OUR MISSION
The Black Funders of St. Louis (BFSTL) giving circle is a nontraditional form of philanthropy with a mission that encourages its membership to pool time, talents, and treasures to invest in the black community and positively impact the well-being of black children, youth, adults and families in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.
Community
Make a difference in the community by contributing time, talents, and monetary resources
Encourage
Encourage a sense of community among ourselves and those we serve
Educate
Educate and increase awareness of local needs
Promote
Promote volunteerism and effective philanthropy
Grow Membership. Foster Community
Founding members saw the lack of resources invested in black-led organizations and wanted to create a vehicle to not only provide financial support to organizations, but to also provide organizations with tailored technical assistance to help them thrive and remain viable assets within the community.
FAQ
The membership commitment is $300 and is due by June 30th of each year.
85% of the funds received go directly to support black-led nonprofit organizations. The remaining 15% supports administrative expenses such as meeting space, food, professional development training, staff, etc.
On behalf of Black Funders of St. Louis we want to thank you for your monetary donation toward the transformation of black communities in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Because we are a giving circle and not a registered 501c3 with the State of Missouri, all donations made directly to Black Funders of St. Louis; either via electronic i.e. PayPal, check, or cash, the donor will not receive an official donation letter from Black Funders of St. Louis. Any checks that are made out to our fiscal agent; The Deaconess Foundation, on behalf of Black Funders of St. Louis will be recognized as a donation and will receive an official donation letter from The Deaconess Foundation. Please consult your tax preparer or accountant for questions concerning your donation.
Yes, anyone is welcome to donate to Black Funders St. Louis. However, membership is only open to individuals and/or couples who self-identify as black and reside in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.
Individuals who do not meet the membership criteria and institutions that make contributions to the giving circle are classified as donors.
Support from the giving circle’s membership is two-fold: 1. Grant making through a democratic process and 2. Volunteerism and capacity building. As a membership, it is important to make grants but to also use our time and talents to help organizations sustain and remain viable assets within the community. We ask members to identify their skills and contributions with the hopes of connecting members to organizations based on the organization’s identified gaps and needs.
Payment can be made by check, money order, or credit card. Please note that all credit card payments will incur a 3% fee in addition to the donation. Credit card payments can be made through Paypal at paypal.me/blackfundersstl. All payments (check and/or money order) should be made out to the Deaconess Foundation and sent to the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, Attention Matt Oldani.