How We Fund.
At the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, we help create brighter futures by investing in local nonprofits and governmental entities that provide mental and behavioral health services to kids in St. Louis County. We pride ourselves on being not just a funder, but a partner. We know that when our funded partners succeed, so do the kids and families of St. Louis County.
“Putting Kids First” Sales Tax
Since 2010, we have invested roughly $550 million in local nonprofits and governmental entities to provide funding for mental and behavioral health services for kids and families in St. Louis County. This is made possible because of a quarter-cent sales tax that was approved by St. Louis County voters in 2008. Watch the video to learn how shopping in St. Louis County helps create brighter futures for kids.
Awards By Service Area
2020-2022 Core Allocations
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Services We Fund.
Through the “Putting Kids First” sales tax, we fund nonprofits and governmental entities that provide one or more of the following mental or behavioral health services to kids and families in St. Louis County.
Under Missouri law, we are able to provide funding to organizations whose work falls into the following service areas:
Counseling Services
Crisis Intervention Services
Home Community Based Services
Psychiatric Services
Respite Care Services
Prevention Services
Temporary Shelter and Transitional Living Services
Substance Use Treatment Services
Teen Parents Services
Our Focus Areas
Through the “Putting Kids First” sales tax, we fund nonprofits and governmental entities that provide one or more of the following mental or behavioral health services to kids and families in St. Louis County:
Core Funding Opportunity
As our largest allocation, the Core Funding Opportunity supports many different services. When awarding funding, we seek organizations that use proven methods and have strong track records of yielding positive impact. Our Core partners have the capacity to provide services and are supported by CSF through a standardized unit rate model of funding.
Grassroots Funding Opportunity
Our Grassroots Funding Opportunity focuses on organizations that embody what it means to be of and for the community. We prioritize nonprofits with budgets of less than $1 million, staff and leadership that reflect their clients, and a focus on historically underserved communities. Grassroots is supported through a traditional grant funding model.
Emergency Funding
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Children’s Service Fund Board of Directors moved to allocate resources to an emergency fund to help address changing needs in the community. Knowing that emergent needs can arise at any moment, we will remain diligent with the availability of emergency funding.
It’s our goal to make applying for funding as streamlined as possible. Visit our “How to Apply” page for more information about our application process and funding criteria.