St. Louis Community Foundation Announces $250,000 Challenge Grant; Two Relief Funds Give More Than $2 Million to Individuals and Nonprofits
ST. LOUIS (April 17, 2020) – An anonymous donor has established a $250,000 challenge grant to spur contributions to two coronavirus relief funds administered by the St. Louis Community Foundation, it was announced today.
According to the foundation, $150,000 will be used to match donations from individuals and family foundations to the COVID-19 Regional Response Fund, which directs assistance to nonprofits providing relief services for underserved populations; and $100,000 will match contributions to the Gateway Resilience Fund, which provides $500 grants to employees and owners of bars, restaurants, shops, other small businesses, and artists who have been affected by the coronavirus disruptions.
“We’re thrilled that this donor decided to step forward with this challenge to St. Louis,” said Amelia Bond, president and CEO of the St. Louis Community Foundation. “Our community is a generous one and the need in the region is great.”
The challenge grant will close on May 3, meaning individual contributions to both funds made on or before that date will be matched dollar for dollar up to specified limits, Bond added. To donate, please visit stlgives.org/covid19.
Funds Update
To date, the two funds have dispersed a total of $2.051 million – up from $1.61 million announced on April 6. An additional $2.15 million (for a total of more than $4.2 million) has been raised and will be distributed going forward. Following is a breakdown of money granted:
Gateway Resilience Fund: In the last 24 days, 1,863 individuals and 20 businesses received grants – for a total of $1.1 million – for short-term financial assistance. Currently, applications for assistance already on hand continue to be evaluated and funded, but new applications are not being accepted until more contributions are received.
Started at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis by a St. Louis Community Foundation donor, the Resilience Fund has received contributions from 824 individuals, along with gifts from the Build-A-Bear Foundation, Moneta Charitable Foundation, and NISA Investment Advisors.
COVID-19 Regional Response Fund: Nearly $1 million ($995,000) has been given to 34 nonprofit organizations in the bi-state region, which are helping provide services to vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, the unhoused, and those who are food insecure. Grants from the fund are directed by an Advisory Council, which is comprised of public health experts, foundation partners, and corporate and community representatives.
In addition, the St. Louis Community Foundation is encouraging nonprofits that are providing services to at-risk populations to apply for grants up to $10,000 from the Regional Response Fund. Visit here for grant criteria and the application.
The COVID-19 Regional Response Fund added the following coalition members this week: Fifth Third Bank, Regions Bank, PwC, Williams Family Fund, Sayers Foundation, and the Knight Family Foundation. Other coalition members can be found here.
How to contribute to either fund: Visit stlgives.org/covid19.
