Rob Walton Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 47-4259772 · since 2016robwaltonfoundation.org·Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Co…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$107M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$5,000 to $1.3M

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$50,000

Typical grant (median)

61 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

Rob Walton Foundation, based in Bentonviille, AR, states a priority of Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and its work centres on Keystone Protected Areas, conservation capacity and community engagement, so a conservation organisation working in those areas fits its own description.
The foundation says it does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is unlikely to get a hearing and you would need an introduction or an existing connection first.
Half of its grants to organisations in its recent filings were $25,000 or less, and the median grant was $25,000, so a modest request is the most realistic size, although about 8 in 10 grants fall between $5,000 and $1,250,000.
In its most recent filing, 55% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded before, so expect a relationship-led process rather than an open competition.
Organisations that cannot establish a connection should not count on this foundation as a near-term source of funds.

Overview

Rob Walton Foundation is a US private foundation based in Bentonviille, AR.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Rob Walton Foundation focuses most of its work on safeguarding Africa’s Keystone Protected Areas and supporting large-scale conservation efforts, primarily in Africa. It backs the people and institutions working to keep these landscapes well managed, partnering with African governments, protected-area authorities, community institutions, the African Union, conservation organisations, funders and technical partners. Its approach combines long-term, diversified funding with stronger capacity, including accountable NGOs, capable public institutions, African leadership, workforce development and peer learning. It also supports country and community engagement that strengthens legitimacy, rights and practical benefits for people living in and around these landscapes. Partners are funded where there is alignment with its mission, strong accountability, respect for community rights and a credible path to improved stewardship. It aims for high quality, evidence-led learning and reduced reporting burdens, with African institutions, communities and conservation partners at the centre.

Themes

Keystone protected areas
Conservation capacity
Community engagement

Geographic Focus

Priority: Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa.

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 55% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 224 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Partners are selected where there is mission alignment, strong accountability, respect for community rights, and a credible path to improved stewardship of Keystone Protected Areas.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Virginia32%

New York22%

North Dakota14%

District of Columbia10%

Arizona7%

Georgia1%

6 other states: 4%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 10%

The largest single recipient received 32% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 55% of grant dollars went to organisations Rob Walton Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
6% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (South Africa, United Kingdom, Canada).
61% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

61 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 61 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$5k–$10k3%

$10k–$25k18%

$25k–$50k18%

$50k–$100k20%

$100k–$250k5%

$250k–$500k8%

$500k–$1M8%

$1M and over20%

Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation · To provide funding for library
$33,863,7252024 tax year
Conservation International Foundation · To provide matching support toward Spend Down Fund 2.0
$24,572,7232024 tax year
Wildlife Conservation Society · To support Africa Protected Areas Strategy Implementation
$9,328,3152024 tax year
Arizona State University Foundation for a New American University · To support School of Conservation Futures and related programs
$8,000,0002024 tax year
African Parks Foundation of America · To provide operational support for the development and management of national parks and key conservation areas in Africa.
$5,000,0002024 tax year
African Parks Foundation of America · To support African Parks Incubation Program: Scaling Through Partnerships
$4,805,9982024 tax year
Conservation International Foundation · To support ocean conservation through the Blue Nature Alliance project
$4,625,9132024 tax year
African Parks Foundation of America · To support important conservation in Africa, including Rewilding of Key Species
$3,500,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

S Robson Walton — Director, President
Naccaman Williams — Secretary
Luke Mitchell — Treasurer

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$63,429,826	$59,140,621	$529,074,643	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$85,422,307	$78,108,177	$505,660,196	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$114,639,549	$107,144,912	$522,486,540	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.