Poetic justice philanthropy: here's to a change of heart and big thinking.

They are rectangular behemoths floating in a sea of cars, both emblematic of the grand American lifestyle and symptomatic of its hedonistic ills. They are an entity we love to hate, until we need plastic storage bins, of course. And earlier this year, they lost one of the family; the philanthropy world, however, stands to gain enormously.

The recent death of Helen Walton, widow of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, has signaled the beginning of a burgeoning trend and a boon for the foundation community. The savvy entrepreneurs who amassed billion-dollar fortunes in the second half of the 20th century are approaching the fateful hour when they must bequeath their wealth to their foundations of choice or turn it over to another Sam, an uncle of sorts. Since the days of Andrew Carnegie and the "Gospel of Wealth," most magnates have chosen the former option.

For the late Mrs. Walton, any number of institutions will benefit from her estimated $16.4 billion largesse as her family gradually sells her shares in Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to fund charitable projects. Donations she made during her life included support for education and the arts. Keeping with that focus, education, especially K-12, also features largely in the mission of the Walton Family Foundation. Tributes to her in recent days have focused on her philanthropic pursuits, and no doubt Helen Walton will be remembered fondly as a wealthy woman with a generous heart.

Carnegie, too, is remembered for his unprecedented munificence, made possible through a professional life of driving his competitors out of business and trying to quash organized labor. His change of heart following an early retirement, though, is evident in numerous libraries, museums, schools, and universities across the U.S. and abroad.

The Walton legacy could follow a similar path. But a claim by the late Mr. Walton gives reason to believe that a different course would better suit his original vision: "We are going to approach philanthropy with the same lack of reverence we gave to the traditional methods of the retail business when we started out there."

If indeed Sam Walton wanted to be truly irreverent in doling out his money, his family and foundation would do better to forsake the safe, acceptable, and traditional education projects in favor of a field shunned by most other foundations: social justice philanthropy.

For example, more low-and middle-income Americans are losing their health insurance as employers drop coverage in the face of increasing premiums. Supporting a campaign advocating for universal health coverage, as a result, would be incredibly timely--and highly beneficial for all the uninsured Wal-Mart employees who could finally obtain the health care they need.

Promoting the passage of legislation to spur economic redevelopment is another worthy cause, addressing the needs of many communities to recover from the loss of their local businesses. Supporting measures to retain American manufacturing jobs... well, you get the idea.

Improvements in education are noble goals, and libraries and museums are valuable institutions. But those tycoons seeking grandiose ways of improving the world would do well to remember that charity begins in one's own giant parking lot.

Karen Beach is a 2008 Masters of Public Policy Candidate at the Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.