Upward Momentum Grant

Upward Momentum Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Upward Momentum
Amount: US $200,000
Last Updated: March 17, 2026

Summary

Upward Momentum is a collaborative fund aimed at transforming economic mobility in Missouri. By investing in community-driven initiatives, it seeks to address systemic inequities and foster opportunities for all. The fund emphasizes partnerships and innovative strategies to create lasting change, focusing on the unique diversity of Missouri's communities. With a commitment to inclusivity and collaboration, Upward Momentum is poised to drive impactful solutions that enhance economic well-being across the state.

Overview

About Us Upward Momentum is a philanthropic fund and collaborative for philanthropists and community members who are investing in bold, transformative interventions and partnerships that aim to address systemic inequities and improve opportunity for greater economic mobility for all. What is Economic Mobility? At Upward Momentum, we consider economic mobility to be more than just economic success or income and wealth. Economic mobility is the freedom to achieve economic success, power and autonomy, and belonging regardless of race, gender, geography, or background. We want to help people build momentum to move themselves and their families upward by breaking cycles and creating more opportunity. Barriers to achieving economic mobility have been entrenched for decades and are growing in the Midwest, especially in Missouri. Philanthropic capital with a willingness to take strategic risks, form partnerships across organizations and communities, and make long-term investments, can enable initiatives that focus on fundamental change over generations. Our Approach We take a partnership-based approach to our work, with community members with lived expertise, experts in economic mobility, and our investors making decisions together to develop a strategy and identify investment opportunities. Collaboration drives transformation. This core belief is what shapes our structure in which everyone – staff, founding partners, core partners, and community advisory panels – learn from each other. We work together to shape a powerful approach to systems change that will help everyone. Each strategy and solution we explore will be shaped by three dimensions of action to build momentum for generational mobility. When to ActIdentify the moments in a life’s course that matter What to DoFind what actions work to break through the systemic barriers in those moments How to Achieve itDiscover and apply the levers and methods available to achieve scalable impact Our Work We are starting in Missouri not only because it’s our home, but because Missouri represents the diversity of our country like no other state. We aim to find and share successful solutions here that could be scalable and replicated in other states. Missouri spans from urban innovation districts to rural communities where traditions run deep. It is a unique place where East and West, and North and South meet. Upward Momentum focuses on three pillars of investment for economic mobility. Caring for Our Families: Re-center and re-imagine what it means to “care” for families and their economic well-being.Navigating Work: Navigational and wrap-around supports that improve the odds of people successfully accessing and interacting with key systems in the labor market.Bridging Divides: Help leaders and institutions understand common issues, align resources and efforts, and collectively tackle issues at scale. Open Call Upward Momentum is looking for community organizations to work together to advance economic mobility in Missouri. This open call aims to support initiatives that are looking to grow or expand promising work that can help leaders and institutions collectively drive catalytic change and sustainable impact. Proposals should aim to bridge across rural and urban communities through solutions that are effective in both environments. Ten organizations from across the state will be selected based on the published criteria. We have allocated $2 million for this first open call, with each selected organization receiving a $200,000 grant to support and amplify their efforts to create lasting, transformative change in Missouri communities.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. We want to hear from community-led, community-driven nonprofit organizations in Missouri with a demonstrated capability to advance upward mobility for populations facing the greatest need. This open call aims to support initiatives that are looking to grow or expand promising work that can help leaders and institutions collectively drive catalytic change and sustainable impact.Successful applications will demonstrate:A track record of impact: Ideas that have made measurable and meaningful impacts on the quality of lives and economic mobility of the focus population.Focus on proven concepts: Initiatives that have traction and can provide proof of concept that shows potential for successful implementation.Potential for scaling: Ideas that can be replicated and scaled beyond the local level to make an impact on the lives of all Missourians.A commitment to dialogue and community engagement: Ideas that actively promote open and inclusive communication among diverse community members and stakeholders, promoting mutual understanding.A commitment to collaboration: Ideas that focus on addressing common issues and aligning resources and efforts.