St. Louis has experienced some challenging times. Yet resilience, resistance, love and care for the people of St. Louis remains. Organizations supporting residents of the City of St. Louis continue to be creative and determined in their efforts to advance the quality of life through education, health, housing, employment, arts and culture, and more. For the reasons above, it is truly an honor to serve as the board president of the St. Louis Philanthropic Organization to work collectively with committed and community minded board members and improve the lives of the people of our city.
"I have a solid and firm belief in the mission and resulting accomplishments of the St. Louis Philanthropic Organization, and for good reason."
As the leader of a youth leadership organization supporting City of St. Louis youth and families, I directly have experienced the support of the Philanthropic organization as a previous grantee. I later was invited and excitedly joined the board. I have served as treasurer, assistant treasurer and chair of the allocations committee to ensure a successful grant process.
In my role as president, with the full commitment of veteran expert board members, we continued to progress in alignment with our mission, and support dreams that build communities.
We recognize the importance of the times, the necessary shifts in thinking and action related to racial equity in our city, and the magnitude of any positive contributions the St. Louis Philanthropic Organization can have by providing organizations with capacity building workshops, and responsive and impact grants to move our city forward. We are here to do the work!
Sincerely,
Dionne Ferguson
Board President of St. Louis Philanthropic Organization, Inc.
2021-2024
St. Louis Philanthropic Organization provides funding and capacity building to non profit organizations whose programs and services advance the quality of life for St. Louis City residents.
We fund local nonprofits working on our specific focus areas.
We provide training, resources, and support to strengthen leadership, boost efficiency, and expand impact.
Through our funding and capacity building, we invest in the future of St. Louis City.
As a steward of vital community resources, SLPO funds programs and initiatives that enhance the quality of life in St. Louis City. Grantees utilize both qualitative and quantitative measures to assess their impact and demonstrate the community’s return on investment.
Dedication to the mission is the foundation of all SLPO functions and award decisions. Board members exemplify this commitment through active participation in governance and grantmaking, responsiveness to grantees and the community, and responsible resource management.
Commitment to the mission drives all SLPO functions and award decisions. Board members uphold this dedication through active participation in governance and grantmaking, responsiveness to grantees and the community, and responsible resource management.
SLPO maintains financial stability by operating within generally accepted financial guidelines and its funding capacity. The foundation upholds its commitments, adheres to high operating standards, ensures transparency in decision-making, and follows its bylaws.
SLPO champions equity by supporting fair treatment, opportunity, and advancement for the City’s most vulnerable populations. The foundation collaborates with partners to eliminate disparities that impact their quality of life.
A culture of respect is essential to SLPO’s effectiveness. Its leaders and volunteers uphold professionalism, embrace diverse perspectives, and communicate with integrity in both internal and external relationships.
The St. Louis Philanthropic Organization (SLPO) was established in 1984 following a civil lawsuit won by the City of St. Louis against cable companies.
SLPO was organized as a nonprofit to distribute charitable dollars to organizations whose programs enhance health, education, and social welfare in St. Louis.
In 2015, the Board held a strategic planning retreat that resulted in the development of Guiding Principles. The Board also revised the mission statement to better reflect the evolution of the organization's grantmaking and future direction. Additionally, the Board expanded the grantmaking priorities to include Responsive Grants, Capacity Building, and Multi-Year Initiatives.
The year 2019 marked the 35th anniversary of annual grant awards, with a total of $300,000 granted to nonprofit organizations. In October of that year, four organizations each received a special one-time grant of $2,500, totaling $10,000, to support their efforts in helping St. Louis City residents navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the Board launched the SLPO's Capacity Building activities, which included a workshop series provided at no cost to participants, and a website dedicated to providing resources to nonprofits to support their organizational development needs.
In 2021, the Board established SLPO's social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. An internship program was initiated to manage the social media and website activities.
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