Walmart heirs Olivia and Tom Walton are committing $100 million to America’s maternal death crisis—and betting states and donors will pour in more

The U.S. currently has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations, according to research. In response, heirs of the Walmart fortune, Olivia and Tom Walton, have announced a $100 million, five-year commitment to tackle the issue. The money from Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America (HMHBA) will fund state-matching grants, partnerships, and infrastructure to accelerate efforts to cut maternal deaths in half across the U.S. Olivia Walton launched HMHBA through the Walton family’s Heartland Forward to address the issue personally, stating that giving birth is more dangerous now than it was for her mother in the 1980s.

She argues that nearly 90% of maternal deaths are preventable and solutions already exist, such as getting mothers into care earlier, extending postpartum support beyond a six-week checkup, and building care around the actual needs of families. Despite a decline in maternal mortality in 2023, the U.S. rate remains at nearly 19 deaths per 100,000 live births, higher than most other high-income countries.

Black women experience the highest rate at 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, more than three times the rate for white women. Two-thirds of maternal deaths occur in the year following birth, and 40% of mothers do not receive follow-up care. Rural mothers face even worse odds as hospitals close obstetric units. HMHBA Executive Director Robin Reck emphasized that the U.S. spends more money for worse outcomes than any other country.

Preventing just half of avoidable outcomes could save nearly $80 billion per year. The Walton family's philanthropy is significant, with the Walton Family Foundation, established in 1987, awarding nearly $550 million in grants in 2024, focusing on the environment, education, and Northwest Arkansas causes. Tom Walton, a member of the foundation’s board, focuses on the arts and women’s causes, while Olivia chairs the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and founded Ingeborg Investments, which funds female startup founders.

The latest $100 million commitment aims to leverage maternal health as a bipartisan issue, as a recent national poll found 86% of voters believe maternal health needs improvement, and 79% would vote for a candidate who supports such reforms. HMHBA is supporting two bipartisan bills, the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act, which would fund training and equipment for rural facilities without obstetricians, and the NIH IMPROVE Act, which would authorize seven years of funding for NIH’s maternal-health research initiative.