Volunteerism Always Pays

 
Our Volunteerism Always Pays (VAP) program provides grants to eligible organizations when Walmart or Sam’s Club associates volunteer. In FY21, associates reported volunteering more than 278,000 hours through VAP, which translated to more than $2 million in grant contributions to organizations serving our communities across the U.S.

Guidelines

• If you are already familiar with the program, you might notice some changes. We simplified VAP to make it easier to volunteer and raise funds for the organizations our associates care about.
• Associates who volunteer with eligible organization for at least one hour may request a charitable contribution on behalf of the organization.
• All active, full-time, and part-time associates based in the U.S. and Puerto Rico are eligible.
• Must have been employed with the company when the hours were volunteered and at the time that the VAP application is submitted and processed.
• Participation in VAP is strictly voluntary and the decision to participate or not has no impact on the terms or conditions of your employment. We encourage associates to continue to follow CDC and state/local guidance for public gatherings and only volunteer if they feel comfortable.

Organization Eligibility

• Current 501(c)(3) public charities listed in the IRS Business Master File that conduct charitable activities in the United States.
• Faith-based organizations that appear in the IRS Business Master File.
• Recognized government entities that appear in the IRS Business Master File.
• A K-12 public or private school, charter school, community/junior college, state/private college, or university. Institutions must have an NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) number or 501(c)(3) tax status.
• Organizations must agree to use grant funds solely for activities in the United States.

We encourage associates to volunteer at their favorite organizations, regardless of their eligibility for VAP. If an associate is unsure if the organization qualifies for VAP, we encourage them to ask the organization if they are eligible under these guidelines.

*Tax statuses that are NOT eligible include: 501c(19), 501c(4), 501c(6), 509(A)(3) (Type I,II, and III), and U.S. government entities not found in the IRS business master file.

Application Period and Deadlines

• Associates may submit grant applications starting Feb. 1 through Jan. 31 at 11:59 pm (EST).
• Hours submitted must be within the same fiscal year the hours were completed.
• Organizations must confirm volunteer hours within 90 days of submission. 

Restrictions

• Associates may only submit up to 100 individual VAP hours per fiscal year.
• Volunteer activities should be sponsored and planned by the organization, meaning the organization must play an active role in planning and managing the volunteer activities.
• All associate volunteer hours must be above and beyond normal daily work activities.
• Virtual volunteerism is allowed but the associate must participate in a specific activity that is tracked and validated by the organization.