Brighter Communities Fund Awards $250,000
The St. Louis Community Foundation is committed to supporting historically under-resourced nonprofits in the St. Louis region. As part of this effort, in November 2023, the Foundation secured a matching grant of $250,000 over two years from an anonymous donor to seed the Brighter Communities Fund.
In 2024, the Community Foundation successfully met its “Year One” match goal and implemented a competitive process to make the grants. Funding was designated to support organizations serving young people up to age 30 in health, education, and economic self-sufficiency. With the “Year Two” match, these organizations will be provided additional funding and a few more organizations may be added.
The Brighter Communities Fund Advisory Committee, made up of community members and subject-matter experts, assisted in the funding process, including developing funding criteria, composing the request for proposals, and making final decisions.
Kelly Wetzler, Executive Director, Boniface Foundation, served on the Advisory Committee. “We proudly supported the Brighter Communities Fund by investing in the power of intensive training, professional development, and peer learning as well as participating on the advisory committee,” said Wetzler. “By enhancing the capacity of smaller nonprofits, we are building stronger communities and unlocking the potential for lasting, positive change.”
Together with the Advisory Committee and the anonymous donor, the St. Louis Community Foundation approved 12 organizations to receive general operating dollars and paid capacity-building opportunities. The 2024 grantees were as follows:
- Erise Williams and Associates
- Ferguson Youth Initiative
- Generate Health STL
- Good Journey Development Corp.
- The Haven of Grace
- The LinkSTL
- Northside Youth and Senior Service Center
- St. Louis Area Diaper Bank
- St. Louis Black Authors of Childrens Literature
- Vitendo 4 Africa
- Wesley House Association
- The Youth and Family Center
“It was an intentional decision to direct these grant dollars towards general operating support. Unrestricted funding is critically important, but often overlooked, as funders often seek out specific projects or programs, rather than funding general needs.” said Elizabeth George, Director of Community Investment, St. Louis Community Foundation. “Unrestricted funding means nonprofits have the flexibility and autonomy to decide for themselves where the dollars are needed most.”
Grant dollars are also supporting capacity-building opportunities. One of these is Catchafire, an online platform that matches nonprofit professionals with skilled volunteers. Through the Brighter Communities Fund and a partnership with Missouri Foundation for Health, area nonprofits (including but not limited to grantees listed above) can access Catchafire’s many resources. Catchafire projects range from website redesign to board recruitment and executive coaching. Click here to learn more about Catchafire, which has already provided more than $2 million in services to nonprofits at no cost to them.
The organizations that received grants from the Brighter Communities Fund are working to make a rich variety of positive changes possible in our region. They are helping kids become more competent readers, serving minority business owners, making plans to reuse vacant spaces in ways that preserve neighborhood histories – and much more.
Join us in supporting historically under-resourced nonprofits. The Brighter Communities Fund is accepting donations to meet its year two match goal of $125,000. All gifts to the Fund will be matched 1:1 up to $125,000. Click here to donate.
