BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- As part of its recently announced plan to revamp the way it gives money to philanthropic causes, Wal-Mart's charitable foundation says it plans to redirect some funding toward efforts to improve low-income families' access to health care and to developing electronic medical records.
The changes were announced earlier this month by foundation president Margaret McKenna, who said the company plans to make larger, more focused grants in the United States and enhance its international giving.
Wal-Mart says it wants to focus much of its philanthropic efforts on three areas--health care, the environ ment and education, and training for those from 12 to 30 years of age.
Wal-Mart gave away more than $290 million in the United States last year, making it one of the three largest corporate donors in the country.
While the company makes grants of up to $5 million to such large national organizations as the United Way and several college scholarship funds, much of its giving has been in the form of grants of a few hundred dollars apiece to school and local groups. 'While continuing to support local needs, we are looking for ways we can have more impact long term,' McKenna says.
