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“A testament to the civic and community-minded generosity that is driving St. Louis’ resurgence” – Jason Hall
Greater St. Louis, Inc. is applauding the generous $2.4 million grant The James S. McDonnell Foundation announced today it is making to the St. Louis Anchor Action Network. The grant will allow for additional staffing and programming to support Anchor Action Network members, building on its early success and widening its impact.
This investment comes on the heels of the James S. McDonnell Foundation’s announcement that it will focus on shared prosperity and quality of life in St. Louis.
“This commitment from the James S. McDonnell Foundation is a testament to the civic and community-minded generosity that is driving St. Louis’ resurgence,” said GSL CEO Jason Hall. “We want to applaud Dr. Jason Purnell, the McDonnell Foundation, and the St. Louis Anchor Action Network for their ongoing commitment to improving the lives of the people of St. Louis.”
The St. Louis Anchor Action Network combines the resources of healthcare, education, and the public and private sectors to create a new model for efforts to overcome the systemic impact of racism and disinvestment. Its members include anchor institutions – large companies and organizations that serve as pillars of our regional economy, including GSL investors Edward Jones and the University of Missouri-St. Louis – that have the resources to drive change and sustained investment.
GSL is a proud Regional Partner of the Anchor Action Network. The Network’s commitment to enhancing supplier diversity in our region directly aligns with GSL’s SupplySTL initiative, which aims to match anchor institutions with small and diverse local businesses across the metro and engage in collaborative efforts. This builds off the STL 2030 Jobs Plan and GSL looks forward to continued collaboration with the Network.
Lakesha Mathis, Vice President of GSL who leads the SupplySTL initiative, added: “Through our Diverse Business Accelerator, we’ve worked to increase the number of diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses in St. Louis. Being able to now connect those small businesses with anchor institutions is the logical next step in our efforts to drive inclusive economic growth in the St. Louis metro.”