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Invest STL is a charitable fund at the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation dedicated to the support of building great neighborhoods in the St. Louis region.
Rockefeller and Carnegie spent millions to improve their cities, but Invest STL knows your passion for your community is as important as the amount you give. Invest STL engages you as a stakeholder - an investor - directly with people working hard everyday to build and sustain strong St. Louis neighborhoods.
With Invest STL you are more than your dollar. You help choose what neighborhoods and organizations we support. And you don't stop there. You also help create a permanent fund to ensure St. Louis neighborhoods thrive now and tomorrow.
Great neighborhoods - with safe and attractive places to live, work, play, go to school, and grow up - play a fundamental role in St. Louis’s economy and in providing a high quality of life for all of its residents. To invest in our neighborhoods is to invest in the future of our region.
Neighborhoods don’t become great on their own; they require the time and investment of citizens, community organizations, businesses, and community leaders to reach their potential. And since St. Louis has limited dollars and infrastructure to support this work, Invest STL is engaging the St. Louis community to build its own.
To engage residents and stakeholders in the St. Louis region for the support of great neighborhoods. In working toward this mission, we believe in upholding a set of core values to ensure we are serving St. Louis communities effectively: Collective Change Making; Meaningful Investment; Transparency; Engagement; Innovation; and Awareness.
Investing in our communities should be accessible by both residents and institutions. This practice is carried out through collective processes, fundraising, and granting.
We believe in community and donor engagement. All members who donate $100 or more receive one vote toward choosing which organization receives a grant for the current fundraising cycle. Members can also get involved through a committee or other neighborhood work.
Donations by members and organizations provide funding for the present and future. Twenty-five percent of each fundraising cycle is awarded to a community development organization, and the other seventy-five percent is added to a permanent fund. Grants are awarded to organizations engaging in impactful community development, characterized by place-based community development initiatives based on high levels of resident engagement.
Integrity and accountability are important to us. We ensure these characteristics through clearly stated fundraising and granting processes.
We provide St. Louisans an opportunity to participate in and learn about their communities and what it takes to engage in neighborhood revitalization.
We embrace providing new ways for residents and institutions to support building great places to live.
Individuals, businesses, and organizations support St. Louis neighborhoods by learning about efforts to make them stronger and by contributing to the fund.
Money raised helps grow a permanent fund for community development, supporting the vitality of our region’s neighborhoods into the future.
As Invest STL reaches fundraising goals, it grants 25% of money raised to community organizations with project ideas that will make their communities stronger.
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Invest STL events are a great way to learn what's going on in St. Louis neighborhoods, and to connect with people as energized about our region's future as you are. Join us for our bimonthly "Know Your Neighborhoods" series - which showcases community improvement efforts throughout the region - and for other events throughout the year.
See what's coming up below.
April 25th Blank Space 2847 Cherokee Street 5:30pm - 8:00pm See More…
The effort to make our region’s neighborhoods great will succeed only through the broad-based enthusiasm and support of the St. Louis community - its residents, organizations, and businesses alike. In building a better region, every contribution counts.
Invest STL hosts various events throughout the year to connect St. Louisians with each other and with their neighborhoods. Check back often to see what's coming up next.
By contributing $100 or more to the fund, you gain a vote to help Invest STL decide how to invest its grant funds that cycle. If you give in this very first fundraising cycle, you will also have a vote in the second Invest STL grant cycle. Click the Invest button at the top of the screen to make a contribution today.
Invest STL is always looking for individuals who want to contribute their skills and talents to the effort. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Karl at Karl@investl.org.
There are a variety of options if you are interested in becoming a sponsor; either financial or in-kind. See More…
Work with us to design a product- or service-related donation. See More…
Co-host an event with us that generates excitement for both of our organizations. See More…
We are always looking for our next stop in this series that showcases community improvement efforts. Would your community like to get involved? See More…
There are a variety of options if a financial sponsorship works for you. All sponsorships will be applied to the fund equally: 60% of the donation will be added to the permanent fund, 25% will be given to the current grant recipient(s), and 15% will go toward operational costs for the fund. A representative from your organization or business will be allowed one vote in choosing who receives the grant in the current fundraising cycle.
Your business or organization may also have a product or service that could make a big difference to Invest STL. We are always open to discussing such opportunities for collaboration.
As a thank you for your sponsorship at this level, we will include your organization's name and logo included on our website's Partners Page for a full year, and provide you with all the benefits of a City sponsorship.
As a thank you for your sponsorship at this level, we will include your organization’s name and logo on all materials associated with our grant-making for a full year, and provide you with all the benefits of a Neighborhood sponsorship.
As a thank you for your sponsorship at this level, we will recognize your contribution at each of our Know Your Neighborhoods events for a full year, and provide you with all the benefits of a Block sponsorship.
As a thank you for your sponsorship at this level, we will offer two representatives from your organization or business free entry to each Know Your Neighborhood event for a full year.
Partnering with Invest STL is a great way for you to expand your customer base while, at the same time, investing in the future strength of St. Louis’s neighborhoods.
By donating a percentage of the profit on specific goods and services you offer, you will demonstrate your commitment to the region and have access to a growing constituency of community-minded customers.
Invest STL will work with your business to co-design a product or service related donation that generates the most excitement for your business and for Invest STL. In return, we will:
All donations made to Invest STL are tax deductible.
Co-hosting an event with Invest STL is a great opportunity to expose your association, organization or business to a network of passionate, dedicated supporters of the St. Louis region. Our partners love St. Louis neighborhoods, and they love supporting St. Louis businesses!
When co-hosting an event with Invest STL, you can choose the level of collaboration that is most appropriate and meaningful for you. We are happy to do the heavy lifting on the event and apply the proceeds of the event towards our fund. Or we can partner with you through the planning and execution stages of the event and share the proceeds.
If you’d like, we are happy to take care of the details of the event and invite your members. In this scenario, Invest STL will:
We are also happy to develop a team with representatives from Invest STL and your organization to:
Invest STL exists to support those working to strengthen our region’s neighborhoods and communities. One way we raise awareness and build support for these efforts is by showcasing neighborhood revitalization initiatives throughout the region.
In our Know Your Neighborhoods series, we travel to different neighborhoods to learn about their history, their visions for the future, and the incredible work being done to create great places. Proceeds from these events support Invest STL and investment in neighborhood initiatives.
We are always looking for the next stop in our series. If your community would like to partner with us for a Know Your Neighborhoods event, Invest STL will:
At Invest STL, we know St. Louis residents are our region’s greatest asset. Our goal is to engage residents and institutions to support building great neighborhoods. Applying for this grant is the first step in making an impactful difference in your community. Below you will find links to the FAQ page, the eligibility quiz, and the scoring rubric. Please review these before beginning the grant application. We appreciate your interest in furthering Invest STL’s mission and look forward to reading the proposals we receive.
If you or your organization have any questions about the application process, please get in touch with Karl Guenther at Karl@investl.org.
Grant Application FAQsFor this fundraising cycle goal, the grant recipient will receive $2,500.
After the application deadline has passed (two months after the fundraising goal is reached) and all applications are collected, the grants committee will evaluate each application based on a scoring rubric. They will then choose the top five applicants who will present their initiative to members of Invest STL who have donated $100 or more. These members will vote on which organization will receive the grant.
The grants committee will use a specific scoring rubric to evaluate each grant application. It is outlined as follows:
According to the Gateway Center for Giving’s Common Grant Application User Guide, an outcome or objective is defined as: “The changes in (or benefits achieved by) individuals or communities due to their participation in project activities. Time-specific, measurable statements describing the results to be achieved and the manner in which they will be achieved. This may include changes to participant’s knowledge, skills, values, behavior, conditions, or status. For example, ‘30 of the 40 third grade students participating in the literacy program will increase their reading level by one grade level.’” However, an output or product is defined as: “Direct product of project activities; immediate measures of what the project will do and/or has done in the past.”
The complete User Guide can be found here.
The eligibility quiz is a quick way for applicants to decide whether or not they should apply for the grant. Answering “yes” to the following questions ensures this grant is the right fit for your organization.
In an attempt to continue to provide publicity for the grant recipient and their initiative as well as informing the community of performance, recipients will be required to fill out a form once a quarter. This will include a report on how the funds have been used and the evaluation criteria used to measure success. Portions of this information will be shared publicly in order to let investors know how their donations are helping support building great neighborhoods.