The St. Louis Community Foundation is accepting applications for its Youth Workforce Development Grant — Fall 2026, a one-time funding cycle supporting established youth workforce development programs serving young people ages 16–25 from households at or below 120% of area median income.
Funding: The Foundation has allocated $200,000 for this grant cycle and anticipates funding 4 to 6 proposals. Awards may support up to 12 months of work. The controlling RFP does not state a fixed per-applicant maximum.
Deadline: September 16, 2026 at 3:00 PM CST.
Eligibility: Applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities in good standing or have a qualifying fiscal sponsor. The funded youth workforce development program must have been operating for at least two years, although new components of an established program may be considered. Programs must serve participants ages 16–25 from households at or below 120% AMI and serve participants from the Foundation’s designated target ZIP codes. Missouri target ZIP codes are 63101, 63102, 63103, 63104, 63106, 63107, 63112, 63113, 63114, 63115, 63118, 63120, 63121, 63133, 63134, 63135, 63136, 63137, 63138, 63140, 63147 and 63155. The RFP also includes three Illinois ZIP codes: 62201, 62203 and 62204.
What the grant may fund: General operating support is available for organizations specializing in youth workforce development. Program operating support may be requested for youth employment programs within multi-service organizations, and project operating support may be requested for an existing, time-limited youth workforce initiative. Strong proposals may include mentoring or coaching, supports that reduce employment barriers, participant stipends or salaries, work supplies, and partnerships with employers or schools that support graduation, post-secondary planning, employment and career advancement.
What the grant will not fund: The RFP excludes new or pilot programs, except new components of a proven program; organizational endowments; research initiatives; capital improvements; organizational debt reduction; political campaigns; and prohibited lobbying activity.
Match/cost share: The controlling RFP does not state a mandatory applicant match or cost-share requirement.
Submission method: Proposals must be submitted through the St. Louis Community Foundation’s online grant portal. Applicants first complete an eligibility quiz. Passing the eligibility quiz unlocks the full application; completing the quiz alone is not a proposal. Organizations may submit only one application in this cycle.
Required attachments: Applicants must upload their two most recent audits. Organizations without audits must provide their three most recent IRS Form 990s. Organizations filing Form 990-N must also provide their actual budget for the prior fiscal year. A program or project budget using the Foundation’s required template is also mandatory. The application also requests applicant-controlled organizational, program, budget, fiscal-sponsorship and authorized-signatory information; Atlas will not fabricate any missing applicant data.
Application content and review: The RFP asks applicants to describe expected outcomes, implementation steps and timeline, implementation team, alignment with grant priorities, success metrics and methodology, innovation, partnerships and collaboration, proposal budget and narrative, fiscal sponsorship when applicable, audited financials and the authorized signatory. Optional letters of support or memoranda of understanding may also be uploaded. The Foundation states that concise, clear responses are valued even though strict character limits are not imposed.
Atlas fit: Atlas Opportunity Score: 91/100. N9+ Fit: 0/100. QC Healthcare / other Dr. Miltie fit: 5/100 conditional. This is a substantial Missouri youth workforce and education opportunity, and eligible healthcare-career programs may participate when they independently satisfy the workforce, geography and program-history requirements. However, capital improvements are expressly excluded and the RFP does not establish a clinical-device, telehealth or connected-exam procurement pathway. Atlas will not force-fit the Nonagon N9+ device and platform. Dr. Miltie, LLC is not a verified eligible direct applicant under the nonprofit/fiscal-sponsor structure.
Official sources: St. Louis Community Foundation Grants Management and the Foundation’s linked Fall 2026 Youth Workforce Development RFP and grant portal.