Funding Priorities
- Education
- Focus on early childhood through post-secondary education
- Target students in under-served, under-resourced school districts.
- Conservation
- Louis Civic Institutions
Geographic Area St. Louis Region
Timing 2023 grants will be for funding needed in 2024.
Grant Cycle: Bellwether has one open grant cycle per year. The Foundation will consider one application per organization per grant cycle.
Types of Grants
Grant categories include: Program, Operating, Capital and Endowment.
Bellwether favors established programs that have quantifiable, measurable results or expansions of programs with a demonstrated impact. We encourage inquiries regarding appropriate grant requests (314) 862-1150.
- Program Grants preferred.
- The Foundation suggests that any organization seeking Capital or Endowment support, send an email to Lynn Freedman at info@bellwetherstl.org to discuss its proposal in advance.
- Bellwether will consider Multi-Year grants (grant payments over two or three years) for prior grant recipients.
- Bellwether does not fund: field trips, travel, conferences, requests from individuals, housing, or medical research.
Grant Award Grant Requests for one year of funding of $10,000 or less will qualify for a STL Promise Grant (an abridged application process). Typical Program or Operating grants range up to $25,000.
Typical Grant Calendar
Mid-March/April: Preliminary Application open grant cycle
April - June: Decisions issued by email, on a rolling basis. Select applicants will receive an invitation to complete a Detailed Application.
End of July: Detailed Application Deadline
August - October: Review of Detailed Applications. Possible Request for Additional Information or Site Visit.
End of December: Grant Decisions
December and following calendar year: Grants Awarded
Outcome Reports In the fall following a grant award, Bellwether will send a brief Outcome Report to complete. For example, for 2023 grant awards, an Outcome Report will be requested in fall 2024. The Outcome Report requests information on how an organization met the Measures of Success listed in its applications.