JANUARY 2022 NEWSLETTER
Happy new year to our Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund members, grantees, and friends!
2022 marks our 15th year of collective giving, during which the Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fund has invested over $2.9 million in the St. Louis community. This milestone year offers us the perfect time to reflect on the impact of our volunteer-led organization and offer appreciation for the commitment of our members, grantees, and friends to improving and strengthening the St. Louis region.
Visit our impact map to learn about our grantees over the years: https://spiritstlwomensfund.org/map-our-impact/
Over the last six months, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many of our 2021 grantees’ executive directors. I continue to be humbled by the work of our grantees who teach us about the power of giving to others. The overarching message I heard is, not surprisingly, that the COVID-19 pandemic is a complex crisis that continues to influence every aspect of our lives—philanthropy included. Our grantees and potential grantees need us now more than ever.
Learn more about our 2021 grantees: https://spiritstlwomensfund.org/2021-spirit-awards/
As a volunteer-run organization, we continue to learn, evolve, and grow through the collective wisdom of our members. To continue to turn good into greater good, SOS needs you. New members are welcome at any time. Let’s talk! Please contact me to discuss joining SOS at (314) 504-3693 or katydowd@hotmail.com. There are so many reasons to join our fantastic organization:
- Membership offers you the opportunity to leverage your giving. https://spiritstlwomensfund.org/join-us/
- Membership offers the opportunity to meet other committed women and build new friendships through volunteering in the grants process, attending our educational events, and volunteering with our new pilot outreach group that offers “one and done” service project assistance to our grantees. https://spiritstlwomensfund.org/events/
- Membership offers leadership opportunities. Join a committee to meet new people, develop skills, mentor others, and become an informed, experienced philanthropist. https://spiritstlwomensfund.org/members/how-to-get-involved/
SOS is part of a larger movement in women’s collective giving and participatory philanthropy. We are part of Philanos, an international association of grant-making groups like ours. Through Philanos, our members can learn from the experiences of other organizations and share best practices, strategies, expertise, education, and knowledge that we can use to inspire better and more productive ways to support our communities.
Explore the We Give Summit scheduled for May 2022. https://philanos.org/We-Give-Summit-2022
All the best for a healthy, happy new year –
Katy Dowd
President and Proud Member
Spirit of St. Louis Women’s Fun
Grant Committee Site Team Training
It’s an exciting time for the Grants Committee as we begin Site Team Training on January 26th and then it’s on to Site Visits! Thank you to all who served on LOI teams, read 174 LOIs, and narrowed down our candidates to 40. We have a great group of agencies to talk to and learn from this year.
An update to our calendar is that we have decided to cancel the event, Demystifying Non-Profit Finances, and include an overview in our January 26th training instead. The Financial training will be led by our very own Rebecca Fritsch.
If you haven’t signed up for Site Visits, it isn’t too late. Just go on the SOS website under your profile and click YES to the question asking if you would like to be on a 2022 site visit team. Please remember to scroll to the top left of the page and press SAVE.
Looking forward to hearing about our 2022 Grant Applicants!
January 1-27 | Full grant proposals accepted |
January 26th | Site visit team leader & member training, 3:30-5:30 pm, virtual |
February-March | Site visits, virtual |
March 24th | Final ballot summary forms and site team recommendation form due to Grants Chairs |
April 6th | Site visit team leader meeting, 3:30-5:30 pm, virtual |
April 13th | Ballot Fair / voting starts |
April 29th | Voting closes |
May 18th | SOS Annual Meeting and Spirit Awards |
Housing Inequity 101
Tuesday, March 8th
5:00-6:30pm, Via Zoom
Place matters. Where people live in St. Louis has been shaped by an extensive history of segregation driven by governmental policies and practices. Its effect has systematically excluded African American families from opportunities for positive economic, educational, and health outcomes.
One nonprofit organization is addressing this through a collaborative, community-based approach to building systemic change. Chris Krehmeyer, president and CEO of Beyond Housing, will share the policies and practices that created segregation in St. Louis and the impact on these communities. We’ll also hear about the organization’s mission and programs that are focused on transforming the communities it serves.
Welcome New Members
Susan Curby
Sharon Dougherty
Joyce Roman
Catherine Tracy
Save the Date/Upcoming Events
Wednesday, February 9th at 5:30
The Membership Committee will host a Virtual Social Hour.
Look for more information on the SOS website soon.
Cancelled Event
Demystifying 990 Tax Forms will not be held as a separate event; instead site visit teams will receive the training content at the site visit team training on January 26th.