Our Approach
Why it matters
One in five children in the St. Louis region lives in poverty. This increases to two in five for Black or Brown children. Deaconess envisions a community that values the health and well-being of all children and gives priority attention to the most vulnerable. This community only thrives if the allocation of power and distribution of resources, benefits, opportunities and burdens are not predictable by, nor predicated on race.
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Recent News
Deaconess Foundation’s Statement Regarding Mayor Jones’ Decisive Budgetary Action Relating to the Medium Security Institution, also known as the Workhouse
Deaconess Foundation is a grant making organization building power for child well-being through philanthropy, advocacy and organizing for racial equity and public policy change. A ministry of the United Church …Learn More
April Newsletter | The Priority: Centering Children, Youth and Families
Deaconess Community, Two weeks ago, we collectively witnessed the outcome of years of work to build a more inclusive democracy through approval voting, a measure supported by a broad network …Learn More
March Newsletter | A Year Later: COVID-19 And Equitable Policy
Deaconess Community, This month marks one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. And while many may be breathing a sigh of relief with the increasing availability …Learn More
OUR PARTNERS
We support and learn from our region’s
leading community organizations.
Partner Highlight
Good Journey Development Foundation
Good Journey Development Foundation supports and builds sustainable communities and young leaders who take responsibility for the improvement of our..Read more
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis (SFSTL) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920, and it is rooted in the..Read more
St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America
The St. Louis Interfaith Committee on Latin America (IFCLA) envisions a world in which partners reach across economic, political, and..Read more
St. Louis American Foundation
The St. Louis American, the only African-American newspaper continuously published since 1928 and the longest continuously published weekly newspaper in..Read more
Gamaliel of Illinois
Gamaliel of Illinois‘ mission is to be a multi-issue, multi-racial faith-based network of regional organizations dedicated to building a powerful..Read more
Dutchtown South Community Corporation
Dutchtown South Community Corporation (DSCC) is a community development corporation started and led by neighborhood residents serving four southeast St...Read more
Neighborhood Leadership Fellows
Neighborhood Leadership Fellows is an advanced leadership training program of University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Missouri Extension (MU Extension)..Read more
Jamaa Birth Village
Jamaa Birth Village is a 501(c)3 non-profit Maternal Health organization located in Ferguson, Missouri serving the greater St. Louis metro..Read more
Missouri Jobs with Justice
Missouri Jobs with Justice’s (JwJ) mission is to organize Missourians to build transformative power for social, racial, and economic justice..Read more
Forward Through Ferguson
After the death of Michael Brown, Jr. on Aug. 9, 2014, “Ferguson” came to symbolize racial strife and inequality in..Read more
Powerful Work from Our Partners
Deaconess Foundation envisions a community that values the health and well-being of all children and gives priority attention to the most..Read more
East St. Louis Moms Testify Before U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Parents United for Change, a chapter of Deaconess Foundation’s Just for Kids Anchor Institution, Community Organizing Family Issues (COFI) has..Read more
2020 Public Policy Campaign Partners
During the Just 4 Kids Community Conversation on November 18, 2019 we announced an investment of $100,000 to support a..Read more
St. Francis Community Services
St. Francis Community Services received a Responsive Grant for “Justice for Immigrant Youth & Families.” While St. Francis has done..Read more
Action St. Louis Tenant Organizing
Action St. Louis is the Deaconess Foundation’s Reverend Buck Jones Memorial Grant for Tenant Organizing partner, Rev. Starsky Wilson, president..Read more
Missouri Health Care for All
Missouri Health Care for All (MHCFA) is the only permanent, statewide organization in Missouri focused solely on grassroots mobilization on health..Read more
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