Whitaker Family Foundation
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
7
-22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$229K
+146.1% YoY
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
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.
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
Cities
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
| 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
No grants recorded for .
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:
**$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 FoundationRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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