The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis received a $500,000 donation from a local sales and marketing company to help improve women’s economic and social status.
The five-year gift from Clayton-based Advantage Solutions will support the local Urban League affiliate’s Save Our Sisters program. The program, started in 2018, predominantly serves Black women in the St. Louis region. It provides counseling, life skills training and employment assistance.
The grant will be used to bring more professional development, job training and family assistance programming to area women. It will also help high school students understand the college admissions process, prepare for entering the workforce and navigate motherhood.
Last year, women across the nation earned 84 cents to every dollar men are paid. Missouri is on par with the national average. The gender pay gap nationally has narrowed over the years but widened in 2024. Black women earn about two-thirds of what white non-Hispanic men make nationally, but the pay gap is much wider for older Black women and Hispanic women.
Many women in St. Louis are on the path to success but need more encouragement and support, said Michael McMillian, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO.
“We have to continue to work to be better versions of ourselves until we have full pay equality,” he said.
McMillan added that he would like to see just as many female CEOs as male and to see more successful women entrepreneurs and civic leaders.
Women who seek assistance through the program will have the opportunity to earn work certifications, attend parenting classes and get housing assistance. Advantage Solutions also will host job fairs at the Urban League.
Community organizations and companies should build women up to help improve their lives, said Dave Peacock, CEO of Advantage Solutions.
“It’s a tough decision to go ask for help,” he said. “So these wraparound services and filling the gaps that other organizations don't provide — or that may exist even when you're employed — are critical for people.”
Women interested in joining the Save Our Sisters program can sign up on the Urban League’s website or call 314-615-3600.
