St. Louis Grants for Nonprofits

Helping the Disadvantaged Become Self-Reliant

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Rules and Regulations

The primary purpose of Dana Brown Charitable Trust is to provide grants to organizations in the St. Louis area that support financially disadvantaged children (up to age 18) and programs that enable children to expand their knowledge of the world and nature through programs featuring wild animals in the St. Louis, Missouri, Metropolitan area (MSA).

Your grant request will be required to satisfy the above expectations. Specifically:

• Your funding request must directly positively impact the health, education, and welfare of underprivileged/economically disadvantaged children and/or support programs that enable children to expand their knowledge of the world and nature through programs featuring wild animals and/or zoology.
  • Secondarily, for animals, the Dana Brown Charitable Trust will continue to consider grant requests for programs with animals that provide services and resources for financially disadvantaged children, focusing on mental health, support, and community building.
• Your funding request must be allocated to organizations in the St. Louis, Missouri—Illinois Metro Area. Visit our Frequently Asked Questions section to see which counties this includes.

Additionally, The Dana Brown Charitable Trust is focused on high-impact, low-risk funding and places high importance on those organizations that work collaboratively with other nonprofits.

Pettus Foundation

The Pettus Foundation is the philanthropic legacy of Mr. James T. Pettus of International Shoe Company and his son, James T. Pettus, Jr. Core to the Pettus Foundation’s giving is Mr. Pettus’s desire “to enable people who might not have opportunities to have opportunities,” thus the Pettus Foundation prioritizes programs which create self-reliance, independence, and citizen productivity.

The St. Louis Community Foundation has the honor and privilege of working with the Trustees of the Pettus Foundation to continue to ensure that the philanthropic wishes of Mr. Pettus live on in the St. Louis Region.

The Foundation’s giving occurs in three ways:

• Through a competitive grant process in St. Louis, where Mr. Pettus, Jr. was born and went to school
• To pre-selected organizations in Hawaii, where Mr. Pettus Jr. lived in his later years
• Each of the seven children of James T. Pettus Jr. (family advisors) has an allocated amount to give to charities of their choice

Focus Areas

In St. Louis, the Pettus Foundation provides funding to nonprofit organizations working in the following areas:

• Workforce Development
• Direct job, technical, and career training
• Soft skills necessary for success
• Youth Development
• Preparation for the work force including soft skills
• Preparation for life after high school including higher education, technical school, military, or apprenticeship programs
• Education
• Early childhood education
• K – 12 public schools with a focus on the middle school years

Please note the following:

The Pettus Foundation’s typical grant range is from $5,000 to $25,000. The trustees especially favor applications that demonstrate multiple funding partners and match or challenge grant opportunities. The trustees seek to leverage the Foundation’s assets to strengthen Saint Louis non-profits working toward the foundation’s goals.

Funding Priorities

The Roblee Foundation is committed to promoting equity in areas of race/ethnicity and gender, with a preference for early, catalytic, upstream, or movement-building approaches. 

Focus Areas

We accept funding requests in race, ethnicity, and gender equity. Within our emphasis on equity (race, ethnicity, and gender), we prefer to fund in the following areas:

Women’s Issues and Economic Empowerment

• Proposals focused on under-resourced and marginalized communities
• Strategies that simplify and streamline women’s access to support services
• Initiatives to coordinate duplicative service delivery among domestic violence programs
• Protecting a women’s right to choose
• Training, education and coaching to accelerate economic empowerment, including women who have been recently incarcerated
• Two-generational approaches that support parents and their young children

Opportunities for Youth of Color and LGBTQ+ Youth

• Proposals focused on youth ages (9-21) are preferred
• Youth mentoring programs
• Youth engagement initiatives that organize and empower youth of color at the grassroots level
• Alternatives to juvenile detention and strategies to reduce incarceration
• Support for racial justice and equitable policing
• Anti-bias/anti-racism training for middle and high school teachers in racially diverse schools
• Advocacy efforts that increase public funding for children in foster care and youth in under-resourced areas

Early Childhood Education (0-8)

• Proposals focused on under-resourced and marginalized communities
• Collaborative initiatives to expand access to high quality early childhood education
• Advocacy efforts to increase support for child care subsidies, medicaid, early childhood education, early childhood home visiting, and public schools
• Anti-bias/Anti-racism training for early childhood teachers, caregivers, and parents
• Two-generational approaches that support parents and their young children
• Evidence-based early childhood home visitation programs serving vulnerable families.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Our New Funding Framework 

In 2001, the Trio board established the grantmaking framework which has effectively guided our giving for over 20 years, with the mission statement: “The Trio Foundation of St. Louis values community enhancement, fulfillment of human potential and ecological well-being. The Foundation expresses these values through supporting programs that promote independence, equality of opportunity, creativity, and environmental preservation.”

Over the last few years the Trio board undertook a planning and vision process to define a framework for Trio’s future grantmaking. The board is now putting the new framework in place that we hope will be even more responsive to community needs.

Trio will focus even more on increasing opportunity for everyone, particularly those who may experience discrimination in regard to their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and/or physical ability. In particular, we recognize the impact of racial discrimination in our community. Many of the problems Trio continually works to address through our giving will be unsolvable until racial equity is achieved.

We will also continue to strive to be empowering—creating opportunities for people to live up to their potential. Our work will be even more trust-based, collaborative, stressing the building of authentic relationships with all our partners and the community.

As we reaffirmed our values, purpose and goals, we also updated our mission statement to better reflect our vision for success:

• The Trio Foundation of St. Louis values community enhancement, fulfillment of human potential and ecological well-being.
• The Foundation expresses these values through supporting programs and organizations that promote equity of opportunity, independence, equitable access to the creative experience, ecological preservation, and environmental justice.

Our Focus Areas

Our focus will be on increasing opportunity for everyone, particularly those who may experience discrimination in regard to their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and/or physical ability. In particular, we recognize the impact of racial discrimination in our community. Many of the problems Trio continually works to address through our giving will be unsolvable until racial equity is achieved. Trio will continue to focus the vast majority of giving in the St. Louis City and immediate near counties

The new framework includes the following three strategic funding areas:

Women's Economic Empowerment

Giving women and girls in the St. Louis region the opportunities to participate in all aspects of society and care for themselves and their families in all stages of life. Trio supports all organizations that propel all women, girls, non-binary and gender-expansive people towards long term economic security in the following areas:

• Education
• Job Training
• Employment

Arts

Support for arts and cultural organizations in the St. Louis region that increase opportunities to engage with a creative experience with a focus on:

• Small and mid- sized arts organizations
• Efforts to provide equitable access to the arts for undeserved communities
• Efforts that emphasize diversity and inclusion through the arts

Environment

Provide for the betterment of the environment and ecology in the St. Louis area in the following areas:

• Biodiversity and climate change
• Environmental Education
• Environmental Justice
• Preservation of Natural Resources ( air, land, water)

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Foundation's Purpose

The Enterprise Holdings Foundation was established by founder Jack C. Taylor to give back to the communities in which our partners and employees live and work. The Foundation provides charitable support to worthwhile, non-profit initiatives that are actively supported by Enterprise Holdings employees and their spouses/domestic partners. Contributions are made to thousands of local communities across the globe where the organization operates. 

The Foundation’s philanthropic and community relations mission is to ensure that we maintain our leadership position as a valued and responsible corporate citizen by enhancing the quality of life in our communities consistent with the organization’s business goals and objectives. The Foundation supports relief projects or causes that Enterprise Holdings deems important as they arise, such as natural disasters that affect our employees and partners. 

Modeling New Means Of Support, Close To Home

Our headquarters are in St. Louis—and our local giving has become the model for how we continue to grow our support in communities around the globe. In St. Louis, we’re helping advance initiatives including:

• Economic and Workforce Development
• College and Career Readiness
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Key Health and Human Service Needs 

Eide Bailly Resourcefullness Award

Our nonprofit industry advisory group is thrilled to offer this opportunity for nonprofit organizations who develop outstanding initiatives to support their communities. Our Resourcefullness Award program was established in 2013 and each year we receive an abundance of wonderful applications. It’s hard choosing a winner!

Ultimately, we are passionate about helping our clients (and non-clients) thrive and succeed. This award program allows us to showcase nonprofit organizations that stand out and in turn, we are able to offer education around revenue generating trends, ideas and campaign strategies.

Eide Bailly’s Resourcefullness Award is our way to support the financial health of the nonprofit sector while recognizing and celebrating nonprofits across the nation for their creative and sustainable revenue-generating initiatives. Through a short application process, three judges from outside of the firm will select one 501(c)(3) organization as the Award winner, receiving a $50,000 prize.

Criteria for Evaluation

Our Resourcefullness Award judges will reference the following criteria when evaluating application submissions:

• Sustainability
• Creativity
• Financial Impact
• Overall Impression
• Implementation

Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company

One of the largest employee-managed funds of its kind in the world, the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company has been empowering employees to make a greater impact by pooling their tax-deductible donations for more than 60 years. Employee-led grantmaking committees at 20 Boeing sites- provide combined employee donations to nonprofits in their communities through ECF grants.

Charitable or educational organizations can apply for grants from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company.

2024 ECF Grantmaking Guidelines St. Louis Chapter

The ECF St. Louis Chapter prides itself on giving to a breadth of organizations making an impact in the St. Louis metropolitan area. ECF St. Louis has invested more than $165 million into the greater St. Louis community through grants to hundreds of nonprofits. We look forward to continuing our support for all the great nonprofits in our region for years to come!

Focus Areas

Our grantmaking efforts focus on supporting organizations that work in the areas of Health and Human Services, Education, Arts & Culture, and Civic Engagement. We use donor surveys to determine this allocation of giving. Our chapter operates on a biennial cycle: with odd-numbered years focused on Health and Human Services organizations and even-numbered years on Education, Arts and Culture, and Civic Engagement.

The Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund (SOS) strengthens the Greater St. Louis community through informed, focused grant-making by educating and inspiring women to engage in significant giving.

SOS Commitment To Diversity, Equity And Inclusion

SOS is committed to equity, diversity, collaboration, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability because all people deserve to live full and abundant lives free of prejudice, discrimination and oppression.

We will prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in our philanthropy.

means full participation of all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender orientation, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship status, language, religion, geographic location, and national origin, among other identities.

is the condition that would be achieved if one’s identity no longer predicted how one fared in life.

creates a culture and environment for diverse individuals to bring their authentic and full selves. Inclusion results when underrepresented people are seen as fully belonging in a community.

Focus Areas

Grants are not restricted to issues dealing exclusively with women, but are made to organizations focusing on at least one of the following areas:

• Arts and Culture
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Social Services

Single-year Eligibility

Single-year grants of $5,000 – $25,000 are awarded to nonprofit organizations in the Greater St. Louis community. Applicants are encouraged to submit Letters of Inquiry for general operating support, project/program support, and capacity building. Capacity building strengthens the development of an organization’s core skills and capabilities, such as leadership, management, finance/fund-raising, programs, and evaluation, in order to build the organization’s effectiveness and sustainability.

Multi-year Eligibility

In the 2022-2023 granting cycle, SOS will be investing in one, renewable, three year accelerator grant for $33,333 a year, totaling $100,000. The application can be for a specific project or for general operating support.

Organizations that apply for multi-year grants must:

• Demonstrate a history of successful programming and financial stability
• Show collaboration with other agencies
• Exhibit strong leadership in board and organizational management
• Have a clear multi-year plan that is visionary, meets an urgent community need and significantly enhances the applicant organization’s ability to serve their mission into the future
• Demonstrate how having consistent funding will allow your agency to think big and take chances
• Have specific and numerically measurable project goals, objectives/actions and outcomes/impact described for each year
• Include a three year budget:
  • If applying for a project include a separate project budget for each year
  • If applying for general operating support, submit the organization’s budget for the current year and two subsequent years
  • Have the option to include up to 2 additional supporting documents such as an Annual Report or Strategic Plan
• Organizations that have received single-year SOS grants for the past two consecutive years CAN apply for a multi-year grant. However, organizations applying for a multi-year grant CANNOT apply for an SOS single-year grant in the same grant cycle.

About RAC

We are an investor in the arts and artists. We will prioritize quality in all that we do. We believe that equity is an urgent and necessary priority. We believe that every child deserves a well-rounded education that includes the arts. We will promote partnerships to strengthen the sector.

These are the principles that guide our work. Because every artist, organization and generation in our region thrives when the arts around us do, too.

Background

The Regional Arts Commission’s (RAC) Program Support grant category provides project-based support to arts and culture organizations and non-arts nonprofit organizations in the production and/or presentation of artistic activities.

These ongoing and one-time projects broaden and deepen audience participation and increase access to the arts for visitors and residents throughout the St. Louis region. 

Mission Statement and Vision

Jewish Federation of St. Louis mobilizes the Jewish community and its human and financial resources to preserve and enhance Jewish life in St. Louis, in Israel, and around the world. Our vision is an engaged, vibrant, and flourishing St. Louis Jewish community, in which individuals live with dignity, meaning, and purpose, and a sense of belonging to the Jewish People, as part of a life well-lived.

Dignity: We help ensure that the most vulnerable have a place to live, food to eat and services to protect them.

Meaning: We help provide points of access to anyone who wishes to make the Jewish community, learning and our tradition part of a life well lived.

Purpose: Guided by Jewish values, we inspire and mobilize our community to serve those in need.

Strategic Sponsorships

Focus

To provide sponsorship support to community events or programs that align with Federation’s mission.

Funding for Impact

The St. Louis Community Foundation provides grants management and administrative support for private and family foundations. We assist foundation trustees with their grantmaking decisions in an effort to help them fund creative and sustainable programs.

We provide assistance to nonprofits in navigating the diverse funding structures of our clients and provide the foundations with information about the nonprofit landscape as a whole, as well as their particular area of interest.

EPHT Grantmaking in 2025

EPHT is committed to centering access to health care by addressing barriers, navigating systems of care, and supporting person-centric medical services. In keeping with the original purpose of the Trust, EPHT Trustees have identified health priority areas and a geographic footprint to reflect this commitment.

Funding Priorities

If you wish to apply in Cycle 1, please make sure your request fits within the following areas:

• Access to Health Care
• Chronic Disease

If you wish to apply in Cycle 2, please make sure your request fits within the following areas:

• Access to Health Care
• Chronic Disease
• Regional Access Focus in 2025: Maternal and Infant Health (Cycle 2 only)

The purpose of the Chiron Community Giving Foundation (CCGF) is to fund promising projects of nonprofit organizations with a strong track record of facilitating positive change for individuals living in economically challenging circumstances in St. Louis City and St. Louis County.  CCGF began as a component fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation in 2019, with the first grants being awarded in 2020. In 2021, CCGF became incorporated as a nonprofit private foundation in Missouri. At this time, federal 501(c)(3) status is actively being sought.The Foundation operates on the belief that when the most vulnerable individuals in a community are respected and supported in their growth and development, those individuals’ lives will stabilize. In turn, communities will be strengthened, offering a better quality of life for all in the present and the future.  Chiron Community Giving Foundation is particularly interested in supporting those organizations that demonstrate strong organizational commitment to principles of non-discrimination, anti-racism, equity, and effective inclusion.

Aya Mini-Grants

Previously, Aya Mini-Grants were offered to organizations whose activities aligned with CCGF priorities to apply for up to $5,000 to cover unexpected expenses related to existing programs or services that seek to increase access to high-quality, affordable mental healthcare. The focus of this program will change in 2024. It is scheduled to become a Participatory Grantmaking Program that is responsive to identified community needs. Implementation will begin in late 2024 or early 2025.

Awareness. Education. Prevention.  These are three key tenets of Bayer Fund’s investments in health and wellness.  With a focus on cancer and cardiovascular disease, we provide resources to organizations dedicated to educating and/or providing services to patients, caregivers and at-risk populations.

Health & Wellness Grants

Programs that Bayer Fund will support include those that focus on patients and their families needing assistance with issues to managing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This includes education, disease awareness, and supportive services for these diseases. In areas related to cardiovascular disease, priority (though not exclusivity) will be given to charitable organizations that focus on programs and support for the African American community due to the high incidence rate of disease in this population.

Giving in this category will focus on support services such as education, disease awareness, and general access to care (e.g., housing for families traveling for cancer or heart care).

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach of the organization.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Senior and Community Center Grants

Funding awarded to support existing senior or community centers located within the City of St. Louis, that have defined geographic service areas, and currently provide programs and services for older adults. This funding is allocated to support capital or technology improvements. Organizations can apply for one-year grants up to $25,000.

Background

The St. Louis City Senior Fund was created by a voter supported ballot initiative in November 2016. The approved legislation allows the City of St. Louis to levy and collect a property tax of five cents per hundred dollars of valuation, “for the purpose of providing services to persons sixty years of age or older.”1

Our vision is for the City of St. Louis to be an aging-friendly city where older residents can age in place.

We support this vision by providing grants to local nonprofits and government entities to help older adults continue living in the home and community that best serves their needs and interests. All grants from the Senior Fund are directed to serve residents in the City of St. Louis who are 60 years or older.

Purpose of this RFP

Senior and community centers often serve as a hub for older residents to come together for activities that reflect their experience and interests and connect to resources that help them stay healthy and continue living in their home and neighborhood. This funding opportunity is intended to support centers located within the City of St. Louis, that have defined geographic service areas, have a strong focus on providing programs and services for older adults, and are open to the public.

Requests will be accepted for Capital or Technology Improvements. Funding can be requested for one-time expenses such as planning for facility improvements or repairs or purchase of equipment, technology, or other durable assets that maintain or strengthen a center’s ability to serve older adults and has a useful life of more than one year.

Planning for capital or technology improvements may involve hiring a consultant for a feasibility study, an architect for the design of significant building improvements, or other contribution towards preparation for significant building or other infrastructure changes. Facility improvements may include renovations to improve accessibility, energy-efficiency, or safety or other refurbishments of existing spaces to improve the use or aesthetics of where older residents use programs and services. Equipment may include food storage and other kitchen appliances, furniture, computers, audiovisual equipment, vehicles, or other substantial items needed to carry out services. Technology may include development of databases to manage data on clients and services, set up of a third-party database, software licenses with a useful life of more than one year, or other needs. 

Funding

Organizations can apply for one grant award up to $25,000.

• We currently have up to $125,000 budgeted for this funding opportunity.
• We anticipate grant requests will range from $5,000 to the maximum grant award depending on the scope of the request; we will likely fund six to eight grants. 
• The Senior Fund requires that applicants do not request more than 50% of their organization’s annual budget. We also prefer that applicants do not request more than 75% of the total cost, though we recognize that some requests for the purchase of equipment or facility improvements may require 100% investment due to lack of additional sources.
  • For requests that may in part benefit services for clients that are not 60 years or older and St. Louis City residents, we expect that additional funding sources will contribute to total project costs. 

Marillac Mission Fund

What We Fund

Marillac Mission Fund is a St. Louis-based charitable foundation that supports and partners in efforts to care for and encourage the wellbeing and dignity of people experiencing poverty through funding grants, community engagements, research, and advocacy. Our Grant Award Committee conducts environmental scans and literature reviews to affirm current focus areas and identify critical unmet issues in metro St. Louis.

Focus Areas for Funding

In support of our concern for persons experiencing poverty and vulnerability, we provide funding for projects in the following four focus areas, as well as Advocacy & Coalition-Building in those four focus areas:

• Older Adults Living Independently
• Immigrants & Refugees
• Veterans (only accepting applications from existing grantees)
• Human Trafficking Prevention
• Advocacy & Coalition-Building

Responsive Grants

Responsive Grants fall into two types; applicants will be instructed to select one:

Program or Project

A Program is an organized set of services designed to achieve specific outcomes for a specified population that will continue beyond the grant period. A Project is a planned undertaking or organized set of services designed to achieve specific outcomes that are time-limited.

General Operating Support

Grant funds are available to support the ongoing services, mission or goals of an organization within our focus areas. To be eligible, 100% of the organization's programs must serve the selected focus area. This type of funding is not typically available to first-time grantees of Marillac Mission Fund.

Small Organization Responsive

This abbreviated version of our Responsive application is available for organizations whose budget is under $500,000 (for the current fiscal year) AND/OR that are entirely volunteer-led (no paid staff). You may still request between $5,000-$50,000. 

Purpose

To provide assistance to community-based organizations that enables them to implement community or neighborhood projects in the areas of community service, education, crime prevention, job training and physical revitalization.

General Information

Administered by the Department of Economic Development (the DED), NAP is a tax credit for contribution program created to help improve endangered communities through a public-private partnership. To administer a project, eligible nonprofits or business organizations/projects must be approved by the DED through the NAP application process.

An approved applicant is granted assistance in the form of state tax credits to help attract eligible donors who would be able to, in effect, redirect their Missouri tax dollars to an approved community development project. Under NAP, a tax credit is equal to 50% or 70% of eligible contributions. The tax credit is used to offset an eligible donor’s income tax liability and is claimed when the donor files their Missouri tax return. The credit may be used against taxes owed for the year of the donation plus five additional tax periods. This form of assistance is not a grant and does not include the transfer of tax dollars from NAP to approved organizations. Through fundraising efforts, approved organizations assume full responsibility for securing the financial support necessary to implement the NAP project. The State’s role is to approve projects, provide project oversight, and issue tax credits to eligible donors that contribute to NAP projects.

The total amount of NAP tax credits available for distribution is $16 million, consisting of an allocation of $10 million in 50% credits and $6 million in 70% credits. Seventy percent (70%) credits are reserved for projects located in a city, town or village with populations less than 15,000 or in unincorporated areas (with the exception of Clay, Jackson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties).

The maximum initial per project award is $500,000 ($350,000 in 70% credits or $250,000 in 50% credits).

NAP Priorities

While many types of projects qualify for the Neighborhood Assistance Program, the Department of Economic Development is giving priority consideration to organizations implementing:

• Job training projects that: support the development of a well-trained, well-educated workforce; address the gap between available jobs and qualified workers; align training programs to the needs of the community and its businesses; and/or focus on high demand post-secondary job certifications; and/or,
• Education projects that: prepare underserved youth for post-secondary opportunities; increase rates of adult literacy and high school equivalency attainment; and/or provide early childhood programming for low-income families; and/or,
• Applicants submitting from geographic areas of the state previously underrepresented in NAP award share as compared to the number of individuals in poverty for the area.

Marillac Mission Fund

What We Fund

Marillac Mission Fund is a St. Louis-based charitable foundation that supports and partners in efforts to care for and encourage the wellbeing and dignity of people experiencing poverty through funding grants, community engagements, research, and advocacy. Our Grant Award Committee conducts environmental scans and literature reviews to affirm current focus areas and identify critical unmet issues in metro St. Louis.

Focus Areas for Funding

In support of our concern for persons experiencing poverty and vulnerability, we provide funding for projects in the following four focus areas, as well as Advocacy & Coalition-Building in those four focus areas:

• Older Adults Living Independently
• Immigrants & Refugees
• Veterans (only accepting applications from existing grantees)
• Human Trafficking Prevention
• Advocacy & Coalition-Building

Capacity Building Grant

Funding core capacity building support for organizationally-ready nonprofits can lead to higher performing, more sustainable organizations that create greater program impact for those served, especially persons who are poor and vulnerable. The Marillac Mission Fund (MMF) believes that through their unique ability to care for, engage and empower people to be active on their own behalf, nonprofit organizations serve as catalysts for positive, substantive change in the conditions that improve the quality of life and empower individuals and communities to advocate for themselves. The Organizational Capacity Building Grant Program (CBG), is designed to provide support for improvements in key organizational functions within grantee organizations aligned with the MMF’s mission and focus areas.

Standard Capacity Building Grant (CBG) Program

The Standard CBG grants are intended to help nonprofits within the MMF focus areas make long-term improvements in their management, governance, or organizational capacity. Applications for capacity building activities could include:

• Strategic planning
• Financial assessment, planning & management, including cash flow, budget development, financial controls
• Evaluation assessment and planning
• Program Development
• Communications and marketing, including Website development, public relations, brand development, use of social media
• Resource development and fundraising
• Human resources, including professional development, succession planning, staffing structure, assessment, and retention
• Information systems management, including technology enhancements – not hardware
• Board development including assessment, recruitment, training, and structuring
• Restructuring and building relationships with other nonprofit organizations to strengthen service delivery, merge/closure, share resources, etc.
• Leadership development including executive coaching

Funding

The CBG award limit is up to $25,000 for a one year grant period. This can be combined with a responsive grant application, however, the total amount requested of MMF in one year must not exceed $50,000.

Marillac Mission Fund

What We Fund

Marillac Mission Fund is a St. Louis-based charitable foundation that supports and partners in efforts to care for and encourage the wellbeing and dignity of people experiencing poverty through funding grants, community engagements, research, and advocacy. Our Grant Award Committee conducts environmental scans and literature reviews to affirm current focus areas and identify critical unmet issues in metro St. Louis.

Focus Areas for Funding

In support of our concern for persons experiencing poverty and vulnerability, we provide funding for projects in the following four focus areas, as well as Advocacy & Coalition-Building in those four focus areas:

• Older Adults Living Independently
• Immigrants & Refugees
• Veterans (only accepting applications from existing grantees)
• Human Trafficking Prevention
• Advocacy & Coalition-Building

Capacity Building Grant

Funding core capacity building support for organizationally-ready nonprofits can lead to higher performing, more sustainable organizations that create greater program impact for those served, especially persons who are poor and vulnerable. The Marillac Mission Fund (MMF) believes that through their unique ability to care for, engage and empower people to be active on their own behalf, nonprofit organizations serve as catalysts for positive, substantive change in the conditions that improve the quality of life and empower individuals and communities to advocate for themselves. The Organizational Capacity Building Grant Program (CBG), is designed to provide support for improvements in key organizational functions within grantee organizations aligned with the MMF’s mission and focus areas.

Comprehensive Organizational Assessment & Reports (COAR) Grant Program

Nonprofit organizations grow and mature through a series of stages in their life cycle – from “simple” at start-up through a “moderately complex” growth stage and on to a “highly complex” organization. One type of capacity building is the organizational assessment. The organizational assessment provides a systematic analysis of the current state of the organization in its key capacity areas. It can help the nonprofit leadership and staff take an in-depth look at where it stands in this developmental journey and how it can improve its management and governance practices to sustain and grow its work in the future. Moving successfully through these stages requires that organizations not only operate the programs well, but also continue to strengthen other aspects of their structure – from their board and human resources to fundraising and planning. The assessment evaluates strengths as well as areas that need improvement. Most importantly, it will guide the organization in developing priorities for making the organization stronger and determine the next steps and action plan that will address the priority issues. This work sets the stage for the board and staff to lead the organization to the next level of growth and development in the future.

MMF approaches this work through a systems-theory, cultural equity lens. With the help of a specially trained cohort of consultants experienced in organizational development, the MMF Comprehensive Organizational Assessment & Report (COAR) grant program is available for agencies serving any one of the MMF focus areas. These are shorter (4-6 months) capacity building projects designed to jump start change.

Purpose

United Way of Greater St. Louis (United Way) Targeted Fund’s purpose is to provide flexible funding to support nonprofits that are best positioned to address the identified targeted needs by implementing programs that use an emergency, emergent, or innovative approach.

• An emergency approach is focused on addressing the identified community need using a rapid response approach to ensure those in need quickly regain stability.
• An emergent approach is focused on addressing the identified community need using an evolving approach and or brand-new to our region.
• An innovative approach is focused on addressing the identified community need using an approach that has not been previously implemented by the agency.

An agency will receive funding for one program. The funding is a one-year programmatic grant and non-renewable.

Targeted Needs

United Way will annually assess the real-time community needs and gaps based upon the result from its community needs assessment, community landscape reports, United Way’s 211 data source, and additional secondary data sources.

The identified needs will align with United Way’s impact areas:

• basic needs,
• health and wellness,
• community stability and crisis response,
• jobs and financial mobility,
• early childhood, and
• youth success.

This funding opportunity will target United Way’s 16 counties. Priority funding will be given to counties that demonstrate the greatest need as outlined in United Way’s recent community assessment of our real time community needs.

The St. Louis Community Foundation provides grants management and administrative support for private and family foundations.  We assist foundation trustees with their grantmaking decisions in an effort to help them fund creative and sustainable programs. We provide assistance to nonprofits in navigating the diverse funding structures of our clients and provide the foundations with information about the nonprofit landscape as a whole, as well as their particular area of interest. Each foundation has its own set of funding criteria and submission deadlines. In order to be considered for a grant, we recommend that nonprofit organizations review the list below and reach out to the St. Louis Community Foundation staff to learn more about each funder’s priorities and process.

Charless Foundation

The purpose of the Charless Foundation is “to provide support to other charitable organizations providing services and assistance to promote the health, welfare, and wellness of Missouri Senior Citizens, with an emphasis, where possible, in the South St. Louis City neighborhoods.” Given its history as a residential facility, the Charless Foundation Board is interested in supporting under-resourced older adults in residential facilities and in a range of other senior programming.The Charless Foundation is seeking nonprofit partners who work with economically underserved seniors in the St. Louis region, with priority given to those in South St. Louis City. Broadly, the goal of these grants is to promote the health, welfare, and wellness of older adults. More specifically, the Charless Foundation is interested in organizations and initiatives that:

• Support the needs of older adults in residential facilities,
• Increase the ability for older adults to age in place,
• Provide health and safety resources for older adults, and/or
• Provide social support to older adults

The Charless Foundation is open to proposals for program, project or initiative funding or general operating support for organizations serving older adults. Program expansion proposals must address sustainability after this funding is completed.

Funding

Grants may range from $5,000 to $30,000 per year. Awards for senior centers and food pantries will be limited to $5,000 per year. For new applicants, funding is available for one year. For past Charless grantees, funding is available for up to three years, with eligibility for second- and third-year funding based on annual reporting. All funded organizations will be required to complete a final report.

Senior Fund Background

St. Louis City Senior Fund was created by a voter supported ballot initiative in November 2016. The approved legislation allows the City of St. Louis to levy and collect a property tax of five cents per hundred dollars of valuation, “for the purpose of providing services to persons sixty years of age or older.”1

Our vision is for the City of St. Louis to be an aging-friendly city where older residents can age in place. We support this vision by providing grants to local nonprofits and government entities to help older adults continue living in the home and community that best serves their needs and interests. All grants from Senior Fund are connected to serving residents in the City of St. Louis who are 60 years or older. 

Vehicle Matching Grants for Organizations

Funding to offer matching support for vehicle purchases for organizations serving St. Louis City residents, 60 years or older. We recognize organizations need reliable and functional vehicles to deliver transportation, meal delivery, home maintenance, and other services for their clients. We’re offering this grant assistance due to rising costs of—and limited resources for—purchasing new or used vehicles for organizations. Funding can be requested to support a portion of the cost of a vehicle purchase for organizations (typically 20%).

Funding

Senior Fund is accepting requests for support of up to 20% of the cost of a vehicle up to a maximum of $20,000. 

We will consider a higher match—up to 50%—if the request meets the following criteria and does not exceed $40,000. 

• Your organization has no other immediate sources of funding to fill the gap between what is needed and what your Senior Fund grant request will cover. AND
• Your organization has experienced a loss of vehicle due to accident, theft, or total mechanical failure and will need to deny or reduce services if vehicle is not replaced, OR purchase will result in immediate, and measurable, expansion of people served, OR addition to 20% cap is minor (i.e., less than a 25% increase to the requested grant award). AND
• There are unallocated program investment dollars in Senior Fund’s budget for the fiscal year of the grant request. 
  • All other grant requests will be considered, and awards approved prior to decision for applicants requiring additional dollars beyond a 20% match. This may mean your funding decision will be delayed until the end of our fiscal year (i.e., May or June).

Senior Fund Background

St. Louis City Senior Fund was created by a voter supported ballot initiative in November 2016. The approved legislation allows the City of St. Louis to levy and collect a property tax of five cents per hundred dollars of valuation, “for the purpose of providing services to persons sixty years of age or older.”1

Our vision is for the City of St. Louis to be an aging-friendly city where older residents can age in place. We support this vision by providing grants to local nonprofits and government entities to help older adults continue living in the home and community that best serves their needs and interests. All grants from Senior Fund are connected to serving residents in the City of St. Louis who are 60 years or older.

Fund Defined Grants

Funding awarded to address needs of older St. Louis City residents in specific focus areas determined by Senior Fund Board based on community needs assessments and other sources. Most grant awards under this funding opportunity are awarded for a three-year time period. 

Deaconess Foundation

Our Mission

In the spirit of our faith heritage, the mission of Deaconess Foundation is the improved health of the community and people of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Our Vision

Deaconess Foundation envisions a community that values the health and well-being of all and gives priority attention to the most invisiblized. This community only thrives if the allocation of power and distribution of resources, benefits, opportunities and burdens are not predictable by, nor predicated on race.

Nursing Scholarship Grants

The Deaconess Nursing Scholarship Program honors the nursing heritage of the Deaconess mission by supporting local students with demonstrated financial need. These grants are administered through a partnership with the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis and the St. Louis American Foundation.

United Way of Greater St. Louis

United Way offers three tiers of funding opportunities to support local nonprofits with a proven ability to meet the community’s needs and make a lasting, important impact in our region.

• Safety Net
• Systems
• Targeted

Systems Change

Systems Change (SC) addresses the root causes of social problems, which are often intractable and embedded in networks of cause and effect. It is an intentional process designed to fundamentally alter the components and structures that cause the system to behave in a certain way. SC activities seek to shift conditions that are holding the problems in place through advocacy, policy change, and/or resource allocations.

Focus Area: United for Families

As a signature Systems Change initiative - the United for Families (UFF) program provides funding to select nonprofits in Missouri and Illinois to support the implementation of the innovative, individualized two-generation family empowerment model centered around flexible assistance and client accountability.

UFF initiates a whole-family coaching and case management model and provides individualized support, financial coaching, and emergency financial assistance.

UFF’s objective is to help stabilize and empower families on their road to restoring self-sufficiency by helping them achieve family economic security, prevent homelessness and displacement, and achieve educational stability for school-age children.

Pew Biomedical Scholars 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program.

Funding

The current grant level is $300,000.

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.