COVID-19 Funds Update For The Week

Two Coronavirus Response Funds Administered by the St. Louis Community Foundation Give a Total of $1.61 Million to Local Individuals, Nonprofits, and Businesses in Need of Assistance
Ameren, Build-A-Bear Foundation, NISA Investment Advisors, and the RGA Foundation are the latest St. Louis-area companies to join COVID-19 fund coalition

(ST. LOUIS, April 6, 2020) – The COVID-19 Regional Response Fund and the Gateway Resilience Fund, both administered by the St. Louis Community Foundation to provide coronavirus relief, have granted a total of $1.61 million since March 24 to individuals, nonprofits, and businesses in need of assistance, foundation officials announced today.

An additional $1.84 million (for a total of more than $3.4 million) has been raised and will be distributed going forward. Recent highlights by fund, include:

COVID-19 Regional Response Fund:
Of the $1.61 million granted to date, $970,000 was distributed to 33 nonprofits in the bi-state region serving populations disproportionately affected by the virus outbreak: $600,000 to 17 nonprofits last week (not previously announced), and $370,000 to 16 organizations announced the week prior. Funding decisions are guided by an Advisory Council comprised of public health experts, foundation partners, and corporate and community representatives.

• Ameren, Build-A-Bear Foundation, NISA Investment Advisors, and the RGA Foundation are the latest Louis-area companies to sign on to the COVID-19 Fund, joining Schnucks, Wells Fargo, Emerson, and WestPort One. The coalition of foundations, businesses, and individual donors now totals 35.

“Ameren is committed to helping our community address the unprecedented challenges created by COVID-19,” said Warner Baxter, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ameren Corporation.  “We strongly support The St. Louis Community Foundation’s focus on meeting the high priority needs of people in St. Clair and Madison Counties in Illinois, as well as in the City of St.  Louis, St Charles, St. Louis and Jefferson Counties in Missouri.  Working together, our community will get through these challenging times.”

• COVID-19 Regional Response Fund Coalition Members: In addition to Ameren, contributors to the fund include: Boniface Foundation, Build-A-Bear Foundation, Catholic Charities, Clark-Fox Foundation, Delta Dental, Emerson, Episcopal Presbyterian Health Trust, Incarnate Word Foundation, Gateway Center for Giving, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis, Marillac Mission Fund, Missouri Foundation for Health, Moneta Charitable Foundation, NISA Investment Advisers, Regional Business Council, RGA Foundation, Saigh Foundation, Schnucks, St. Louis City Seniors Fund, St. Louis Mental Health Board, St. Louis Regional Chamber, City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Trio Foundation of St. Louis, United Way of Greater St. Louis, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Washington University, Wells Fargo, WestPort One, and Youthbridge Community Foundation.

Gateway Resilience Fund:
Of the $1.61 million granted to date, $640,000 provides short-term financial assistance for employees and owners of bars, restaurants, shops, other small businesses, and local artists.  Recipients include 842 individuals and 20 businesses.

In addition, the Build-A-Bear Foundation, Moneta Charitable Foundation, and NISA Investment Advisors made contributions to the Gateway Resilience Fund.

Combined Data for Both Funds:

• Contributions to date for both funds total more than $3.4 million
• Grants to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to date for both funds: $1.61 million
• Nearly $100,000 received from individual online donations

How to contribute: Visit stlgives.org/covid19.