Partnerships | Saint Louis MHB

The St. Louis philanthropic community envisions a future in which grantmaking is relational and funded partner–funder relationships reflect strong partnerships that lead to meaningful, long-lasting, positive change for the St. Louis region. The funders and philanthropy-supporting organizations listed below are united in our intention to (1) promise the following to all potential funded partners, and/or (2) support the following best practices within the field of philanthropy:

Communication

Staff Contact. We will designate a named staff member to contact directly about your proposal/grant. Staff continuity is a priority.
Prompt Response. We will provide prompt and respectful responses to all inquiries within and outside the grant process within three business days (or notification if the staff member you are contacting is out of the office).
Proactive Approach. We will provide proactive and transparent communication to support your timely and effective preparation and participation in our public processes.

Grantmaking Process

Timeline and Consideration. We will provide well-defined and realistic expectations about the proposal/application process, including fair and timely consideration of all grant requests.
Consistency. We will ensure the provision of consistent information about our policies and procedures, including the requirements for completing and submitting grant applications/reports and how to request support and/or changes.
Performance Management. We will use performance metrics as an opportunity to learn and propose possible modifications.

Relationship

You Are an Expert. We value the knowledge and experience you bring to the partnership. We will strive to continuously learn about your organization’s strategies, challenges and the context in which you work.
Sharing Resources. Whenever we are able, we will help connect you to our resources, perspectives and approaches (as requested) to support strong programs/organizations and amplify community impact.
Assume Best Intentions. We will engage with you from a perspective of learning and growing together. We will strive to create a genuine and honest relationship, assuming the best intentions of everyone involved.

Funded Partner Feedback

We also encourage funded partners to directly provide honest feedback about what is and is not working so we can improve our own individual processes and practices. We are committed to integrating as much feedback as possible and to share with you how your feedback has changed and improved our processes.

If you would like to provide feedback to us directly, please e-mail stlmhb@stlmhb.org. Your feedback will be reviewed internally, and, when appropriate, you will receive a response that addresses your questions and concerns.

Possible items might include:

Proposal/Application review process
Interaction with staff members
Clarity of guidelines and other communications
Reporting requirements
Training and available resources
Any other topic related to your experience that will help improve our grantmaking efforts

The principles in this commitment were researched, created and adopted by: ARCHS, Gateway Center for Giving, Women’s Auxiliary Foundation, United Way of Greater St. Louis, Staenberg Family Foundation, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Kranzberg Family Foundation, and Saint Louis MHB.