St. Louis Regional Racial Healing + Justice Fund Invests $800,000
The Community Governance Board (CGB) of the St. Louis Regional Racial Healing + Justice Fund has announced that it will invest $800,000 to support 42 Black and Brown-led organizations in the St. Louis region. This cycle’s grants support initiatives in education, arts, racial justice, maternal health, youth mentorship, urban farming, holistic wellness, general capacity building, and more.
The CGB received a record 212 applications and awarded the largest sum of grants in a single grant cycle. Now in its third grant cycle, the Fund has invested more than $1.3 million in our community. Recipients and their focus areas include:
- Racial Equity, Empowerment, and Social Justice: 3 Daughters and 1000 Sons, ArchCity Defenders, Creative Reaction Lab, Missouri Justice Coalition, WEPOWER, Frizzy By Nature, Gentlemen Of Vision, Almost Home, TAG Poetry
- Healing and Urban Farming: Community Reach, Mama Scraps Incorporated NFP, Rustic Roots Sanctuary CO, The Collective STL, Ujima, Growing Food Growing People Inc., Odds & Ends Farm
- Youth Programming and Development: Black Girls Do STEM, Bucks AAU Youth Basketball, Dream Builders 4 Equity, Girls Inc. of St. Louis, Queen Camp, Inc., St. Louis Association Of Community Organizations, Unleashing Potential
- Education and Literacy: Navigate STL Schools, Noir Bookshop, LLC, St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature Inc., The Leadership School, Urban Sprouts, Youth Friendly Learning STL
- Arts: 4theVille, A Red Circle, All Black Creatives, Artists First, Jacob’s Ladder Ministries
- Maternal Health and Pregnancy Support: Doula Bean Maternal Care, Haven of Grace, Loving Hands Doula Services, St. Louis Area Diaper Bank
- Community Engagement: North Newstead Association, St. John’s UCC, Touchy Topics Tuesday, Wesley House Association
“The CGB received over 20 million dollars of requests for funding this cycle, and with $800,000 to reallocate, it was a tough decision to make,” said Faybra Jabulani, Interim Executive Director + Lead Racial Equity Capacity Catalyst at Forward Through Ferguson. “They reviewed every request with deep attention and loving consideration. They made sure that every single candidate was looked at with excitement and care, and ultimately, they did their best to award support to as many groups as possible. It is clear that the St. Louis region has a strong vision for Healing and Justice. Our local philanthropy has to rise to the occasion and collaborate radically to resource this vision.”
Support from the Racial Healing + Justice Fund will enable grant recipients to sustainably engage community members, from children to elders, in community building and healing, the organization said.
Deaconess Foundation, Forward Through Ferguson, and Missouri Foundation for Health originally established the Fund as a three-year pilot, with the first cycle launched in 2020. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported the launch of the Fund with a matching grant, and 17 local and national foundations have joined the pool of participating organizations. The St. Louis Community Foundation is a proud supporter and contributor of the St. Louis Regional Racial Healing + Justice Fund.
