Featured

Gateway Children’s Charity, a Successful YouthBridge Partnership

Gateway Children Children’s Charity’s mission to raise “funds to make high-impact, tangible investments in early childhood programs that support children living in underserved St. Louis communities” aligns perfectly with the mission of YouthBridge Community Foundation. The two organizations understand that young people need access to resources and supportive environments to thrive – and their grant programs increase access to these critical supports.

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois – Entrepreneurs of the Future

The Girl Scout mission to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” is a tall order. It requires passion, dedication, a fierce belief in girls’ abilities, and of course, financial resources to support programming that nurtures these traits.

Generate Health – Uplifting Thriving Black Families

What do Black families in St. Louis need to thrive before, during, and beyond pregnancy? Generate Health explored this question after recognizing that years of racially inequitable policies and practices had created a cycle of distrust and unfavorable maternal care outcomes among many Black St. … More →

IFM Overcomes Healthcare Barriers

The first 15 years of Dr. David Campbell’s career were dedicated to medical education, teaching young physicians. Even then, he recounts working to incorporate ‘outreach to the community’ into the curriculum for these young physicians. When Dr. Campbell decided to step away from medical education it was to start a not-for-profit to further this ‘outreach to the community’. In 2000, he formed the Institute for Family Medicine (now named IFM Community Medicine) to advance the goal of providing quality healthcare services to disadvantaged children and families.

St. Louis Community Credit Union Emphasizes “Community”

A Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution that accepts deposits, makes loans, and provides a wide array of other financial services and products. This definition only begins to describe St. Louis Community Credit Union (SLCCU). For over 80 years SLCCU has existed to provide residents of the St. Louis region with safe, affordable and accessible financial services and products through caring service and education.

Heritage

To honor our mission of partnering with donors around sustainability of nonprofits, YouthBridge provides grants to child or youth serving organizations that are regularly supported by our fundholders.

Think Big for Kids

The Think Big for Kids Fund provides grants designed to stimulate innovative thinking and fund big ideas from nonprofits that serve children and youth in our community.

The Progress 64 Entrepreneurial Scholarship

The Progress 64 Entrepreneurial Scholarship was established by Progress 64 West, a partnership of citizens, businesses, and civic leaders. The Scholarship aims to support, encourage, and foster young entrepreneurs who go to school or live in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, or St. Charles County.

The Power of a Pencil

Remember the excitement of that new backpack, new box of crayons or freshly sharpened pencils – especially on the first day of school? Over 90,000 St Louis area kids share that joy because of the efforts of KidSmart. Founded in 2002, KidSmart’s mission is to empower children in need to succeed in school by providing free essential tools for learning.

Back to School in “One Classroom”

“Inclusion” is defined as the state of being included or being made a part of something. Thanks to One Classroom, children with physical or intellectual disabilities are now educated in the general classroom of many Catholic schools in the St. Louis area. Rather than being segregated from their age peers, students’ individualized needs are addressed in the classroom as they work toward their individual potential.

Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis Supports Families

The mission of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis is to serve, support and celebrate the lives of all individuals with Down syndrome and their families, through every stage of life. The pillar of the organization is family support from the moment that a family receives notice that their unborn child may have Down syndrome through the end of the loved one’s life – and even beyond.

St. Francis Community Services Emphasizes Reading with YEP Grant

St. Francis Community Services (SFCS), a ministry of Catholic Charities of St. Louis, received a YouthBridge YEP STL! grant the first time they applied. YEP STL!

Think Big for Kids Grant Recipient, Saint Louis Story Stitchers

Through a $120,000, two-year, Think Big for Kids grant from YouthBridge, Story Stitchers is creating a series of public service announcements (PSAs) to help change the stigma around mental health care and provide information on accessing it.

Endowment Partner: Christian Family Services

CFS has found strength in its endowment fund and relationship with YouthBridge, says Mitchell. Established in 2019, the fund is helping to drive some important initiatives and “we see it as an opportunity for our services to continue on for another 50 years,” she says.

STL Youth Jobs Bridging the Workforce Divide

There’s a gulf between youth ready to work and employers ready to hire skilled workers, but it’s getting smaller thanks to STL Youth Jobs. Last year, the organization engaged about 1,000 youth in job coaching, meaningful, paid work-based experience and other training to help prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.

Spotlight on Endowment Fundholders: earthday365

When Jessica Watson became the new Executive Director of earthday365 in March 2020, she had no idea that she would be the first forced to cancel the 30-year-old St. Louis Earth Day Festival. “I was there maybe three or four weeks when we received word that our permit had been revoked due to COVID,” she says. “It was a huge blow, but we didn’t stay down long.”

Students Soar into STEM and the Aviation Field

“When a student steps off the plane on their last day of the course, you’ve never seen a smile so big,” says Amy Buehler, Interim President of Wings of Hope. The course she’s speaking of is a four-week training program of Wings of Hope, called SOAR into STEM, which introduces area high school students to flight and aviation career paths.

Spotlight on Endowment Fundholders, Jefferson County CASA

Sister Marita Anne Marrah was lovingly referred to as “the little nun who could.” Even in her eighties, there was nothing she could or would not do as a Board member for Jefferson County CASA to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe, loving home. And, so, when another Board member provided the start for an endowment fund in 2021, it was only fitting to her that it would be named in honor of Sister Marita, who passed away that same year.

Spotlight on Grant Recipient East Side Aligned

Evan Krauss wants people to know about the incredible potential of East Saint Louis, IL. “While economically and systemically disadvantaged, there is so much talent here and so many committed people working day in and day out to create a community where our children and youth can thrive,” he says.

Pet Clinic Envisions ‘No Needless Kill Community’

Wendy Heckman has a chart she shares during February’s National Spay and Neuter Month. It’s a “reproductive pyramid,” depicting the population explosion that can occur when a dog or cat is allowed to reproduce unchecked, and shows that within six years, an unspayed female cat can yield more than 11 million descendants!