Olivia and Tom Walton have made an initial $100 million, five-year commitment to Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, a bipartisan campaign seeking to cut U.S. maternal deaths in half by 2031. The funding will support state matching grants, partnerships and implementation infrastructure while testing whether philanthropic capital can attract broader public and private investment.
Key Takeaways
- Olivia and Tom Walton announced an initial $100 million commitment over five years on September 10, 2026
- Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America has set a goal of cutting U.S. maternal deaths in half within five years
- Funding is expected to support state matching grants, high-impact partnerships and infrastructure for implementing maternal health interventions
- CDC data shows 649 women died of maternal causes in 2024, with a maternal mortality rate of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births
- Black women and women in rural communities continue to face substantial disparities in maternal health outcomes and access to care
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America announced the commitment on September 10, 2026, four months after the national campaign launched in May. The funding is intended to help states expand maternal health programs while attracting additional commitments from governments, corporations and other funders.
Olivia Walton framed the commitment around expanding approaches already in use. “This investment is about scaling those solutions: getting moms into care earlier,” she said in the announcement. The campaign also identifies rural access, postpartum care, workforce expansion and better maternal health data among its areas of focus.
The $100 Million Commitment Centers on State Matching Grants
The $100 million commitment is designed as an initial investment rather than a standalone funding program. Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America says it plans to use the money for state matching grants, partnerships and infrastructure that can move maternal health interventions into wider practice.
The state-matching approach is intended to draw additional resources into maternal health programs. Olivia Walton told the Associated Press that the campaign plans to encourage state governments to match its investment, while seeking participation from corporations and other private funders.
That structure gives state governments a central role in determining how far the initial funding can extend. Instead of concentrating the entire commitment in one healthcare system or program, the campaign is seeking to support implementation across multiple communities and care settings.
The commitment also follows other philanthropic investment in maternal care. A recent maternal health funding commitment directed $2 million toward expanding midwifery-led care and supporting the training of future midwives.
U.S. Maternal Mortality Data Shows Uneven Risk
The campaign is entering a maternal health landscape in which national mortality levels remain elevated and outcomes vary substantially among different groups.
According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, 649 women died of maternal causes in the United States in 2024. The U.S. maternal mortality rate was 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with 18.6 in 2023. The CDC said the year-over-year decline was not statistically significant.
Racial disparities remain pronounced. In 2024, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with 14.2 for non-Hispanic White women, 12.1 for Hispanic women and 18.1 for non-Hispanic Asian women.
The relationship between maternal mortality and care access also places healthcare availability, timely treatment and postpartum support within the broader maternal health discussion.
Rural Access Remains Uneven
Rural communities face a different but overlapping set of challenges. March of Dimes reported in 2026 that one in three U.S. counties remains a maternity care desert, meaning those counties lack obstetric clinicians or birthing facilities.
The workforce gap is particularly pronounced outside urban areas. March of Dimes found that 57.9% of rural counties lack an obstetric clinician, compared with 19.4% of urban counties. Its hospital data also shows that 70.3% of rural counties lack a hospital with labor and delivery services.
Those access gaps help explain why rural maternal care is one of the areas included in Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America’s strategy.
The Campaign Focuses on Existing Maternal Health Interventions
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America describes its approach as an effort to expand interventions already being used in maternal healthcare rather than develop a single new treatment or program.
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com
Its stated priorities include expanding maternal healthcare in rural areas through telehealth, strengthening the maternal health workforce with an emphasis on midwife training, improving research and data collection, expanding postpartum care and helping states implement programs with measurable results.
The broader campaign launched in May 2026 as a bipartisan initiative founded by Olivia Walton. Its model brings together policymakers, employers, healthcare providers and other organizations around a five-year maternal mortality target.
The September funding announcement adds a financial component to that strategy. The $100 million gives the campaign resources to support implementation while seeking additional state and private-sector commitments.
The Five-Year Goal Runs Through 2031
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America has set a goal of cutting U.S. maternal deaths in half within five years, placing the target in 2031. The 50% figure is the campaign’s stated objective, rather than a projected or guaranteed outcome.
The campaign has tied that objective to state-level implementation, matching grants, partnerships and improvements in areas such as rural access, postpartum support, workforce capacity and data collection.
The initial $100 million commitment from Olivia and Tom Walton establishes the financial starting point. The next measure of the initiative will be how effectively that funding attracts additional commitments and supports measurable maternal health efforts across participating states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America?
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America is a national bipartisan maternal health campaign created by Olivia Walton in May 2026. Tom Walton is participating in the campaign’s initial $100 million funding commitment alongside Olivia Walton.
How much are Olivia and Tom Walton committing to maternal health?
Olivia and Tom Walton have made an initial $100 million commitment over five years. Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America plans to use the funding for state matching grants, partnerships and implementation infrastructure.
What is the goal of the maternal health campaign?
The campaign aims to cut U.S. maternal mortality by half within five years, with the target extending to 2031. That figure represents the initiative’s stated goal and is not a guaranteed outcome.
How will the $100 million be used?
The commitment is expected to support state matching grants, high-impact partnerships and infrastructure needed to expand maternal health interventions. The campaign also intends to use the initial funding to attract additional public and private investment.
What do current U.S. maternal mortality figures show?
CDC data shows that 649 women died of maternal causes in 2024, producing a rate of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. The rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 44.8 per 100,000, significantly higher than rates for several other racial and ethnic groups.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, medical, legal, or professional advice. References to funding commitments, organizations, and public health initiatives are provided for general awareness and do not represent endorsements, guarantees, or investment recommendations. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making decisions based on this information.
