Partnership or Merger
YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis has developed this grant program to assist nonprofits who are looking to, or have already found, ways to partner or merge with other nonprofits.
Guidelines
The successful proposals could be for any type of partnership such as: back-office support services all the way to a full merger and/or support for coordination efforts after a merger. These funds can also be used to provide consultation between agencies who have ideas but are in the early start up or thought process for partnerships. The objective of the grant is to assist nonprofit agencies to build and strengthen their capacity and create organizational efficiencies through shared work with another nonprofit. This grant is not intended to fund program collaborations.
Eligibility
- The applicant is incorporated as an IRC 501(c)(3) public charity.
- The applicant has a mission that is primarily focused on children or youth.
- The applicant is in and primarily serves the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Past Recipients
In 2024, we funded the following proposals:
Youth In Need, University City Children’s Center, and LUME
Funds will be used for legal fees associated with University City Children’s Center and LUME becoming affiliated with Youth In Need. Youth In Need will hire a legal and implementation consultant to provide strategic guidance and advisory service on best practices, timelines, and checklists to support a robust and successful merger. The firm’s “playbook” will include an independent financial review, recommendations on staffing structure, and an ongoing internal communication plan. $50,000
Pathways to Independence, Options for Justice, and LifeBridge Partnership
Funds will be used for a consultant to facilitate communication between the three organizations while assisting with back-office consolidation. The two-phase process includes exploration and action planning. All three organizations will maintain their separate identities as they seek to find meaningful ways to improve their scalability and access to resources that are currently unavailable to them. $15,000
In 2021, we funded the following proposals:
PonyBird and Next Steps for Life
Funds will support implementation costs for the merger of Pony Bird and NextStep for Life. PonyBird as the lead organization will reflect the culture, values, and standards of both organizations revealing that together they truly are better and stronger than the sum of their parts. The merger of Pony Bird, Inc. and NextStep for Life creates opportunities for greater impact, meaningful efficiencies, and greater sustainability of services for individuals with disabilities and their families. $50,000