2023 SPIRIT AWARDS

On May 17, more than 120 women and men gathered at Third Degree Glass Factory in University City to celebrate the culmination of our 2022-2023 grant cycle and our annual Spirit Awards.

This year, 11 nonprofits received over $230,000 in funding from SOS; four of those organizations received SOS funding for the first time this year.

Prior to the Spirit Awards, each member of SOS is given the opportunity to vote on a ballot of eligible and carefully-vetted nonprofits who have submitted a grant proposal.

The core philosophy of SOS is simple: “We pool our resources, invest as a group and award grants to smaller St. Louis-area non-profits. By investing collectively, we achieve greater impact.”

The impact is obvious when observing the work being done by the organizations whom SOS has partnered with through grant allocation. Small nonprofits are often short on staff and money, but big on dedication and vision.

SOS can give these early-stage nonprofits the credibility to gain larger funding. Several SOS grantees have gone on to become organizations that now exceed a $1.5 million operating budget.

Grant recipients recognized at the 2023 Spirit Awards:

Multi-year grant recipient: Lift for Life Gym - $33,333 ($100,000 paid in three installments of $33,333, beginning in 2023).

Single-year grant recipients: Room at the Inn ($25,000), Welcome Neighbor STL ($25,000), City Greens Market ($25,000), The Kerengende Foundation ($25,000), Girls in the Know ($25,000), St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program, Inc. (HELP) ($10,000), Urban Harvest STL ($25,000), Books for Newborns ($10,000), Missouri Energycare ($15,000), and MindsEye ($12,000).