YouthBridge Community Foundation

What YouthBridge Community Foundation does

YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1877 and reorganized into its current philanthropy-advisory model in 2005, headquartered at 12977 North Forty Drive, St. Louis, Missouri. The foundation partners with individual donors, families, businesses, and financial advisors in the Greater St. Louis region to design and administer charitable giving strategies, primarily focused on children and youth causes. It holds approximately $150.1M in Assets Under Influence and awarded $10.1M in grants across 248 nonprofit organizations and 64 zip codes in 2025, with 85% of grant dollars staying local.

The foundation's product set includes donor-advised funds, designated funds, field-of-interest funds, private and family foundation administration, corporate donor-advised funds, corporate giving circles, endowment building services, fiscal sponsorships, and a charitable giving card product (physical and digital, redeemable at 1.8M+ US 501(c)(3) charities through partner Charity On Top). It also runs multiple grant programs (Heritage, Think Big for Kids, Gateway Children's Charity, Child Welfare Capacity Building) and an impact investing program deploying loans and deposits to CDFIs (IFF $300K, Justine Petersen $550K, St. Louis Community Credit Union $250K). Technology consists of an online donor portal (ybcf.fcsuite.com) for fund management, grant requests, and statements, alongside a card-issuance platform; the foundation operates as a Small team of approximately 7 staff under long-tenured CEO Barbara Carswell.

Revenue is generated primarily through an annual administrative fee on fund assets starting at 0.50% and declining at scale (with a $250 minimum for agency endowments), a 6% administration fee on charitable giving card orders, and fees for private foundation administration and grant-making services. Distribution is principally direct advisory (relationship-led), supplemented by 14 financial firm partnerships (in which 64% of assets and 21% of funds are managed by donor-recommended advisors), an annual Family Business Speaker Series at the Ritz-Carlton, and community-facing programs like YEP STL!, a student-led grantmaking initiative in 40+ St. Louis high schools sponsored by First Bank since 2017.

Name

YouthBridge Community Foundation

Legal name

YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis

Website

https://youthbridge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1877

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YouthBridge Community Foundation is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1877 that partners with individual donors, families, businesses, and financial advisors to administer donor-advised funds, endowments, and grantmaking focused on children and youth causes across the Greater St. Louis region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Donor-advised funds
• Community foundation
• Philanthropy advisory
• Charitable fund management
• Grant administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fund Administration Fees: YouthBridge charges an annual administrative service fee for managing endowment and donor-advised funds. The fee starts at 0.50% of assets and declines as assets grow. Minimum annual administrative fee for agency endowments is $250. 100% of fund fees are reinvested into community discretionary grants.
2. Charitable Giving Card Administration Fees: A 6% administration fee is charged on charitable giving card orders to offset program costs. Any proceeds are granted to nonprofit organizations.
3. Grant-Making Services: YouthBridge administers grants on behalf of fundholders and partner organizations, including private foundation administration and grant management services for family foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

YouthBridge Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that partners with donors to support charities in the Greater St. Louis region, with a focus on children and youth. It administers a range of charitable funds (donor-advised, designated, field of interest, agency endowments, private/family foundations, corporate DAFs and giving circles), sells physical and digital charitable giving cards redeemable at any US 501(c)(3), delivers endowment-building and impact-investing services for nonprofits, and runs multiple grant programs and the YEP STL! youth philanthropy initiative.

Product overview

YouthBridge Community Foundation is a community foundation serving the Greater St. Louis region that provides philanthropy advisory services and charitable fund management. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of charitable giving vehicles including Donor-Advised Funds, Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, and Private/Family Foundation administration. Core programs include Charitable Giving Cards (physical and digital), Endowment Building services with matching funds, Impact Investing, and Fiscal Sponsorships for emerging organizations. The foundation manages multiple grant programs including Heritage Grants, Think Big for Kids, Partnership/Merger Grants, Gateway Children's Charity Grants, Child Welfare Capacity Building Grants, and YEP STL! youth philanthropy program. Services are designed for individual donors, businesses, financial advisors, and nonprofit organizations seeking to maximize charitable impact in the St. Louis region with focus on children and youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Charitable funds that allow donors to support multiple charities through a single account, providing immediate tax advantages with the flexibility to give over time. Offered as a more flexible, efficient alternative to a private foundation.
• Designated Funds Endowed funds that ensure regular funding to specific nonprofit organizations over time. Includes variance power to redirect support if a designated organization ceases to exist.
• Field of Interest Funds Funds allowing donors to focus gifts on specific charitable areas such as early childhood, literacy, or children's well-being, with YouthBridge handling grant recommendations based on pressing community needs.
• Private & Family Foundation Administration Administrative services for private foundations including grant administration, due diligence, foundation governance, and coordination with asset management, legal counsel, and tax services.
• Corporate Donor-Advised Fund Business-focused donor-advised fund allowing companies to support multiple charities through one fund with immediate tax advantages and flexible giving over time.
• Corporate Giving Circles Employee engagement program pooling donations to make collective charitable impact, with team members sharing ideas and deciding together which nonprofits to support.
• Charitable Giving Cards Physical and digital charitable gift cards allowing recipients to donate to any 501(c)(3) public charity in the United States, including schools, churches, and synagogues. Available in printed or e-card formats with optional custom branding (company logo or original design). Denominations include $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $250, $500.
• Endowment Building Services Services helping nonprofit organizations establish and grow endowment funds, including investment solutions, matching funds, gift planning expertise, and technical assistance such as training on endowment basics and policy setup.
• Impact Investing Program Community investment program generating measurable social impact alongside financial returns through loans and deposits to local organizations including IFF ($300,000), Justine Petersen ($550,000 combined loan investments), and St. Louis Community Credit Union ($250,000 Community Impact Deposit).
• Fiscal Sponsorships Administrative sponsorship for emerging organizations allowing them to attract donors using YouthBridge's 501(c)(3) status while providing guidance and administrative support during the transition to formal nonprofit status.
• Heritage Grant Program Grant program supporting child- or youth-serving organizations that are regularly funded by YouthBridge fundholders, honoring the foundation's mission around nonprofit sustainability.
• Think Big for Kids Grant Grant program stimulating innovative thinking and funding big ideas from nonprofits serving children and youth in the St. Louis community.
• Partnership/Merger Grant Program Grant program assisting nonprofits looking to partner or merge with other nonprofits.
• Gateway Children's Charity Grant Grant program providing funding to early childhood programs supporting children in underserved St. Louis communities.
• Child Welfare Capacity Building Grant Grant program assisting nonprofits in building, strengthening, and sustaining their organizations.
• YEP STL! (Youth Engaged in Philanthropy) High school student-led program that evaluates and awards grants to youth-focused nonprofit organizations in the Greater St. Louis area, teaching philanthropic decision-making skills.
• Wayne C. Kaufmann Charitable Foundation Grant Foundation grant program improving care and welfare of community members so they can live up to their God-given potential.
• Youth Entrepreneurship Grant Grant supporting capacity building for youth entrepreneurship programs and organizations in the Greater St. Louis Area.
• Technical Assistance and Board Training Nonprofit support services including technical assistance, leadership development, organizational connections, and strategic planning support.

Quantifiable outcome

• $10.1M in grants awarded in 2025 to 248 nonprofit organizations across 64 St. Louis zip codes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• First BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017First Bank is the presenting sponsor for the YEP STL! (Youth Engaged in Philanthropy) program since 2017, demonstrating commitment to helping young people succeed. The partnership invests in young leaders and provides transportation assistance for program participants.
• Charity On TopsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCharity On Top is the partner for redeeming YouthBridge charitable giving cards. Recipients redeem cards through the Charity On Top platform to donate to their chosen charity.
• RubinBrown LLPsupportingOthersRubinBrown LLP conducts YouthBridge's annual audit. YouthBridge undergoes an annual audit by this accounting firm as part of its governance and transparency practices.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest national donor-advised fund sponsor with tens of billions in assets. Operates a similar DAF and grantmaking model but with a national footprint, lower minimums, established brand, and digital-first experience that compete directly with community foundation DAF offerings.
• Schwab Charitable: A leading national donor-advised fund sponsor integrated with Schwab's wealth platform. Targets the same financial advisors and high-net-worth donors as YouthBridge, offering DAFs and investment options at national scale with lower entry minimums.
• Vanguard Charitable: A national donor-advised fund program with low-cost investment options that appeals to advisors and cost-sensitive donors. Directly competes with community foundation DAFs on pricing and digital experience.
• The Chicago Community Trust: One of the oldest and largest community foundations in the U.S., serving the Chicago region with donor-advised funds, endowments, and competitive grantmaking. Operates the same community foundation model as YouthBridge but at substantially larger AUM scale and broader regional mandate.
• BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund: A national donor-advised fund sponsor offered through BNY Mellon's wealth management platform. Competes for the same financial advisor-referred DAF business and high-net-worth donor relationships that YouthBridge cultivates through its advisor channel partnerships.

Regional players

• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: A community foundation serving the Kansas City metro with a similar donor-advised fund, grantmaking, and advisor partnership model. Operates in a neighboring region with comparable mid-size foundation scale and competitive overlap with YouthBridge for regional corporate and family foundation business.
• Jewish Federation of St. Louis: A regional philanthropic organization in St. Louis that operates grantmaking, donor-advised and endowment-style funds for its community. Comparable in regional footprint and service structure but focused on a specific faith/identity community, creating partial overlap in donor and nonprofit segments.
• United Way of Greater St. Louis: A large regional nonprofit in the same St. Louis footprint that fundraises from corporate donors and distributes grants to area nonprofits. While operating a different model (workplace giving and federated campaigns), it competes for the same local donor dollars, corporate partnerships, and nonprofit visibility.

Direct peers

• National Philanthropic Trust: An independent national DAF sponsor and philanthropic services provider offering donor-advised funds and fund administration to individuals, families, and advisors. Directly comparable in DAF structure and target donor profile, though at significantly larger national scale.
• St. Louis Community Foundation: The largest and most directly comparable community foundation in the St. Louis metro, operating the same donor-advised fund, grantmaking, and regional philanthropy advisory model. They compete for the same donors, advisors, and nonprofit partners in the identical geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthbridge-community-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthbridgestl
• Facebookfacebook.com/YouthBridgeCommunityFoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YouthBridge Community Foundation