Regional Foundations, Businesses and Community Organizations Pull Together and Give To Support St. Louisans Affected By COVID-19
(ST. LOUIS, March 21, 2020) – St. Louis is once again living up to its reputation as one of America’s most generous cities with foundations, businesses, and individual donors giving to two funds at the St. Louis Community Foundation that aid St. Louisans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Foundation officials announced today.
To donate and help those in need of assistance, there are two options:
The Gateway Resilience Fund, which is being funded by individual donors and entities like the Downtown Community Improvement District, will provide short-term monetary relief to employees and owners of independent bars, restaurants, and shops in the St. Louis area affected by closures and other circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Additional information on how to apply for a grant will be available by Tuesday, March 24. Details will be posted on stlgives.org.
COVID-19 Regional Response Fund
The fund will direct aid to nonprofits already working with the elderly, those isolated and/or quarantined, and children who no longer receive free and reduced lunches. A coalition of more than 25 St. Louis area funders established the fund.
To date, both funds, which are housed at the St. Louis Community Foundation, have raised $1.4 million. Grants from each will guided by advisory committees unique to the mission of each fund.
Organizations signing on recently to support the charitable efforts, include Wells Fargo Advisors, the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis, the Saigh Foundation, Missouri Foundation for Health, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, and Westport One.
St. Louis is modeling its emergency response efforts after other similar efforts undertaken across the country, including Boston, Seattle, and Austin.
“Community Foundations have the ability to look at the bigger picture and put the area’s best and most experienced grant makers alongside prospective funders, such as foundations, corporations, businesses, and community organizations, while also taking donations from the public,” said Amelia Bond, president and CEO of the St. Louis Community Foundation. “It’s a model that gives donors a sense of input and is scalable.”
How to Give to the Gateway Resilience Fund and the Regional Response Fund
In addition to continuing its outreach to corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations, the Community Foundation is also encouraging its donors and the general public to make contributions to one or both of the funds. They may do so by visiting https://stlgives.org/COVID19/ and using a credit card, or by contacting the St. Louis Community Foundation at info@stlgives.org.
“It’s tremendous to see people tapping their networks and reaching out to the business and nonprofit communities to support these funds,” said Bond. “This coordination of resources will reduce duplication and maximize impact.”
About the St. Louis Community Foundation
A nonprofit foundation, founded in 1915, the St. Louis Community Foundation granted $101.3 million to nearly 3,000 nonprofits in St. Louis and around the world in 2019. The foundation also received more than $78 million in charitable gifts from its donors during the same period.
The foundation is composed of more than 750 charitable funds with total assets in excess of $500 million. Each fund represents a unique charitable giving partnership between an individual, family, or business and designated nonprofit recipients.
Over the last 10 years, the St. Louis Community Foundation and its donors made nearly $500 million in grants to charitable organizations, with approximately 85 percent of those dollars remaining in the St. Louis region to support local nonprofits.
For more information about the St. Louis Community Foundation and its initiatives, please visit stlgives.org.
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