It feels good to give to those in need. But how can you be sure your charitable contributions have a real impact—and will continue to do so long after you’re gone?
For nearly 100 years, the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation has created partnerships between donors and nonprofits. “We help donors allocate their dollars productively and meaningfully, and we help valued nonprofits maintain important relationships with donors and benefit from a steady, ongoing source of grants,” says president and CEO Amelia Bond. “Our experts use their decades of experience and connections in philanthropy to help clients assess their resources and determine their goals. Then we connect donors with effective charities aligned with those goals.”
The Community Foundation strives to make giving easier and more satisfying. “We do all the administrative work, providing efficient, customized and cost-effective services that free donors from the hassles of scrutinizing requests, evaluating prospective grantees, writing checks and tracking gifts,” Bond says. The foundation assists donors and their financial advisers in developing and evaluating financial and estate-planning strategies, and guides their giving to maximize tax benefits, she adds. “We also excel at connecting donors with other donors and civic resources.”
Established in 1915 as a pool of charitable funds from area residents, the Community Foundation is one of 800 across the country and the second-oldest in the nation. Today, its administrators oversee more than 425 individual funds totaling a quarter of a billion dollars in assets. “These funds annually generate over $20 million in grants that touch communities across the globe,” Bond says. “Nearly 80 percent of the money we distribute stays in St. Louis, ensuring the future strength and vibrancy of our community.”
The foundation makes the most of donor dollars, Bond notes. Ten years ago, for example, brother and sister Edward and Rosemary Young established a $7.9 million fund for the ongoing support of 12 local nonprofits. “That first year, each institution received $400; as of last year, the fund had grown to $10.4 million and contributed $26,000 to each nonprofit,” she says.
Beyond maximizing dollars, the foundation also keeps the donor’s legacy alive. “We help plan for the long-term involvement of family members in philanthropic decision-making, and we make sure the causes donors care about continue to benefit from their generosity in the future,” Bond says. Take the case of Edward Bredell, who passed away in the late 1800s. “Bredell left money in his will for free Bibles to be distributed on the streets of St. Louis, but the matter was passed from attorney to attorney over the years and the money ended up going to general Christian causes. When the fund came to us, we went back to Bredell’s original will and made sure his wishes were carried out.”
True philanthropy goes beyond writing a check, Bond says. “People give because they want to make a substantial, enduring difference. Each donor has a different story. The Community Foundation keeps that story alive—forever.”
By Tony Di Martino
[For more information, call 314.588.8200 or visit stlgives.org.]