual giving (2024): $1,602,931
Expense ratio: 45.8% of total revenue spent on programs

Tax Status:

501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
Tax-exempt status since February 2015
EIN: 47-2311665

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 7 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

38 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Arkansas Children's Hospital Northwest ($1,008,846), Circle of Life ($200,835), Arkansas Baptist Assembly Inc Dba Camp Siloam ($162,815).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ARKANSAS BAPTIST ASSEMBLY INC DBA CAMP SILOAM SILOAM SPRINGS, AR	CONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTENNIAL LAKE PROJECT	$162,815
BARNABAS FOUNDATION BRANSON, MO	THE CABIN PROJECT AT CAMP BARNABAS	$100,315
NWA CHILDREN'S SHELTER BENTONVILLE, AR	EMERGENCY CARE/CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM	$75,000
RIVER VALLEY FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES FORT SMITH, AR	2024 ANNUAL PRESENTING SPONSORSHIP	$50,120
BRANDON BURLSWORTH FOUNDATION HARRISON, AR	2024 EYES OF A CHAMPION PROGRAM	$5,000
ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NORTHWEST LITTLE ROCK, AR	ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S NORTHWEST EXPANSION	$1,008,846
CIRCLE OF LIFE SPRINGDALE, AR	CENTER FOR IN-HOME CARE, EXPANDING THE CIRCLE CAMPAIGN	$200,835

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation's leadership team includes:

Larry Whitaker – Chairman
Buck Ortega – Secretary Treasurer
Alicia Wantz – Chief Financial Officer
Amy Whitaker – Vice President
Emily Ortega – Vice President

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BUCK ORTEGA	SECRETARY TREAS	2	—
ALICIA WANTZ	CFO	10	$34,083
LARRY WHITAKER	CHAIRMAN	—	—
AMY WHITAKER	VICE PRESIDENT	—	—
EMILY ORTEGA	VICE PRESIDENT	—	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has made several significant recent grants:

2024

**$5 Million to Arkansas Children's Northwest** – A major donation announced in October 2024 to support the expansion of Arkansas Children's Northwest

Whitaker Family Foundation to donate $5 million to Arkansas Children\u2019\

**Grant to The CALL** – The foundation provided a major grant to The CALL organization

The CALL Receives Major Grant from Whitaker Family Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Whitaker Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission centers on building a better future by supporting healthcare and education for children. Specifically, the foundation: • Funds medical research and clinical research trials in children's health, wellness, and disease prevention • Supports improved and meaningful social, economic, and emotional engagement and education for youth • Builds upon the philanthropic vision of four generations of the Whitaker family • Seeks to empower children and youth to develop into healthy,…

How do I apply for a grant from Whitaker Family Foundation?

The foundation demonstrates active grant-making activity with recent awards ranging from $5,000 to $1,008,846. In 2024, the foundation awarded approximately $1.6 million in total giving across seven grants, with a median grant size of $100,000. The foundation does not appear to have a "preselected only" application restriction, suggesting it may be open to new applicants. However, the foundation operates with limited staffing, which may affect application processing capacity.

Where does Whitaker Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports multiple cities and states, with primary focus areas including: • **Arkansas** (including Bentonville, Conway, Fayetteville, and Rogers) • **Delaware** • **Minnesota** • **Missouri** (including Branson)