This year all nonprofit agencies approaching the Foundation for support are asked to submit a Letter of Inquiry. Instructions for the Letter of Inquiry process can be found by clicking on the tab to the left “How to Apply.” Why is the Foundation taking this step? We want to be respectful of applicants’ time while funding is down and to be in a position to react when the market rallies sufficiently. At a time when resources are tight for all it seemed most respectful to use agency time efficiently. Trustees feel strongly that Mrs. Whitaker’s legacy is owed investment in the community as she imagined it. But she also foresaw her legacy continuing in perpetuity. Balancing these ideas will take constant evaluation throughout the year. Rather than select a spending level for the year the Trustees will re-evaluate the corpus each grant quarter. It is the Trustees’ idea that this is a temporary change in procedure, but applicants should check the website before each grant application to make sure of the current instruction. As always, all agencies seeking funding should speak with Foundation staff before making any submission.

Enriching Lives Through the Arts

The Arts provide a breadth and depth of experience that touch our lives and enrich our region. By investing in creative experiences of St. Louisians we help toward the discovery of ourselves, each other and our community. By supporting excellence in the arts, we promote art forms and institutions that challenge, entertain, and contribute to our overall quality of life.

Encouraging the Preservation and Use of Parks

Parks are an invaluable humanizing asset in an urban environment, providing space for people of different ages and from all walks of life to experience relaxation and tranquility, or to share the company of others in communal activities. By funding projects in parks, we help to create moments of joy, beauty, and neighborhood celebrations that bind us together as a community. Successful grantees share a high quality of program execution, a supportive and active board and an exemplary artistic program. They represent an important niche in the community, have a cogent plan for evaluation, diversity in income, and an enthusiasm for the area in which they work. The Foundation provides both start-up and short-term funding, capital needs and on occasion funds for operating support.

The Whitaker Foundation values projects that are creative in their execution, move toward self sustainability when possible, and are strategic in nature.

Grants made by the Foundation support projects and agencies within a fifty mile radius of the Arch.

The following pages provide information about the Whitakers, recent grants made by the Foundation, and information on how to apply. Agencies contemplating an application should speak to Foundation staff early in their planning.

Thank you for your interest in the Whitaker Foundation and in helping honor Mrs. Whitaker’s gift. We continue to be inspired by her far-sighted view of St. Louis and its potential, her generosity, and her courage in leaving her legacy in the hands of future generations.

Sincerely,

The Trustees of the Whitaker Foundation

A Note About Grants*

*In reading the annual reports you will note that until recently the Foundation also made grants toward the advancement of preventive healthcare and medical research. In 2003, the Foundation hired evaluators to look at our programming, determine our best practices, and compare these with community need. An environmental scan suggested that other source funding in the health area had increased exponentially while funding for the arts and urban parks had declined. Additionally, results suggested a greater expertise in the latter mentioned areas as well a better ratio of scale. As a result, Trustees elected to focus on arts and parks. No new health grants were made after the conclusion of the 2003 grant year. Any payments made subsequently support pledges made before the change in focus.