Zoma Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $10,281,818 (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $50,000 - $500,000+ (median grant: $50,000)
Geographic Focus: Metro Denver (five counties) and Chile
Assets: Over $504 million

Contact Details

Foundation Headquarters: Denver, Colorado

Part of: ZOMALAB (Family Office)

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

Founded in 2016 by Ben and Lucy Ana Walton, the Zoma Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation that has rapidly scaled to become a major supporter of early childhood development and community economic development. Ben Walton, grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, and his wife Lucy Ana (a licensed child psychologist) seeded the foundation with $191 million in Walmart stock and $51 million in grants from the Walton Family Foundation. The foundation awarded approximately $10.3 million in grants in 2023 (45 awards) and has grown its assets to over $504 million. With a strategic focus split between Metro Denver and Chile (through Fundación Viento Sur), the foundation takes an innovative approach combining traditional grantmaking with market-based investments. Lucy Ana's background as a child psychologist and her personal "experience with perinatal mental health and… a system not designed to provide comprehensive care" drives the foundation's strong emphasis on maternal and child wellbeing from conception through age five.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through selective grantmaking across three core areas:

Early Childhood Development (Primary Focus)

Grant Range: $50,000 - $500,000+
Multi-year grants commonly awarded
Focus on conception through age 5
Four key areas of support:
- Perinatal mental health
- Parent and family awareness of early childhood development
- Child maltreatment prevention and care
- Catalytic tools and initiatives supporting the early childhood field

Community Economic Development

Grant Range: $75,000 - $500,000
Focus on rural community support and asset-based economic development
Innovative financing mechanisms (outcomes financing)

Workforce Development

Grant Range: $75,000 - $375,000
Support for workforce training programs
Partnerships with state agencies

International (Chile)

Fundación Viento Sur receives substantial funding (over 45% of total grantmaking historically)
$11 million awarded in 2020
Three staff based in Santiago, Chile

Priority Areas

Colorado Focus (Five Metro-Denver Counties):

Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, and Jefferson counties
Early childhood development (conception to age 5)
Maternal mental health and depression screening
Child maltreatment prevention
Rural community economic development
Workforce training and employment programs

Chile Focus (Fundación Viento Sur):

Early childhood development
Workforce development
Community economic development
Educational, health, environmental, cultural, and social issues

Cross-Cutting Priorities:

Government partnerships and systemic change
Mental health and behavioral health
Evidence-based programs with potential for replication
Catalytic initiatives that can scale

What They Don't Fund

Organizations outside Metro Denver (Colorado) or Chile
Unsolicited applications
General operating support to organizations they don't already support
Individual requests
Capital campaigns (typically)
Organizations not aligned with early childhood, workforce, or community economic development

Governance and Leadership

Co-Presidents and Directors:

Benjamin S. Walton - Co-President, grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, drives the foundation's strategic vision and innovative blended philanthropy-investment approach
Lucy Ana A. Walton - Co-President, licensed child psychologist, founded Fundación Viento Sur in 2014 prior to Zoma Foundation's establishment, drives the maternal and child health agenda

Key Staff:

Janna Williams - Treasurer and Director of Finance at ZOMALAB, CPA with B.S. and master's degree in accounting from University of Denver, oversees all financial matters
Abraham Sherman - President of ZOMALAB (parent organization), responsible for all operations including Zoma Capital, Zoma Foundation, and accounting/tax matters

Foundation Structure: Part of ZOMALAB, a family office that includes:

Zoma Foundation (grantmaking)
Zoma Capital (impact investments)
Fundación Viento Sur (Chilean operations with 3 staff in Santiago)

Leadership Philosophy:

Lucy Ana Walton's quote on motivation: "Experience with perinatal mental health and… a system not designed to provide comprehensive care" has shaped the foundation's focus on maternal and child wellbeing.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Zoma Foundation has indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are awarded through:

Proactive identification by foundation leadership and trustees
Strategic partnerships with government agencies and established organizations
Continuation of multi-year funding relationships
Referrals from trusted partners in the early childhood and community development sectors

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation actively partners with:

Colorado state agencies - Has funded Colorado Department of Human Services ($500,000), Department of Labor and Employment ($280,000), Department of Public Health and Environment ($75,000), and Colorado Workforce Development Council ($375,000)
University partners - University of Colorado has received significant multi-year funding
Established early childhood organizations - Tennyson Center for Children and UCHealth's Bright by Three program are repeat recipients
Community foundations - Collaborated with Philanthropy Colorado, Telluride Foundation, and Denver Foundation on rural relief
Outcomes financing initiatives - Launched $10 million Outcomes Finance Accelerator Fund with Maycomb Capital

Organizations working in the five Metro-Denver counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson) on early childhood development or community economic development may come to the foundation's attention through sector visibility, state agency partnerships, or collaborative initiatives with current grantees.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed due to invitation-only model. Multi-year grants suggest relationship-building occurs before formal awards.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. In 2023, they made 45 awards totaling $10.3 million (average grant: $228,485).

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. Existing grantees appear to receive multi-year support and renewal funding based on the foundation's history with organizations like Tennyson Center for Children and UCHealth's Bright by Three.

Application Success Factors

Given the invitation-only nature of Zoma Foundation's grantmaking, the following factors appear to correlate with funding success:

Strategic Alignment with Foundation Priorities:

Organizations addressing early childhood development (conception to age 5) in Metro Denver's five-county area
Programs with strong maternal mental health components, particularly perinatal mental health
Child maltreatment prevention frameworks with replicability potential
Community economic development initiatives in rural Colorado communities

Examples of Funded Work:

Tennyson Center for Children: Received $500,000 (2020) and similar amounts in prior years for childhood development programs
UCHealth's Bright by Three: Received $450,000 (2020) and similar funding previously for early childhood programs
University of Colorado: $804,932 (2019) for multi-year grants to four groups focused on childhood and maternal mental health
Colorado Department of Human Services: $500,000 for child maltreatment prevention framework development
Grand Junction Economic Partnership: $200,000 for rural economic development and job creation

Partnership and Systems-Change Orientation: The foundation demonstrates a strong preference for:

Government partnerships that can drive systemic change
Programs with evidence-based approaches
Initiatives that can serve as "replicable models for other communities"
Multi-year funding relationships rather than one-time grants

Innovation and Blended Approaches: Beyond traditional grantmaking, the foundation invests in aligned enterprises (e.g., SonderMind for behavioral health, Landed for educator housing), suggesting they value organizations that think beyond traditional service delivery models.

COVID-19 Response Pattern: In 2020, the foundation more than doubled grantmaking, with major awards to health foundations (SCL Health Foundation: $500,000; Denver Health Foundation: $500,000) and emergency relief, showing responsiveness to urgent community needs.

Geographic Specificity: Funding is highly concentrated in the five Metro-Denver counties, so organizations must serve Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, or Jefferson counties to be considered for Colorado grants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications accepted - This is an invitation-only funder; focus on sector visibility and partnerships with current grantees or state agencies rather than submitting proposals
Early childhood is paramount - With Lucy Ana Walton's background as a child psychologist and her personal experience with perinatal mental health gaps, maternal and child wellbeing from conception through age 5 is the foundation's clearest priority
Geographic precision matters - Colorado funding is restricted to five Metro-Denver counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson); organizations outside this area are unlikely to receive funding
Government partnerships are valued - The foundation has a track record of funding state agencies and collaborative initiatives, suggesting they seek systems-level change beyond individual program support
Multi-year relationships are the norm - Repeat grantees like Tennyson Center for Children and UCHealth's Bright by Three suggest the foundation builds long-term partnerships rather than making one-time awards
Innovation and replicability - Language around "catalytic tools," "replicable models," and the foundation's own impact investing through Zoma Capital indicates preference for innovative approaches with scaling potential
Chilean connection - Organizations should be aware that over 45% of grant dollars historically go to Fundación Viento Sur in Chile, reflecting Lucy Ana Walton's Chilean heritage and the foundation's binational focus

References

Accessed: December 2024