Founder, Alice L. Walton Foundation, Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, Art Bridges Foundation, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Heartland Whole Health Institute

Philanthropist Alice Walton founded the Alice L. Walton Foundation to increase access to the arts, strengthen education, and advance health. Her early efforts included opening Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2011 to bring world-class art and cultural experiences to Bentonville, Arkansas and the surrounding region, followed by the creation of Art Bridges Foundation in 2017 to broaden access to American art nationwide.

Alice’s experiences in the arts deepened her belief that art, nature, and the spaces around us play a critical role in our health and well-being. In 2019, she established Heartland Whole Health Institute, a nonprofit organization working with the health care industry to develop whole health delivery models and payment reform. In 2021, she founded Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM), a four-year MD degree granting program that enhances medical education with a whole person approach and fills a longstanding gap in physician training in Northwest Arkansas. The school welcomed its first class in July 2025.

In 2024, Alice L. Walton Foundation, Mercy, and the Institute announced a 30-year, $700 million affiliation agreement to expand access to care, reduce costs, and improve health outcomes across the Heartland. The collaboration includes the creation of a 100-acre health care campus in Bentonville focused on specialty care, with Cleveland Clinic collaborating to provide cardiovascular expertise.

These efforts reflect Alice Walton’s belief that meaningful health transformation requires long-term commitment, cross-sector collaboration, and solutions that move beyond incremental fixes.