New Grants Totaling Nearly $8 Million Support Workforce Systems, Homeownership, and Civic Dialogue
The James S. McDonnell Foundation is pleased to announce six new investments totaling $7,927,975 that will strengthen workforce systems, expand early childhood education, build wealth through homeownership, and elevate civic dialogue.
Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center St. Louis (AMICSTL)
AMICSTL is creating a state-of-the-art hub where industry, education, and innovation come together to promote regional economic growth and opportunity. The organization is working to build a diverse and skilled workforce through partnerships with training and education providers; supporting research and development with access to top-tier facilities and expertise; and facilitating rapid prototyping and small-scale production to make the journey from concept to market faster.
JSMF’s investment will support AMICSTL’s workforce development efforts through the commissioning of a nationwide benchmarking study on STEM-based advanced manufacturing education and career pathways, the creation of a workforce development plan, and partially funding the hiring of a new full-time workforce development lead.
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and provides evidence-based solutions to complex societal issues. This project aims to enhance the ability of JSMF and its partners to analyze the impact of various investments and initiatives by expanding the capabilities of the “Virtual St. Louis” agent-based modeling (ABM) platform. An agent-based modeling platform is a software environment that creates and runs simulations where virtual representations of individuals (autonomous agents), each with their own behaviors and relationships, interact within a virtual setting to understand what individual and community-level outcomes arise from different behaviors, programs, policies, or events.
JSMF’s investment will support the development of seven new modules focused on early education; workforce readiness; entrepreneurship; housing; retirement savings; post-secondary training and evaluation; non-financial influences like relationships, community, and societal factors. These modules will enable JSMF and community partners to simulate the effects of various community investments on populations across St. Louis, especially those most affected by economic disparities. The platform will allow JSMF and other community organizations to better estimate the impact of a potential program without needing to run a pilot program and incurring its associated costs.
Kids Win Missouri
Kids Win Missouri is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the health, education, safety, and overall well-being of children across Missouri, especially those most at risk due to poverty, neglect, abuse, or systemic inequities. In partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the coalition is launching a three-year initiative to create a more responsive and effective early childhood system across the state.
JSMF’s investment will support the creation of a public-private cost-sharing model to lower childcare costs for families, the enhancement of DESE’s leadership and operational capacity, and the formation of a state-level steering committee made up of diverse stakeholders to align efforts toward a shared vision for quality, access, and sustainability in early childhood care.
St. Louis Community Credit Union
St. Louis Community Credit Union (SLCCU) is a not-for-profit financial cooperative that provides residents of the St. Louis region with affordable and accessible financial services and products. SLCCU is partnering with The FAM (a nonprofit focused on homeownership for Black families), Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis, Rise Community Development (a nonprofit dedicated to affordable housing), Carrollton Bank, and the St. Joseph Housing Initiative (a faith-based nonprofit focused on affordable housing) to expand homebuying opportunities for low- and moderate-income households in the St. Louis area. This initiative aims to facilitate access to mortgage products by piloting a blended 80/20 financing model that will help homebuyers avoid primary mortgage insurance (PMI) and build equity more quickly.
JSMF’s investment will support the pilot program in helping at least 250 homebuyers make purchases.
St. Louis Magazine
St. Louis Magazine is a premier lifestyle publication that highlights the people, culture, food, health, and events shaping the St. Louis region. The magazine is developing a project to enhance public understanding and dialogue about economic mobility in the St. Louis region.
JSMF’s investment will support the hiring of two full-time journalists for the initiative, the development of multimedia production to deliver content across video and audio platforms, the creation of a comprehensive calendar of public events to foster civic dialogue, and the management of strategic audience growth efforts to ensure the journalism reaches and resonates with regional decision-makers and the communities it JSMF aims to serve.
Upward Mentoring
Upward Mentoring is a transformative program intended to address systemic inequities affecting boys from marginalized communities in the St. Louis region through relationship-based mentoring. Youth in the program will be paired with two mentors — a paid primary mentor who provides daily support and a respected professional who serves as a volunteer mentor, offering career exposure and skill development — to help bridge social and professional gaps.
JSMF’s investment will provide stipends for volunteer mentors and support program evaluation, mentor training, and mentee activities for 100 students.