Grants Management

The Berges Family Foundation supports the institutions and organizations that make Saint Louis a great place to live, work, and invest. Our contributions help fund cultural engagement, STEM preparedness, youth empowerment, and support for our heroes and first responders.

The Berges Family Foundation chooses our beneficiaries carefully. We support those who have proven results, demonstrate measurable impact, show organizational excellence, demonstrate sustainability, collaborate with others, and ignite real and lasting change.

Organizations that align with our goals – to give St. Louis a positive foot forward and instill hope in the lives of those who may not have that hope – are those we aim to partner with while encouraging others to share in their missions.

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. The Foundation is not considering proposals for education-based programming, organizational capacity building or capital expenses for the organization (ex. purchase of vans) at this time.  Capital expenses that allow older adults remain in their homes, such as home repairs, will be considered.

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.

See the full Request for Proposals here.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. CST on Wednesday, October 12.

The Chiron Fund was established in 2019 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.

In 2020 and 2021 funding cycles, The Chiron Fund awarded grants to fund projects designed to increase access to high-quality affordable mental health care. Funds were awarded to several organizations including: Angel Band Project, Circle of Concern, Freedom Community Center, St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline, The Scholarship Foundation of St,. Louis, and Walter’s Walk.

In 2022, The Chiron Fund’s founders established Chiron Community Giving Foundation (CCGF.) More information on the CCGF’s grantmaking programs, funding priorities, and impact strategies may be found on their website by clicking here.

EPHT, formally the Episcopal Presbyterian Charitable Health and Medical Trust, is dedicated to providing access to health care for under-served populations. Our mission grew out of a commitment to a healthcare ministry in our community and is stewarded by volunteer leadership from both the Episcopal and Presbyterian faiths.

The mission of EPHT is to support organizations that provide quality healthcare services to St. Louisans. We seek to create partnerships with effective, community-based organizations that work to improve the lives of others through access healthcare.

Applying for a Grant

EPHT is not accepting applications at this time. Please check back for updates. Questions? Email grants@stlgives.org.

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 is not accepting applications at this time. Please check back for updates. Questions? Email grants@stlgives.org.

Recognizing that education and economic development foster individual and community growth, the Guy B. Jaffe and Judy Schwartz Jaffe Charitable Foundation supports nonprofits that offer scholarships, cultivate the cultural arts, and promote entrepreneurship and job creation.

The Guy B. Jaffe and Judy Schwartz Jaffe Charitable Foundation is a component fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation that provides funding through three different programs:

1. Annual grants in the three priority areas of entrepreneurship, job creation, and cultural arts. These grants are the focus of this request for proposals and are described below.
2. One annual IMPACT grant to a St. Louis-based Jewish organization that provides innovative programming to their community. Information on these grants may be found on the St. Louis Community Foundation’s website.
3. Scholarship funding for students studying entrepreneurship.

Applying for a Grant

The Guy B. Jaffe and Judy Schwartz Jaffe Charitable Foundation is not accepting applications at this time. Please check back for updates. Questions? Email grants@stlgives.org.

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:

• Lisa Hamilton, 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.

Organizations interested in pursuing funding from the Pettus Foundation should contact Elizabeth George, Director of Community Investment at egeorge@stlgives.org or 314.880.4956 or Nikki Martinez, Community Investment Manager 314.880.4961, nmartinez@stlgives.org

Hawaii Guidelines and Process

In the past decade, Hawaii grants have tended to favor

• Early childhood education
• Literacy
• Job training
• Homelessness
• Hunger
• 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.

In 2021, St. Louis became home to a record number of refugees and asylum seekers, including over 500 people from Afghanistan. Even more people seeking safety in the US will be coming to St. Louis in 2022. To respond to these ongoing resettlement needs, a number of funding partners have established the St. Louis Welcome Fund.   

Fund Focus

The fund will focus on organizations working with refugees and asylum seekers in the first 90 days of resettlement to one year after arrival in St. Louis. Over time, the Welcome Fund will also look at the systems that support ongoing services. Areas for funding consideration, as identified through conversations with service providers, may include the following:  

• Early Resettlement Services: Basic Needs and Language Acquisition 
• Education: K-12 and Adult Learning 
• Financial Literacy 
• Housing 
• Legal Assistance 
• Mental Health 
• Social Enrichment/Engagements 
• Systems-level Support 
• Workforce Development 

Applying for a Grant

The St. Louis Welcome Fund is not accepting applications at this time. Please check back for updates. Questions? Email grants@stlgives.org.