The Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund Grant

The Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Spirit of St. Louis Women's Fund
Amount: US $5,000 - US $25,000
Last Updated: June 24, 2025

Summary

The Spirit of St. Louis Women's Fund Grant aims to enhance the Greater St. Louis community through informed grant-making, fostering women's engagement in philanthropy. The fund prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion while supporting organizations focused on arts, education, environment, health, and social services. Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 for single-year projects and $100,000 for multi-year initiatives. Eligible nonprofits must demonstrate community impact and financial stability, ensuring effective use of funds to address pressing needs.

Overview

NOTE: Our next two year grant cycle is 2026-2027. During 2025, our year of engagement, we will be connecting with our members and grantees through volunteer opportunities, educational events, meet-ups and a Grantee Showcase in the Fall of 2025. Please follow us on Facebook and on our website, to learn more about the dates and times of these engagement year opportunities. The Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund (SOS) strengthens the Greater St. Louis community through informed, focused grant-making by educating and inspiring women to engage in significant giving. SOS Commitment To Diversity, Equity And Inclusion SOS is committed to equity, diversity, collaboration, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability because all people deserve to live full and abundant lives free of prejudice, discrimination and oppression. We will prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in our philanthropy. DIVERSITY means full participation of all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender orientation, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship status, language, religion, geographic location, and national origin, among other identities. EQUITY is the condition that would be achieved if one’s identity no longer predicted how one fared in life. INCLUSION creates a culture and environment for diverse individuals to bring their authentic and full selves. Inclusion results when underrepresented people are seen as fully belonging in a community. Focus Areas Grants are not restricted to issues dealing exclusively with women, but are made to organizations focusing on at least one of the following areas: Arts and CultureEducationEnvironmentHealthSocial Services Single-year Eligibility Single-year grants of $5,000 – $25,000 are awarded to nonprofit organizations in the Greater St. Louis community. Applicants are encouraged to submit Letters of Inquiry for general operating support, project/program support, and capacity building. Capacity building strengthens the development of an organization’s core skills and capabilities, such as leadership, management, finance/fund-raising, programs, and evaluation, in order to build the organization’s effectiveness and sustainability. Multi-year Eligibility In the 2022-2023 granting cycle, SOS will be investing in one, renewable, three year accelerator grant for $33,333 a year, totaling $100,000. The application can be for a specific project or for general operating support. Organizations that apply for multi-year grants must: Demonstrate a history of successful programming and financial stability Show collaboration with other agencies Exhibit strong leadership in board and organizational management Have a clear multi-year plan that is visionary, meets an urgent community need and significantly enhances the applicant organization’s ability to serve their mission into the future Demonstrate how having consistent funding will allow your agency to think big and take chances Have specific and numerically measurable project goals, objectives/actions and outcomes/impact described for each yearInclude a three year budget:If applying for a project include a separate project budget for each yearIf applying for general operating support, submit the organization’s budget for the current year and two subsequent yearsHave the option to include up to 2 additional supporting documents such as an Annual Report or Strategic PlanOrganizations that have received single-year SOS grants for the past two consecutive years CAN apply for a multi-year grant. However, organizations applying for a multi-year grant CANNOT apply for an SOS single-year grant in the same grant cycle.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Single-year grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations in the Greater St. Louis community.Project/program support and capacity building support requests are also welcomed. Capacity building strengthens the development of an organization’s core skills and capabilities, such as leadership, management, finance/fund-raising, programs, and evaluation, in order to build the organization’s effectiveness and sustainability.To be considered for SOS grant funding, organizations MUST:Have public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code issued to an organization located in the Greater St. Louis Community.Have an operating budget of less than $1.5 million.Be headquartered and provide services within the Greater St. Louis Community which includes the City of St. Louis and/or the following counties: St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin in Missouri or St. Clair, Madison and Monroe in Illinois (Organizations can provide services outside this specific area but SOS will only fund the services provided to the Greater St. Louis Community).

Ineligibility

SOS does not award grants for:Organizations not operating within the Greater St. Louis Community.Services delivered outside of the Greater St. Louis Community.Chapters of national organizations receiving financial support from their national office.For-profit organizations.Major building/capital campaigns, although program-specific capital requests may receive grants.Conferences or benefits.Individuals, for any purpose.Scholarships for a named individual, although scholarship funds may receive grants.Endowments.Projects that promote religious or political doctrine.Research (medical or otherwise).Operating deficits/retirement of existing debt.