Think Big for Kids Grant: Turn the Page STL Ignites Literacy in St. Louis

Big Ideas

The YouthBridge Think Big for Kids grant truly lives up to its name, providing grants designed to stimulate innovative thinking and fund big ideas from nonprofits that serve children and youth in our community. One may ask how YouthBridge provides these grants and the answer is through fundholder fees and a $100,000 designated gift specifically directed toward Think Big for Kids.

If you partner with YouthBridge—through a Donor Advised Fund, Endowment, or other charitable vehicle—you pay a modest fund fee. But here’s the best part: 100% of those fund fees go right back into the community through our Discretionary Grant Program, supporting vetted, high-performing nonprofits like this month’s featured grantee, the STL Tutoring Collaborative, led by Turn the Page STL.

Building the Collaborative

When Executive Director Lisa Greening of Turn the Page STL came across a Stanford study, she saw a clear call to action. The research revealed that students missing direct teacher interaction during the COVID crisis lagged about 30 percent behind expectations. Yet, the study offered hope—boosting tutoring could help bridge those gaps. Inspired, Lisa dove into the landscape of free tutoring in St. Louis and was astonished by the enormous need. Rallying 18 dedicated organizations, she helped launch the STL Tutoring Collaborative in 2023, united by one mission: to give kids the support for literacy they deserve.

Collaboration Revealed Needs; YouthBridge Grant Supplied Funds

Members of the Collaborative balanced demanding schedules and numerous responsibilities. It quickly became clear that sustained progress required a dedicated coordinator. Through the YouthBridge Think Big for Kids grant, a three-year investment now supports the coordinator role, marketing efforts, and essential program supplies—turning vision into action.

Moving the Needle

Progress rarely unfolds as swiftly as anyone wishes, but Lisa Greening finds joy in every step forward. Thanks to the Collaborative’s network, they discovered that the Campus Y at Washington University participates in a federal program that pays work-study students to tutor. With this new team of tutors, the St. Louis Public Library stepped up, offering space that made tutoring accessible to even more students. Lisa is confident that the strong sense of family in the Tutoring Collaborative will open the door to even more shared success.

Continued Partnership with YouthBridge

Turn the Page STL’s partnership with YouthBridge started well before the current grant. When the organization launched as a St. Louis chapter of the National Campaign for Grade Level Reading and worked toward tax-exempt status, YouthBridge became the fiscal sponsor—providing the 501(c)(3) backing donors expect. YouthBridge also offered office space and hands-on administrative support. While Lisa sees the Think Big for Kids grant as a major asset, she believes the real win is the ongoing partnership—continuing to spot literacy gaps and working together to close them.