Grants

The James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF) has awarded $824,917 to St. Louis Public Radio (STLPR) to fund a new program that will model how St. Louisans can talk across divides in order to create greater understanding in our region.

The organization’s board of directors voted Thursday to approve the disbursement of $1,090,000 in operational expansion grants after a pause.

There were more applicants local to St. Louis in the finalist round this year than in the past. And the majority of the awardees came from the region.

The funds were initially allocated in 2021, but the original legislation had challenges to it and needed to be revised, said SLDC President Neal Richardson.

The state may not be known for clean energy, but it has many of the raw materials that will be necessary for the transition away from fossil fuels.

The charitable arm of PNC Bank awarded $250,000 in grants to Dance St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Black Rep and St. Louis ArtWorks.

“There’s not a scarcity of resources right now. We have this ability to be a great economic hub because of the attributes we have in this region and the development that is happening today,” one elected leader said.

“There are people that have applications, there are businesses that have been waiting and counting on the opportunity to be able to get this money to build or revitalize their business,” said the bill’s sponsor.

Southwestern Illinois College and St. Louis Community College will open new facilities to train people in areas such as computer-aided design. Local business leaders expect advanced manufacturing to grow into one of the region’s critical industries.

The sector has become a pillar of business opportunity that leaders want to develop in the region.