News Releases

NEWS RELEASE                                          July 12, 2010

For more information, contact Christy Redmond or Marie Casey at 314/721-2828.

Spirit of St. Louis (SOS) Women’s Fund Elects 2010-11 Board Members
Available for download in PDF

ST. LOUIS – The 200-plus members of the philanthropic Spirit of St. Louis (SOS) Women’s Fundhave elected the 2010-2011 board of directors.

The new board members join Marie Casey, communications chair; Lynn Dole; Linda Finerty, education chair; Felice Joyce, grant-making chair; Parker McMillan, website chair; Elaine Queathem, immediate past grant-making co-chair; Mary Schoolman, impact co-chair; Ann Sutter, treasurer; and Gwen Wesley, membership co-chair.

Founded in 2006, the Spirit of St. Louis (SOS) Women’s Fund connects women across the St. Louis region to collectively strengthen the community through informed, focused grant-making.  The group, a component fund of the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation, has more than 200 members.  Each member contributes $1,200 a year, with 90 percent of all member gifts used to fund grants to local nonprofit organizations.  In 2010, SOS achieved the $700,000 milestone in charitable giving with a total of 51 grants to 38 nonprofits over a span of four years.  To learn more about SOS, visit "http://www.soswomensfund.org" or call (314) 880-4968. ###

Editor’s note:  The Spirit of St. Louis (SOS) Women’s Fund is located at the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation at 319 N. 4th St. in St. Louis, Mo. (63102).

SOS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ORGANIZED BY ZIP CODE OF RESIDENCE:
Gwen Wesley resides in Florissant, Mo. (63034).

Melissa Jones lives in Maryland Heights, Mo. (63043).

Marie Casey, Laura Friedman, Lisa Nouss, Shelby Schagrinand Mary Schoolman reside in Clayton, Mo. (63105).

Linda Grayson lives in St. Louis’ Central West End (63108).

Ann Sutter resides in South St. Louis City, Mo. (63116).

Linda Finerty, Elaine Queathem and Vicki Sheehan are residents of Webster Groves, Mo. (63119).

Laure Hullverson, Felice Joyce and Parker McMillan live in Ladue, Mo. (63124).

Susan Block and Leslie Corey resides in Town and Country, Mo. (63131).

Lynn Dole and Kathy Frost live in Creve Coeur, Mo. (63141).

St. Louis Women Give More!

Spirit of St. Louis (SOS) Women's Fund Awards $200,000 In Charitable Grants to 15 St. Louis Area Nonprofit Organizations.

Total Grants Top $700,000 in Four Years

ST. LOUIS – The economic recession is pummeling nonprofit groups across the country.  In 2009, more than 75,000 national grant-making foundations cut charitable giving by 8.4 percent – by far the largest annual decline on record, according to the Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates, Current Outlook report from the Foundation Center , issued April 2010.

Yet the Spirit of St. Louis (SOS) Women’s Fund is bucking that downward trend with grant awards of $200,000 to 15 local nonprofits, a 2.5 percent increase over 2009 grant awards.  Since its founding in 2006, SOS has awarded a total of $700,000 in 51 grants to support 38 grassroots nonprofits across the greater St. Louis metropolitan area.  Grants were presented at a ceremony held in conjunction with SOS’ Annual Meeting on June 3, 2010 at Washington University’s Steinberg Hall.,

Bridget Flood, executive director of the St. Louis-based Incarnate Word Foundation, was keynote speaker for the award ceremony.  The foundation she leads is widely considered to be among the most impactful foundations in the St. Louis region, awarding $1 million in charitable grants in its most recent grant cycle.

In 2010, nearly 90 St. Louis-area organizations requested grants exceeding a total of $4.5 million from SOS.  The expressed need was more than double the amount requested in 2009.  The 2010 grant recipients, their mission and their grant awards follow:

• Aim High St. Louis offers a tuition-free academic enrichment program to empower and motivate high-risk, low-income middle school students; $25,000.

• ALIVE provides counseling, emergency “Nights of Safety” sanctuary and critical services to adults and children impacted by domestic abuse; $20,000.

• Almost Home provides housing and life skills to previously homeless teenage mothers and their children seeking to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty; $15,000.

• Angels’ Arms supports families fostering multiple children – all brothers and sisters – until a forever home is found so sibling groups are not separated; $15,000.

• Annie’s Hope – The Bereavement Center for Kids offers comprehensive bereavement support for children, teens and families suffering a significant loss; $10,000.

• The Belle Center promotes a progressive, family-centered inclusive approach to education and community life that supports children with severe disabilities; $12,000.

• Caring for Kids helps meet the urgent needs of children in crisis situations; $5,000.

• Circle of Concern feeds the hungry and provides long-term and emergency assistance to low-income families, including meals and activity bags for children during summer break; $10,000.

• Griffin Center (Catholic Urban Programs) provides free after-school tutoring, recreation and summer camps for children living in poverty-stricken areas; $11,000.

• Let’s Start assists women and the children and families of women transitioning from life in prison back into society; $9,500.

• Mildred Brady and Rena Martin Charitable Eye Foundation provides comprehensive eye care to the homeless and medically disenfranchised; $10,000.

• Ready Readers inspires at-risk preschool children to read by hosting readings and increasing exposure to books and stimulating activities; $15,000.

• St. Louis HELP provides individuals with mobility problems and disabilities access to free assistive technology medical equipment; $17,500.

• St. Louis Internship Program places high school students in job training and internship positions to increase knowledge, experience and confidence; $10,000.

• Volunteers in Medicine provides quality health care in free clinics to serve the uninsured and underinsured in St. Charles and Lincoln counties; $15,000.

Intensive application reviews and onsite visits are part of SOS’ member-driven selection process.  Organizations that meet SOS’ high standards of quality are voted on (one member-one vote) to ensure equal and fair selection.

Founded in 2006, the Spirit of St. Louis (SOS) Women’s Fund connects women across the St. Louis region to collectively strengthen the community through informed, focused grant-making.  The group, a component fund of the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation, has more than 200 members.  Each member contributes $1,200 a year, with 90 percent of all member gifts used to fund grants to St. Louis area nonprofit organizations.  In 2010, SOS achieved the $700,000 milestone in charitable giving with a total of 51 grants to 38 area nonprofit organizations over a span of four years.  To learn more about SOS, visit www.soswomensfund.org or call (314) 880-4968.