The Bellwether Foundation
The Bellwether Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. It supports St. Louis-area 501(c)(3) organizations, with funding for programs, general operations, capital projects, and endowments; program support is preferred.
The Bellwether Foundation at a glance
In short: The Bellwether Foundation gave $6.7M across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $171K), mostly in Missouri. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $6,651,500
- +7.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- +44.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $170,551
- -25.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $78,955,014
- +8.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (8 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Bellwether Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Its 2026 applications are by invitation only; it invites organizations to check back in early 2027 for an update on the 2027 cycle.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8000 Maryland Ave 1165, St Louis, MO 63105
Phone: (314) 862-1150
Website: https://bellwetherstl.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Bellwether Foundation
Who The Bellwether Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Missouri Botanical Garden ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $6.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($70,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
207 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 169 grants of 207 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its eligible organizations as local to the St. Louis area. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Bellwether Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 38 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $40K; repeat grants $211K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 38% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.7M (2021) to $7.3M (2023). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $6.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis, MO | To discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life. | $2,000,000 |
| Donald Danforth Plant Science Center St. Louis, MO | To Improve the Human Condition Through Plant Science. | $1,400,000 |
| Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation St. Louis, MO | To deliver exceptional health care to all children in need of care. | $1,000,000 |
| Forest Park Forever St. Louis, MO | To restore, maintain and sustain forest park in partnership with the city of st. Louis. | $1,000,000 |
| Sheldon Arts Foundation St. Louis, MO | To enrich the st. Louis region with a wide range of music, visual arts and educational programs. | $500,000 |
| Urban Sprouts University City, MO | To honor and empower each young scholar to develop into socially capable, creative, and inspired citizens. | $130,000 |
| Center for Creative Arts (Coca) St. Louis, MO | To enrich lives and build community through the arts. | $100,000 |
| United Way of Greater St Louis Inc St. Louis, MO | To mobilize the community with one goal in mind: helping people live their best possible lives. | $100,000 |
| Urban League of Metropolitan St Louis St. Louis, MO | To empower individuals to secure economic self-reliance, social equality, & civil rights. | $100,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $70,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Bellwether Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $78,955,014 | $13,985,350 | $8,001,016 | $6,651,500 | 39 | $6,879,059 | $13,052,758 | $6,261,899 |
| 2024 | $72,970,902 | $10,294,681 | $7,348,581 | $6,181,500 | 27 | $6,404,554 | $9,418,908 | $5,692,198 |
| 2023 | $70,041,889 | $7,841,135 | $8,427,813 | $7,253,843 | 60 | $7,458,158 | $7,052,707 | $5,230,272 |
| 2022 | $68,831,959 | $7,136,378 | $5,784,223 | $4,805,374 | 41 | $4,979,563 | $6,377,094 | $5,235,970 |
| 2021 | $64,895,189 | $4,688,975 | $3,755,244 | $2,696,740 | 40 | $2,845,721 | $4,006,087 | $5,226,372 |
| 2020 | $62,567,670 | $9,374,357 | $3,716,871 | $3,060,000 | 50 | — | $8,867,669 | $3,820,585 |
| 2019 | $56,909,894 | $3,179,886 | $4,624,485 | $3,929,500 | 41 | — | $2,665,118 | $4,070,548 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bellwether Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to improve quality of life, primarily in St. Louis, by supporting innovative programs that make a positive impact for present and future generations.
Its education grants can support early childhood through post-secondary education and workforce development, as well as tutoring, tuition assistance, mentoring, and mental health support. Environmental priorities include access to nature and environmental education, conserving natural resources, protecting biodiversity, and mitigating climate-change impacts in the St. Louis area.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center describes its mission as improving the human condition through plant science, including feeding the hungry, improving human health, and preserving the environment. Forest Park Forever describes its mission as restoring, maintaining, and sustaining Forest Park in partnership with the City of St. Louis.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 39 grants totaling $6,651,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $2,000,000, with a median of $5,000. In 2024, it made 27 grants totaling $6,181,500. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 39 grants totaling $6.7 million.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $2,000,000 to the an individual recipient, $1,400,000 to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and $1,000,000 each to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation and Forest Park Forever. Other grants included $500,000 to the Sheldon Arts Foundation and $130,000 to Urban Sprouts.
The foundation has one grant cycle per year and accepts one application per organization per year. It prefers program grants; applicants are asked to contact the foundation in advance about capital or endowment support. Multi-year grants, paid over two or three years, may be considered for prior recipients. It does not fund field trips, travel, conferences, requests from individuals, housing, or medical research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert B. Smith III as chairman and president; Virginia V. Smith as secretary; and Sally Duffield, Carrie D. Pittenger, Alexandra V. Smith, and John J. Wolfe as trustees.
The Bellwether Foundation is led by Robert B. Smith III, Chairman & President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert B. Smith III
Chairman & President
Chairman of the Board → Chairman & President, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carrie D. Pittenger
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John J. Wolfe
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally Duffield
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra V. Smith
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Virginia V. Smith
Secretary
President → President & Secretary, 2021
President & Secretary → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert B. Smith II (2019–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Bellwether Foundation
How much does The Bellwether Foundation give each year?
The Bellwether Foundation gave $6.7M across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $6.2M across 27 grants.
What is The Bellwether Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bellwether Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $170,551, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bellwether Foundation that year got $40K on average.
Where does The Bellwether Foundation give grants?
The Bellwether Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (29 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does The Bellwether Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on The Bellwether Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Bellwether Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bellwether Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Missouri Botanical Garden ($2,000,000), Donald Danforth Plant Science Center ($1,400,000) and Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation ($1,000,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($70,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bellwether Foundation?
The Bellwether Foundation reported $79.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bellwether Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to improve quality of life, primarily in St. Louis, by supporting innovative programs that make a positive impact for present and future generations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bellwether Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Bellwether Foundation's EIN?
The Bellwether Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2635309. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Bellwether Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bellwether Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bellwether Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bellwether-foundation-morg_fbffe230f5bc4a78b054f9f33630e908
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222635309_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bellwether Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bellwether-foundation-morg_fbffe230f5bc4a78b054f9f33630e908},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Bellwether Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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