How Nonprofits and Community Organizations Can Work With the St. Louis Community Foundation

Updated

The St. Louis Community Foundation works with nonprofits and community leaders through grantmaking, donor-advised fund partnerships, and community impact programs. If your organization serves the St. Louis area, the practical starting point is to contact the foundation directly to explore alignment with its current focus areas and funding cycles. The foundation reports granting $118 million in 2025 to nonprofits, scholarships, and employee care recipients, with 81% of those funds staying in the St. Louis metro area.

What the Foundation Does With Nonprofits

The foundation describes itself as a connector between donors and causes, partnering with donors, nonprofits, and community leaders. Its published impact areas show where nonprofit work fits:

  • Creating Pathways to Opportunity — highlighted through the Fathers & Families Support Center
  • Investing in the Leaders of Tomorrow — highlighted through the School District of University City
  • Supporting Recovery Across St. Louis — highlighted through St. Paul AME Church

These examples indicate the kinds of organizations the foundation features in its community impact work, but they are illustrations rather than a complete list of eligible causes.

Ways Organizations Engage

Pathway What it involves Best for
Community impact and grantmaking Foundation-directed funding tied to impact priorities Nonprofits whose work matches published focus areas
Donor-advised fund partnerships Donors recommend grants to nonprofits through their funds Organizations with relationships to foundation fundholders
Give STL Day Region-wide giving event; $40M raised since 2014 Broad participation and visibility for local nonprofits
Professional advisor and donor networks Connecting with donors and advisors in the philanthropic landscape Building long-term funder relationships

Steps to Explore a Partnership

  1. Review the foundation's impact priorities — read the current impact report and community impact pages to see whether your mission fits the featured areas.
  2. Prepare a short organizational summary — mission, service area, population served, and measurable outcomes.
  3. Contact the foundation — the site invites donors and community members to reach out with questions; use the contact option to ask about nonprofit partnership and grant inquiry processes.
  4. Ask specific questions — current funding cycles, application requirements, and whether your work aligns with donor-advised fund interests.
  5. Track follow-up — confirm any deadlines or materials requested, and note whether the foundation refers you to Give STL Day or another entry point.

Common Sticking Points

  • Assuming open applications exist. The site does not publish a general grant application process; confirm requirements directly rather than preparing a full proposal first.
  • Mismatched focus. If your work falls outside the featured impact areas, donor-advised fund relationships or Give STL Day may be more realistic routes.
  • Skipping the contact step. The foundation positions itself as a navigator of the philanthropic landscape; a conversation can clarify which pathway fits.

Bottom Line

Nonprofits should treat the foundation as both a potential grantmaker and a connector to donors. Start with the published impact areas, then contact the foundation to confirm fit, timing, and the right engagement pathway before investing in a formal application.