The Walton Family Foundation made more than a half-billion dollars in grants in 2017, its annual report, released yesterday, says.

Walton grants totaled $535.5 million in 2017, $96 million more than it did in 2016. The report did not list foundation assets, which stood at $3.1 billion in 2016. Grants in 2016 totaled $439.1 million. The foundation, unsurprisingly, is the largest in Arkansas.

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The foundation divides its giving categories into K-12 education ($192.7 million), environment ($86 million), home region ($59.9 million, mostly in Northwest Arkansas) and special projects ($196.9 million, which also includes Arkansas organizations). Many, perhaps most, of its dollars go to charter schools, voucher programs and “school reform” think tanks.

Here is a list of home region and special project grants in excess of $1 million for 2017 (numbers rounded to nearest tenth):

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Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center in Bentonville, a preschool for children of working parents whose income is too high to qualify for state aid: two grants, one for $11.3 million (the largest grant in 2017) and another for $2.1 million. 
Bentonville Bella Vista Trail Blazers Association: two grants, one for $8.4 million and another for $2 million.
Camp War Eagle, a Christian summer camp and day camps: $8.9 million.
TheatreSquared: $3.8 million.
Thaden School, a private nonprofit school in downtown Bentonville for middle and upper grades: $3 million
Northwest Arkansas Council Foundation: $2.2 million.
KIPP Delta Public Schools: $2 million.
Teach for America (Arkansas): $2 million.
University of Arkansas Fayetteville Campus Foundation: $2 million.
Northwest Arkansas Community College Foundation: $1.5 million
U of A Foundation: $1.4 million
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: $1.3 million.
Arkansas Community Foundation: $1.2 million
Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation: $1 million.
Jones Trust: $1 million.
Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation: $1 million.

The foundation also gave the following $1 million-plus grants to cities: Bentonville ($1.5 million), Fayetteville ($3.7 million), Rogers ($3 million) and Springdale ($1.5 million).

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