Missouri Food and Nutrition Grants

The IDEA Fund program is a state-sponsored venture capital initiative that utilizes public funding (both state and federal) to drive economic development within the state. The primary focus of this program is to foster innovation and support technology-driven entrepreneurial endeavors that contribute to the state’s overall economic development growth. MTC’s Venture Capital Program was created to accelerate private venture capital investment in Missouri-based start-up companies and to increase the overall investment impact of third-party investments. The Venture Capital Program supports technology startups through matching equity or convertible debt investments up to $2,000,000 for the purpose of scaling the business to attract additional venture capital. Since 2010, MTC has invested over $49 million in more than 150 early-stage Missouri-based high-growth technology-focused companies. Since 2018, our portfolio companies have gone on to raise over $1.6 billion in additional private capital.

The James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF) is offering grants to support innovative, sustainable, and scalable approaches to wealth building and preservation within specific priority communities and groups. This initiative aligns with JSMF's broader mission to foster human well-being by addressing systemic economic disparities and promoting long-term financial stability. The foundation's strategic framework emphasizes helping individuals and communities build and protect wealth, demonstrating a clear theory of change that by increasing access to financial resources and strengthening community capacity, economic resilience can be significantly improved. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are low and moderate-income individuals and families, as well as Black and historically marginalized groups, including immigrants, residing in the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis County. The impact goals are centered on increasing the number of individuals and families served by financial products, services, or practices, and ultimately increasing and preserving wealth for these target populations. This focus is directly tied to the foundation's strategic priority of addressing wealth disparities in disinvested communities. Successful proposals are expected to align with one or more of three core tactics. Tactic A focuses on increasing access to low-cost, low-barrier financial products and services that drive asset attainment, growth, and preservation. Tactic B aims to build the capacity of community-based organizations and financial institutions to support wealth building and preservation efforts. Tactic C prioritizes attracting new investment capital to disinvested communities within the designated geographic areas. These tactics serve as the foundational elements of JSMF's theory of change, postulating that a multi-pronged approach encompassing access, capacity, and investment is essential for sustainable wealth creation. The program anticipates several expected outcomes and measurable results. These include the development of new loan products for homeownership, providing private equity access for companies owned by people of color, adjusting financial products to support small and diverse-owned businesses, creating investment products that increase ownership in financial markets, supporting employee ownership business models, and implementing systemic changes to credit building. The grants, ranging from $450,000 to $900,000, will be awarded for one to three years, with awards totaling $1.8 million. Proposals will be evaluated based on the innovation, scalability, and sustainability of the proposed approach, and their alignment with JSMF’s mission and guiding principles, ensuring that funded projects have the potential for significant and lasting impact.

This grant provides funding for innovative healthcare projects in the greater Lee’s Summit area, prioritizing initiatives that promote community health, education, and sustainability.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Missouri-based nonprofit organizations and healthcare providers working to improve health outcomes for underserved populations, particularly those affected by food insecurity, housing instability, and workforce development.

This grant provides funding to organizations that assist economically insecure seniors in South St. Louis City with housing-related needs and food insecurity.

This program provides financial assistance to individuals and organizations in Missouri to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops through projects that enhance food safety, research, and sustainability practices.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and eligible entities in specific Missouri counties for projects that promote animal welfare, improve food access and transparency, enhance youth education, and advance agricultural initiatives.

This grant provides financial support to Black entrepreneurs who are positively impacting their communities, helping them grow and sustain their businesses.

This grant provides matching funds to youth agricultural organizations in Missouri for projects that tackle food insecurity in their communities.

This program provides funding to individuals, businesses, and organizations in Missouri for projects that increase local food production and availability, particularly in areas facing food insecurity.

This funding opportunity supports small and mid-sized food and farm businesses in Kansas and western Missouri to enhance their post-harvest operations and market access, fostering collaboration and economic growth in rural communities.

This funding opportunity supports local nonprofits and charitable organizations in Laclede County that provide essential services such as emergency shelter, food distribution, mental health support, and poverty alleviation for vulnerable residents.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit health and human service organizations in Central Missouri to address critical community needs and implement transformative projects.

This program provides financial incentives to farmers in select U.S. states to adopt agroforestry practices that integrate trees and shrubs into their agricultural systems, promoting environmental sustainability and new revenue opportunities.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, government entities, schools, and churches in the Carthage area to support projects that enhance community well-being in areas such as health, education, arts, and nutrition.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Missouri and Illinois that deliver essential services in areas such as basic needs, health, and financial stability to help community members achieve self-sufficiency.