Funding for Impact
The St. Louis Community Foundation provides grants management and administrative support for private and family foundations. We assist foundation trustees with their grantmaking decisions in an effort to help them fund creative and sustainable programs.
We provide assistance to nonprofits in navigating the diverse funding structures of our clients and provide the foundations with information about the nonprofit landscape as a whole, as well as their particular area of interest.
Each foundation has its own set of funding criteria and submission deadlines. In order to be considered for a grant, we recommend that nonprofit organizations review the list below and reach out to the St. Louis Community Foundation staff to learn more about each funder’s priorities and process.
Click here to apply for a grant (Grant Portal)
Apply for a Grant
- Accepting Proposals: The Charless Foundation
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.
Applying for a Grant
The Charless Foundation is now accepting applications for their 2024 grant cycle. Submissions will be accepted through the St. Louis Community Foundation grants portal through 12 p.m. CST on Friday, October 4, 2024. The full request for proposals can be viewed here.
- Episcopal Presbyterian Health Trust
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
EPHT is not accepting applications at this time.
- Gateway Regional Environment Fund
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.
- Guy B. Jaffe and Judy Schwartz Jaffe Charitable Foundation
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pettus Foundation
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.
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.
- Spirit of St. Louis Women's Fund
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.
- Berges Family Foundation
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!
Learn More
Interested in Applying for a Grant?
If you think your organization is a great mission-fit for one of our Foundation clients or if you would like to apply for a grant, we can help you get started. Contact grants@stlgives.org.