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Person

Carrie Walton Penner

Born:

1970
Location:

Atherton, California
Occupation:

Board member and philanthropist

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Carrie Walton Penner is a member of the Walton family, the richest family in America. 1 She is the granddaughter of Walmart founders Helen and Sam Walton. 2

Walton Penner is on the board of directors for the Walton Family Foundation 3 and is a Democratic political donor. 4

Background and Education

Carrie Walton Penner is the granddaughter of Walmart founders Helen and Sam Walton. 5 The Waltons are the richest family in America, worth an estimated $247 billion as of December 17, 2020. 6 She is the daughter of Rob Walton, who worked as Walmart’s board chairman from 1992 to 2015. 7

In 1993, Walton Penner earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Georgetown University. In 1997 she earned a master’s degree in education administration and policy analysis, and a master’s degree in program evaluation from Stanford University Graduate School of Education. 8

She is married to Gregory Penner and has four children. 9 Penner is chairman of the Walmart board of directors and general partner of Madrone Capital Partners, an investment management firm. 10

Career

Since 1995, Walton Penner has been a member of the board of directors for the Walton Family Foundation. 11 The 2020 tax return for the foundation shows total net assets of $4,888,585,153. 12 In 2020 the Walton Family Foundation awarded $749.5 million in grants targeting three main program areas – $245.6 million to improve K-12 education, $95.3 million to protect rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and a $66.4 million investment in Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. 13 The foundation’s 2025 Strategy, which started in 2021, continues with these three program areas and emphasizes overall objectives of community-driven change and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 14

Inside Philanthropy referred to Walton Penner as a “Reinventor”, an heir who is approaching the family philanthropy in different ways than her parents. 15 Walton Penner’s main philanthropic focus is K-12 education, especially in the area of charter schools and school choice. 16

In 2009 Walton Penner joined the board of the KIPP Foundation. 17 The KIPP Foundation supports the 270 KIPP public charter schools across the United States. The foundation trains and develops educators in the KIPP public schools and provides ongoing support for the teachers and the schools. 18 The KIPP approach includes a focus on staff diversity and a culturally relevant curriculum in the classrooms. The culturally relevant curriculum includes topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement, liberal expansionist immigration reform, and left-progressive social justice issues. 19

Walton Penner joined the board of EdVoice in 2012. 20 EdVoice is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization in Sacramento, California focused on influencing education policy to have a positive impact on underserved students and eliminate educational inequality in the California school system. 21

In 2016, Walton Penner joined the board of trustees for the Aspen Institute. 22 The Aspen Institute is a think tank based in Washington, D.C. that addresses a large number of issues including education, justice and civic identity, and energy and environment. 23 The 2019 tax return shows $ 308,313,120 in net assets. 24 Funders of the Aspen Institute include California Endowment, ClimateWorks Foundation, Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, National Philanthropic Trust, and New Venture Fund (NVF).

In 2017, Walton Penner became a member of the board of trustees for Stanford University. 25 She is a Stanford alumnus and has continued to support the Stanford Graduate School and several other areas of the university. 26

Political Contributions

Walton Penner has contributed to several Democratic candidates and causes. In 2020, she contributed to the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee and to Cory 2020, 27 a campaign committee for U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) who briefly ran in the 2020 presidential election. 28

References

  1. “Billion-Dollar Dynasties: These Are The Richest Families In America.” Forbes. December 17, 2020. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2020/12/17/billion-dollar-dynasties-these-are-the-richest-families-in-america/?sh=f2d1c3b772c7
  2. “Carrie Walton Penner.” Walton Family Foundation – About Us – Board of Directors. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/about-us/board-of-directors/carrie-walton-penner
  3. “Carrie Walton Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-walton-penner-08020b91/
  4. “Carrie Walton Penner.” Federal Election Commission – Campaign Finance Data – Individual Contributions. Accessed February 20, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Carrie+Walton+Penner
  5.  [1] “Carrie Walton Penner.” Walton Family Foundation – About Us – Board of Directors. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/about-us/board-of-directors/carrie-walton-penner
  6. “Billion-Dollar Dynasties: These Are The Richest Families In America.” Forbes. December 17, 2020. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2020/12/17/billion-dollar-dynasties-these-are-the-richest-families-in-america/?sh=f2d1c3b772c7
  7. “S. Robson ‘Rob’ Walton.” Walmart – About – Board of Directors. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/leadership/board-of-directors/rob-walton/
  8. [1] LinkedIn – Carrie Walton Penner. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-walton-penner-08020b91/
  9. [1] “About Walmart and the Waltons.” Making Change at Walmart. Accessed February 23, 2022. http://changewalmart.org/family-tree/carrie-walton-penner/
  10. [1] “Gregory B. Penner.” Walmart – About – Board of Directors. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/leadership/board-of-directors/gregory-penner/
  11. “Carrie Walton Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-walton-penner-08020b91/
  12. Walton Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF, Part II), 2020.
  13. “Walton Family Foundation Grant Reports.” Walton Family Foundation – About Us – Reports & Financials. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/about-us/reports-financials
  14. “2025 Strategy.” Walton Family Foundation. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/strategy2025
  15. “The Most Powerful Heirs in Philanthropy.” Inside Philanthropy. January 19, 2022. Accessed February 20, 2022. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2022/1/19/the-most-powerful-heirs-in-philanthropy
  16. “WalMart heir Carrie Walton Penner: Force behind America’s charter school movement.” January 15, 2015. Accessed February 23, 2022.  https://www.forbesindia.com/article/cross-border/walmart-heir-carrie-walton-penner-force-behind-americas-charter-school-movement/39373/1
  17. “Carrie Walton Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-walton-penner-08020b91/
  18. “How is KIPP Structured?” KIPP: Public Schools – Schools – Our Structure. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.kipp.org/schools/structure/
  19. “Our Work in Practice.” KIPP: Public Schools – Approach – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.kipp.org/kipp-foundation/dei/
  20. “Carrie Walton Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-walton-penner-08020b91/
  21. “EdVoice Overview.” EdVoice – About. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.edvoice.org/edvoicebackground
  22. “Carrie Walton Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-walton-penner-08020b91/
  23. Aspen Institute. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/
  24. Aspen Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990, Part I), 2019.
  25. “Carrie Walton Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-walton-penner-08020b91/
  26. “Stanford Board of Trustees elects Carrie W. Penner to a five-year term.” Stanford News. May 17, 2017. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://news.stanford.edu/2017/05/17/stanford-board-trustees-elects-carrie-w-penner-five-year-term/
  27. “Carrie Walton Penner.” Federal Election Commission – Campaign Finance Data – Individual Contributions. Accessed February 20, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Carrie+Walton+Penner
  28. “Cory Booker.” Biography.com. Accessed February 23, 2022. https://www.biography.com/political-figure/cory-booker
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