In its 10th year of grant-giving, the Jefferson Foundation inadvertently set a new record.
The foundation, which started giving out grants in 2014, awarded 129 grants in its most recent round, the largest number of grants given out in a single round, said Missy Endres, Jefferson Foundation executive vice president.
The previous record was 119, set in 2022, she said.
“It’s a magical number this year,” Endres said
The 129 grants totaled $3,748,484.95 and were awarded to 124 organizations and agencies. Endres said the foundation received 165 applications for funding, totaling $10,064,769.34 for the first round of grants to be awarded this year.
The foundation was created with the $154 million the Mercy health system paid in 2013 when it acquired Jefferson Regional Medical Center (now Mercy Hospital Jefferson) in Crystal City.
It has been awarding two rounds of grants each year since 2018, with organizations notified about the grants they received in May and November. The foundation starts sending the funds to groups at the start of June and again in December.
“Hopefully, we are meeting the needs a little bit more,” Endres said about the record number of grants. “It is very satisfying.”
In the latest round of grants, the foundation awarded 41 for $10,000 or less, accounting for about 31.8 percent of the grants. It also awarded nine grants of $100,000 or more, or almost 7 percent of the grants.
“A lot of those grants (for $10,000 or less) go to basic-need agencies, such as St. Vincent De Paul and food pantries,” Endres said. “There is nothing more basic than getting people food and helping with housing or utility bills. Those grants have a huge impact on the community.
“When I first saw the number of grants for $100,000 or more, I was surprised because that is a high number for us. It is a combination of agencies that we have funded at that level or close to that level before, and there are some special projects that we feel will be beneficial to the community.”
Endres said the foundation’s current account balance is $184,168,014, and it has awarded 1,765 grants for a total of about $70.3 million since 2014.
The foundation will begin accepting grant applications for this year’s second round of funding June 5, with a July 18 deadline to apply.
Top recipients
■ The Jefferson County Health Department received a $175,000 grant, the largest one in the latest round of grant-giving. The agency will use the funds to offer direct services, such as screenings and vaccinations, at either a reduced cost or no cost to patients, said Brianne Zwiener, Health Department public communications officer.
“The focus is addressing health equities to reduce the barriers in health care,” she said. “We are looking at laboratory tests, vaccines and supplies for primary and chronic care for our mobile health services, dental care services and family planning services.”
Zwiener said the Health Department also received a $175,000 grant from the foundation in 2023, which provided 2,630 direct-client services, which totaled a little more than $78,000 and aided residents in the community who otherwise would not have received treatments.
“There is nothing that is closer to our mission than what the Jefferson County Health Department does with those funds in terms of providing health services for people who are either uninsured or under insured,” Endres said. “It has been a great partnership with them, and they provide great services.”
■ Upward Smiles received a $150,000 grant, the second largest one, and will use the funds to subsidize the cost to employ a dentist, COO Jeffrey Cauley said.
He said the dentist will work three days a week in the sedation station and one day a week in the Festus clinic, both located at 660 N. Creek Drive.
“The foundation is one of the main reasons Upward Smiles has been able to continue to grow and become the organization that it is today,” Cauley said. “Without them, there is no way we would be able to get the doctors we have been able to get. The reality is there is a shortage of providers. We have to step up and pay a little more sometimes to get good quality doctors and hygienists. As a nonprofit, you just don’t have the funds for that, and those cash injections from grants when you need them and the support has been vital.”
Upward Smiles also has a location at 2820 Anchor Drive in Farmington. The clinic may be contacted at 573-327-8010.
“They are unique service to the community,” Endres said. “There are not many dental providers who take Medicaid. They are a great service.”
■ The Jefferson College Foundation received a $110,490 grant, the third largest, and will use the funds to purchase an immersive interactive simulation system that emergency medical service students will use, executive director Blake Tilley said.
He said the system is a three-wall projection immersive room with interactive touch controls on each wall. The system allows students to use their senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch while practicing emergency response techniques.
Tilley said the system costs $116,000, and it is similar to a simulator the law enforcement program uses.
“It is as real as you can imagine,” he said. “It is state-of-the-art new technology that provides the best educational environment possible. This is the highest level of professional equipment that we can provide the program. It is on par with the best training for EMS anywhere. It makes us nationally and locally competitive.”
Tilley said the simulator will be installed in the new addition being built at the college’s Arnold campus, 1687 Missouri State Road. The college is paying $4,415,000 to Aspire Construction Services of St. Charles to build the 5,500-square-foot addition.
When the addition is complete, the college will move its Law Enforcement Academy and EMT-Paramedic programs from the Imperial campus, 4400 Jeffco Blvd., to the Arnold campus, President Dena McCaffrey said.
“That is another key partnership for us,” Endres said of Jefferson College. “All of the funds go to their health programs. They are training first responders and nurses. They are a great partner and key one for us to give grants to.”
Other recipients
Two organizations – the Barnabas Foundation Inc. and the Buren-Douglass Neighborhood Center – received their first grants from the Jefferson Foundation in its latest round of grant giving.
The Barnabas Foundation operates a Christian summer camp in Purdy that serves people with special needs. The neighborhood center will be part of the Buren Chapel A.M.E. Church, 435 Burris St., in Herculaneum in the building that was the Douglass Elementary School.
“Last year, the Barnabas Foundation served 242 campers from Jefferson County,” Endres said. “(The Buren-Douglas Neighborhood Center) is hoping to focus on physical and mental health. Their goal is to start with physical health through nutrition and workout classes. It is a brand-new service that may reach new people.”
Endres said the foundation typically receives requests from eight to 10 new organizations in each round of the grants cycles.
Endres said the Rural Parish Clinic of Archdiocese of St. Louis, which provides mobile health and dental services, received a $20,000 grant last year, the group’s first grant from the foundation, and in its latest round of grants, the foundation awarded the organization $40,000.
The Rural Parish Clinic started bringing its mobile medical unit to the Peace Pantry in Cedar Hill last year, and the group plans to start bringing its mobile dental unit to Jefferson County, too, Endres said.
“If they hadn’t heard about us and we weren’t in a position to give them a grant, they wouldn’t be here in Jefferson County,” Endres added.
Jefferson Foundation 2024 Round 1 Grants
■ ACPD: $50,000, to provide access to substance abuse treatment services for Jefferson County residents.
■ Aging Ahead: $100,000, to support the Meals on Wheels program in Jefferson County.
■ Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter: $20,000, to provide Alzheimer’s education, outreach and ongoing care support to Jefferson Country residents.
■ American Cancer Society: $15,000, to provide support services for Jefferson County residents diagnosed with cancer. Services include the call center, transportation and lodging.
■ American Heart Association: $15,000, to increase access to community CPR training.
■ American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas: $50,000, to support disaster relief and preparedness programs in Jefferson County.
■ AMVETS National Service Foundation: $10,000, to support a health and benefits fair for Jefferson County veterans.
■ Annie’s Hope – The Bereavement Center for Kids: $30,000, to support grief services for children and families in Jefferson County.
■ Arnold Food Pantry: $15,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Barnabas Foundation Inc.: $10,000, to provide camp scholarships for Jefferson County children with special needs.
■ Bethany Christian Services: $10,000, to purchase program support for families in crisis and prevent cases of child abuse and neglect.
■ Big River Ambulance District: $11,513.99, to purchase exercise equipment.
■ Birthright of Hillsboro Inc.: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to families in need.
■ Boonslick Regional Planning Commission: $10,000, to support transportation services in Jefferson County.
■ Buren-Douglass Neighborhood Center: $25,000, to renovate space for fitness classes and healthy living programs.
■ Burns Recovered Support Group: $10,000, to support Jefferson County residents attending the Family Camp program.
■ Catherine Cares: $5,000, to purchase heartbeat Bears and recorders.
■ Center for Hearing and Speech: $5,011, to purchase updated equipment for the Jefferson County audiology clinic.
■ CHADS Coalition For Mental Health: $110,000, to provide family support services and school-based programs, including Signs of Suicide and Social-Emotional Mentoring programs.
■ Champion Life Foundation Inc.: $20,000, to assist with food storage solutions.
■ Cherish: $10,000, to complete the work on Cherish house that will make grief services more accessible.
■ Christian Family Services: $55,000, to provide program support for the foster care, maternity counseling and adoption, counseling services and transitional housing programs.
■ Court Appointed Special Advocates of Jefferson County: $35,000, to support advocacy services for children who are in the foster care and family court system in Jefferson County.
■ Crime Victim Advocacy Center: $10,000, to provide financial assistance with legal services for survivors of domestic violence.
■ Criminal Justice Ministry: $50,000, to provide mental health and financial assistance services to Jefferson County residents who have mental illness and are involved with the criminal justice system.
■ Crisis Aid International: $25,000, to support services for Jefferson County children, youth and their families who are at risk for or have experienced child sexual exploitation or trafficking.
■ De Soto School District: $11,000, to purchase hearing screening equipment.
■ Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments: $15,000, to provide services for Jefferson County children who are visually impaired.
■ DeSoto Food Pantry: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need and to purchase food for the pantry.
■ Developmental Disability Advocates: $50,000, to implement a new client software system.
■ Disability Resource Association Inc.: $100,000, to provide program support for the emergency assistance, transportation and independent living programs.
■ Disability Resource In-Home Services: $27,000, to recruit, train and retain in-home aides.
■ Disability Resource In-Home Services: $34,070, to purchase medical equipment for clients and to support the in-home care program.
■ Dunklin R-5 School District: $10,000, to provide program support for the Bright Futures basic needs program.
■ Emmanuel Baptist Church Food Pantry: $15,000, to purchase food and to assist with the pantry’s general operating expenses.
■ Eye Thrive: $35,000, to provide Jefferson County students with comprehensive eye exams and glasses.
■ Faith Community Church: $15,000, to purchase food for the food pantry.
■ Faith Community Church: $32,500, to purchase freezers and to make facility upgrades.
■ FamilyForward: $33,540, to implement trauma-specific occupational therapy services in Jefferson County.
■ Feed My People: $15,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ First United Methodist Church: $5,564.37, to purchase a freezer and equipment for the food pantry.
■ First United Methodist Church: $15,000, to purchase food for the food pantry.
■ Food Outreach Inc.: $25,000, to provide healthy meals to Jefferson County residents with HIV, cancer or uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.
■ Gateway to Hope: $25,000, to provide support services to breast cancer patients in Jefferson County and to assist women to get screened.
■ Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri: $25,000, to provide the Project Anti-Violence Education program in Jefferson County schools.
■ Girls on the Run of St. Louis: $40,000, to support the Girls on the Run program in Jefferson County schools.
■ Good Shepherd Children and Family Services: $35,000, to support the foster care program and to recruit additional foster homes.
■ H.E.R.O.E.S. Care Inc.: $35,000, to provide mental health services to veterans and their families.
■ Helping Hand Me Downs: $7,500, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Helping Hands and Horses: $14,000, to purchase new horses for the equine therapy program.
■ High Ridge Fire Protection District: $42,996, to purchase emergency rescue tools.
■ Hillsboro Christian Church: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Hillsboro Fire Protection District: $36,949.69, to purchase updated AED/CPR training equipment.
■ Hillsboro Food Pantry: $50,000, to purchase a new van that will be used to pick up donated food.
■ Hillsboro Lions Club: $3,500, to support the vision program.
■ Integrity Restoration: $30,000, to purchase a tree lift that will increase employment opportunities for people who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.
■ Jeffco Shop With A Cop: $10,000, to provide program support for the Shop with a Cop program in local schools.
■ Jeffco Subcontracting Inc. (JSI) Sheltered Workshop: $10,007, to increase security.
■ Jefferson College Foundation Inc.: $110,490, to purchase simulation equipment for the EMT and paramedic program.
■ Jefferson County Community Partnership: $29,425, to purchase new computers.
■ Jefferson County Family YMCA: $44,800, to create an ADA-accessible shower and to update the bathrooms.
■ Jefferson County Foster Children’s Fund Inc.: $12,500, to provide basic needs items to children in foster care.
■ Jefferson County Foster Closet: $7,500, to purchase program supplies.
■ Jefferson County government: $25,000, to provide program support for the Treatment Court program.
■ Jefferson County Health Department: $175,000, to provide affordable and accessible safety net health services, including screenings and vaccinations, direct care and prevention education.
■ Jefferson County Pregnancy Care Center dba MyLife Medical Center: $15,000, to provide parenting classes and to help families with basic needs items.
■ Jefferson County Rescue Mission: $19,000, to repair the parking lots.
■ Jefferson County Rescue Mission: $20,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation: $50,000, to provide direct financial assistance for housing to low-income people and families.
■ Jefferson R-7 Fire Protection District: $23,274.34, to purchase emergency medical equipment.
■ Lafayette Industries: $13,300, to purchase equipment for the classroom.
■ Legal Services of Eastern Missouri: $30,000, to provide legal services to Jefferson County survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
■ LIV Recovery Sober Living: $100,000, to provide program support for the sober living facility.
■ Living Faith Food Pantry: $10,000, to purchase food and to assist with general operating expenses.
■ Living Faith Food Pantry: $52,830, to purchase a new van that will be used to pick up donated food.
■ Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri: $45,000, to provide mental health counseling services to Jefferson County residents.
■ Mary Daniels Foundation: $25,000, to provide basic needs services to victims of domestic violence.
■ Maryville University of St. Louis: $25,000, to provide program support for the KidTalk Outreach program, which provides free speech-language therapy services.
■ Memory Care Home Solutions: $15,000, to provide dementia care services and education to Jefferson County.
■ NAMI St. Louis: $10,000, to support the Crisis Intervention Team program in Jefferson County families.
■ New Directions Ministry: $20,000, to provide financial assistance and case management services to clients who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
■ North Jefferson County Ambulance District: $10,800, to purchase IV pumps.
■ Nurses for Newborns: $55,000, to provide nurse home visits to underserved families in Jefferson County.
■ Operation Food Search: $35,000, to purchase and distribute food to 12 Jefferson County food pantries.
■ Our Lady’s Inn: $5,000, to provide shelter and supportive services for Jefferson County women and children.
■ Our Little Haven: $70,000, to support the Coordination of Medical Services and Diligent Relative Search programs in Jefferson County.
■ Parents as Teachers-Festus: $30,000, to provide program support and to purchase incentives to increase participation in health screenings.
■ Pink Ribbon Girls: $25,000, to provide meals and rides to treatment for Jefferson County people and families where there has been a breast or gynecological cancer diagnosis.
■ Pony Bird Inc.: $108,912, to repair and renovate agency facilities.
■ PreventEd: $60,000, to support substance abuse prevention and counseling services.
■ Provident Inc.: $87,982.86, to support mental health services in Jefferson County.
■ Radiant Life Pentecostal Church of God: $15,000, to purchase food and personal hygiene products.
■ Redemption Church: $18,000, to purchase food and supplies for the food pantry.
■ Ride On St. Louis: $10,000, to purchase accessible flooring for the program.
■ Rural Parish Clinic of Archdiocese of St. Louis: $40,000, to support mobile medical and dental clinics in Jefferson County.
■ St. Louis Crisis Nursery: $34,000, to support the case management and basic needs program.
■ Second Hand Heros: $5,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Sneakers with Soul: $5,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Fenton: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul-St. John’s Conference: $15,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need and to support the food pantry.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Holy Family Parish in Arnold: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Anthony’s Church in High Ridge: $10,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent DePaul-Good Shepherd in Hillsboro Conference: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ Society of St. Vincent DePaul Our Lady Conference: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ St. David St. Vincent DePaul Conference: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ St. Joseph St. Vincent DePaul, Imperial: $7,500, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.
■ St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church: $7,500, to provide program support for a prom for people with special needs.
■ St. John’s Lutheran Church and School: $20,000, to support mental health services, wellness services and the Foster Kids’ Fun Night program.
■ St. Joseph Catholic Church: $10,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ St. Louis Area Foodbank: $35,000, to support monthly mobile food distribution events.
■ St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness: $5,000, to conduct an outreach campaign on ovarian cancer in Jefferson County and to provide financial assistance to ovarian cancer patients.
■ St. Patrick Center: $25,000, to provide program support for the homeless prevention program for Jefferson County veterans.
■ Teen Challenge of St. Louis: $25,000, to purchase a vehicle to provide transportation for residents.
■ The Arya Foundation: $5,000, to provide adaptive equipment to Jefferson County children.
■ The Covering House: $50,000, to support the construction of a new home for girls who have been sexually trafficked or exploited.
■ The Curators of the University of Missouri: $100,000, to provide psychological evaluations for high-risk youth in Jefferson County.
■ The Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition: $40,000, to support foster care services in Jefferson County.
■ The Housing Partnership Inc.: $15,000, to provide assistance with home repairs.
■ The Salvation Army-Arnold Corps: $25,000, to provide financial assistance and to support the case management program.
■ The Salvation Army-Arnold Corps: $30,000, to repair the parking lot.
■ Tri-County Veterans in Need Team Inc: $7,500, to provide general and financial assistance to local veterans.
■ Twin City Little League: $5,518.70, to purchase first aid kits.
■ University of Missouri Extension Council of Jefferson County: $5,000, to support healthy living programs for youth.
■ Upward Smiles Inc.: $150,000, to support dental services for children.
■ Valle Ambulance District: $50,000, to purchase ventilators.
■ Wyman Center, Inc.: $15,000, to provide program support for the Wyman Leaders program in Jefferson County.
■ Zion Lutheran Church: $10,000, to provide program support for the basic needs program.
■ Zion Lutheran Church Pevely: $5,000, to provide direct financial assistance to people and families in need.