Our Process

Our portal is closed from September 1st to December 1st for updates. LOIs for 2027 consideration must be submitted in the portal after December 1st. 

We strive to make our grant process transparent, straightforward, and respectful of your time, with clear expectations and practical information to help you decide whether and when to apply.

  • Pre-Application: Review Framework, Eligibility, & FAQs

Review our Pre-Application material below. Get to know BFF’s approach, priorities, and what we seek in strong partners. Review our FAQs and LOI questions.

  • Phase 1: Letter of Intent Submission & Initial Review

Submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). We review LOIs regularly and respond within 10 weeks, often sooner. Selected requests will be advanced to Phase 2.

LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year – there is no deadline for submission.

  • Phase 2: Full Application Submission & Final Decision

Submit a full application after invitation. We review materials up for final consideration quarterly, with decisions communicated within 4-6 weeks from submission.

Pre-Application

As we work to support a thriving St. Louis, the Berges Family Foundation seeks organizations with a clear strategy and demonstrated effectiveness, and we look for moments when philanthropic investment can accelerate progress, unlock opportunity, and create lasting value for the region.

Please complete the following to determine if your organization and request are aligned with our foundation’s strategic priorities before beginning Phase 1 of our process. For questions regarding our criteria and process, please reach out to info@bergesfamilyfoundation once you have carefully reviewed our material.

Get to Know Our Foundation

To ensure alignment, and to support strong applications, we ask that organizations carefully review our foundation’s identity, approach, and strategic funding priorities.

Visit the following webpages to get to know who we are and how we work:

Determine Eligibility & Alignment

The Berges Family Foundation considers organizations that demonstrate the following characteristics.

  • Registered 501(c)(3)s

  • Primarily benefit St. Louis City and County with a particular emphasis on underinvested neighborhoods and communities.

  • Seek funding that aligns closely with one or more of our strategic priority areas.

  • While every grantee organization is evaluated within the context of its mission and community impact, our strongest partners demonstrate the following:

    • Leadership & Organizational Strength

      Guided by capable leadership, engaged governance, and clear strategy, with sound financial stewardship, healthy operations, and capacity to execute and adapt

    • Evidence of Meaningful Outcomes and Learning

      Define success, show meaningful progress toward goals, and use data to demonstrate results, learn, and improve over time

    • Collaboration & Community Partnership

      Build authentic relationships with communities, engage stakeholders, work across sectors, and contribute to broader efforts that improve regional outcomes

    • Distinctive Contribution

      Clear understanding of the role they play in the broader ecosystem, and bring distinctive strengths, perspectives, and capabilities that contribute to meaningful progress on the issues they address

    • Strong Opportunity for Impact

      Ambitious about impact, addressing significant challenges with a clear strategy, at a pivotal point where investment can accelerate progress

Please note that BFF does NOT fund: fundraising event sponsorships, direct scholarships or grants to individuals, endowment funds, or debt retirement/operational deficits.

Review our FAQs

Start at the top of this page where you will find an outline of our process and links to important background information on our site, followed by detailed information needed to determine eligibility and alignment. We have taken great care in being transparent about our process and how we evaluate strategic fit and funding decisions. If you feel your organization and request are a fit after reviewing our criteria, submit a Letter of Inquiry.

The grants portal will open by December 1, 2026 reflecting the new grants process for consideration in Q1 2027.

While there’s no minimum budget or size, the Foundation prioritizes funding to more mature organizations who have a history of demonstrated results, capacity to execute impact at a meaningful scale, and play a unique role in addressing regional challenges.

Many organizations do work that connects to more than one of our pillars. In your Letter of Inquiry, choose the pillar that best reflects the primary outcomes of the work you’re asking us to support. You’re welcome to describe how your work connects to our other pillars, too. We’ll look at the full picture of your organization’s impact.

We listen to the needs and case of the organization and provide funding across flexible timelines. Many of our grantees are awarded multi-year funding for requests such as capital campaigns, ongoing program support, and general operating. We also recognize that there are times when one-time, immediate funding is more appropriate than a multi-year request.

First, please carefully review our priorities, focus areas, and criteria. We have rolling deadlines, so there is no need to rush the process. We expect to receive funding requests that are timely and strategic to the needs of their organization.

Additionally, for first-time grantees, it is likely that we will fund a specific, tangible request to help build a working relationship, rather than providing unrestricted funding. Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions by sending an email to [email protected].

First, please read all criteria about our focus areas and our criteria. Then, if you still have questions, please feel free to send an email to [email protected]. While we do receive a lot of inbound queries, we do our best to follow up on all emails in a timely fashion.

Review our LOI Questions

When our grants portal opens on December 1st, we will also provide our LOI questions for download here. We provide access to our LOI questions in advance so you can preview the questions, prepare your answers, and further evaluate your fit and alignment before starting.

Note: Your LOI must be completed in the portal via the link below. Once you begin your LOI in the grants portal, you’ll be able to save your draft and return to it at any time.

Begin Application Phase 1

If your organization has reviewed our foundation information, meets our eligibility and alignment criteria, and has reviewed our LOI and process, you are welcome to submit a letter of inquiry at the portal link below.

LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year – there is no deadline for submission.

Our portal is closed from September 1st to December 1st for updates. LOIs for 2027 consideration must be submitted in the portal after December 1st. 

For questions, please reach out to [email protected].