Grants Management

The St. Louis Community Foundation is releasing a Request for Proposals through the Economic Mobility priority area. This grant is an opportunity for nonprofit organizations and programs that provide financial education in combination with access to financial products and assets for individuals or households considered low-to-moderate income.

Applying for a Grant

• This is a two-step grant process with Letters of Interest due on September 23. Applicants that are moved to the second stage will be notified in October with full applications due on November 17.
• Please read the RFP carefully. It contains the LOI and application questions and how they will be scored by reviewers.

• If you have questions about this Request for Proposals, please contact the Community Foundation team at grants@stlgives.org with the subject “Financial Health RFP”. If it is a question the Foundation has received repeatedly an email will be sent out to all.

The St. Louis Community Foundation is releasing a Request for Proposals through the Youth Connections priority area. This grant is an opportunity for nonprofit organizations partnering with K-12 public schools, early childhood centers, and post-secondary support settings to improve social emotional and academic outcomes for youth.

Applying for a Grant

• This is a two-step grant process with Letters of Interest due on August 29. Applicants that are moved to the second stage will be notified in September with full applications due on October 8.
• Please read the RFP carefully. It contains the LOI and application questions and how they will be scored by reviewers.

• If you have questions about this Request for Proposals, please contact the Community Foundation team at grants@stlgives.org with the subject “Partnerships for Youth Success”. If it is a question the Foundation has received repeatedly an email will be sent out to all.

The Charless Foundation is seeking nonprofit partners who work with economically insecure seniors in South St. Louis City. In 2025, the Charless Foundation is concentrating funding on assisting older adults through home repairs, modifications, weatherization, and preservation. Charless Foundation will also provide some funding for food banks and food pantries, limited to $10,000 per distribution site.

Applying for a Grant

The Charless Foundation is currently accepting proposals.

• Applications close on Friday, October 3, 2025, at 12:00p.m. CST.
• Please read the RFP carefully. It contains the application questions and how they will be scored by reviewers.

Question/Office Hours

General questions regarding this request for proposal may be sent to grants@stlgives.org, please include “Charless Foundation 2025” in the subject of your email. For a potential applicant’s specific questions regarding their proposal, St. Louis Community Foundation staff will be available for office hours at the following times:

• Thursday, August 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Friday, September 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, September 17 from 1:30 – 4:30 pm
• Monday, September 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

To secure an appointment during these hours, please email grants@stlgives.org with “Charless Foundation” in the subject line. Please offer two or three times to meet in case your first-choice time has already been filled.

The Episcopal Presbyterian Health Trust (EPHT) is dedicated to providing access to health care for underserved communities. EPHT’s mission grew out of a commitment to a healthcare ministry and is stewarded by volunteer leadership from both the Episcopal and Presbyterian faiths.

EPHT is committed to centering access to health care by addressing barriers, navigating systems of care, and supporting person-centric medical services. Funding supports primary care, chronic disease, and mental health services across the spectrum of care.

Learn more about EPHT’s funding priorities and process for awarding grants at www.epht.org. Please always consult the EPHT website for information, updates, and current deadlines. You can reach the St. Louis Community Foundation team at grants@stlgives.org with any questions.

Applying for a Grant

The Episcopal Presbyterian Health Trust LOI Cycle 2 is now open. Proposals are due by September 5.

The purpose of the Gateway Regional Environment Fund (“GREF”) is to support projects in the St. Louis metro area that advance community efforts to reduce the region’s carbon footprint.  Greenhouse gases are global and, though their effects may not be felt directly, greenhouse gases do and will continue to negatively impact the St. Louis region. The GREF is a component fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation.

Applying for a Grant

The Gateway Regional Environment Fund not accepting proposals at this time.

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

The Trustees for the Pettus Foundation are:

• William Pettus, Family Trustee
• Al Castle, Trustee
• The Northern Trust Company, Corporate Trustee

St. Louis Guidelines and Processes

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
  • Note: public charter schools are not a focus of the Foundation

Please note the following:

• Understanding how significant a robust early education platform is for putting children on an excellent educational and social trajectory, the Trustees are interested in programs that impact many preschools through teacher training and innovative curriculum design.
• The Trustees believe that there are many paths to job and career success. Funding interests include human services organizations and K-12 schools that are providing direct job training, STEM-related projects, technical training, or “soft skills” development needed to obtain and hold a job.
• The Trustees require evidence of stable, effective governance, solid financials, and multiple funders for programs and projects the Foundation supports.
• The Pettus Foundation typically funds direct services and small capital improvement. The Foundation does not fund advocacy, research programs, or systems-level initiatives.
• The Pettus Foundation does not consider grant applications requesting funds for computer technology.
• The Pettus Foundation’s typical grant range is from $5,000 to $25,000.  The trustees particularly 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.

Pettus Foundation will accept applications on an invitation-only basis twice a year.  Inquiries into funding may be made through the St. Louis Community Foundation.  If deemed a potential fit for funding, the St. Louis Community Foundation will request a letter of intent which, upon review may lead to a Trustee site visit.  The final step in the application process is to submit a customized version of the Missouri Common Grant Application 2.0.

Hawaii Guidelines and Process

In the past decade, Hawaii grants have tended to favor: early childhood education, literacy, job training, homelessness, hunger, and programs increasing the independence and the self-sufficiency of citizens. Hawaii gives to pre-selected organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications for grants.

Click here to review a listing of recent Hawaii grants. Questions related to Hawaii grants can be referred to:

Alfred L. Castle
Pettus Foundation Trustee
733 Bishop Street, Suite 1275
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone 808-522-1101.

Applying for a Grant

Organizations interested in pursuing funding from the Pettus Foundation should contact grants@stlgives.org.

At the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund (SOS), we pool our resources, invest as a group, and award grants to smaller St. Louis-area nonprofits. By investing collectively, we achieve greater impact.

We are a diverse group of women from nearly every corner of the St. Louis region. Since our founding in 2006, SOS has been a quiet but mighty force for change, delivering over $3.4 million in focused and informed grants to more than 106 small nonprofits throughout the community.

Applying for a Grant

SOS operates on a 2 year grant cycle. The next opportunity to submit an LOI is May 2026. For additional information on the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund, visit their website.

For the past several years, the Berges Family Foundation has maintained a formal partnership with the St. Louis Community Foundation. As of December 31, 2023, this formal partnership will come to a close. For information about the Berges Family Foundation, please go to their website or contact Kelly Pollock, CEO, at kelly@bergesfamilyfoundation.org or 314-735-0085.

We have greatly appreciated and enjoyed our partnership with the Berges Family Foundation and look forward to remaining trusted collaborators in our community building work!

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