YouthBridge:
A Unique Community Foundation
YouthBridge is a unique community
foundation with a focus on children and a mission to help children's charities
build financial
strength.
Beginning as an orphanage in 1877, YouthBridge now direct its resources to
helping children in creative and innovative ways. Our services are
to:
- help donors, or philanthropic
investors, leverage their gifts to children's charities
- provide philanthropic family
planning
- document your life story
- provide investment capital, mentoring,
endowment building and education to children's agencies which develop new and
innovative solutions to societal problems
- introduce and promote social enterprise as an
additional revenue stream for nonprofit organizations
- decrease paperwork and reduce costs of private
foundations by converting to Family Donor-Advised
Funds
YouthBridge has made a significant difference on the St. Louis Community helping thousands of children and scores of nonprofits annually. "YouthBridge is proud of the innovation and collaboration with the St. Louis community that has allowed us to positively impact the lives of so many children in need. Only with innovation, collaboration and the community's support could we accomplish so much," said Norm Moenkhaus, YouthBridge Executive Director of Donor Services.
YouthBridge has strengthened the sustainability of more than 300 nonprofit organizations. Beth Ketcher from Studio StL, http://www.studiostl.org, shared she "felt stuck" working out of a church basement and only able to serve 50 children annually. Since winning the YouthBridge Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition in 2008, StudioStL has moved into its own space in the Centene Center for the Arts, allowing it to grow, share space and collaborate with other agencies. They have published three children's poetry books, held book release/signing events, have 120 volunteers and were able to serve 800 children in 2008, far exceeding her 2009 goal.
Mission
Statement
The YouthBridge
mission is to build a network of strong, effective and financially
sustainable social agencies to support children at risk and to provide
extraordinary service to our philanthropic investors and donors.
History
For more information on the history of YouthBridge, read Still Caring by Glenn Sartori.