The Saigh Foundation
The Saigh Foundation is a private charitable foundation that awards multi-year grants to nonprofit organizations serving children and youth in education and health within the St. Louis metropolitan area, governed by family trustees and Fiduciary Trust Company International.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Saigh Foundation does
The Saigh Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 2000 (per company history; the firmographics year_founded field states 2009, likely reflecting a later reorganization milestone), continuing the philanthropic legacy of Fred M. Saigh, a St. Louis attorney and former owner of the St. Louis Cardinals (1947–1953). The foundation's mission is to enhance the quality of life for children and youth in the St. Louis metropolitan area by funding nonprofit organizations operating in two focus areas: Education (early childhood through higher education, academic enrichment, workforce and youth development) and Health (access to care, behavioral and mental health, preventive care, wellness). It does not fund capital projects, annual appeals, individuals, or political activities, and explicitly restricts grants to the St. Louis MSA (Missouri counties of St. Louis City/County, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, and Warren; Illinois counties of Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair).
The foundation's "products" are two grant programs (Education and Health) and an online grants management portal (Grant Interface) used for application submission, document upload, and status tracking across four annual deadlines (January 15, April 15, July 15, October 15). The operating model supports multi-year awards ranging from 2–10 years for qualifying projects, alongside site visits (in-person and virtual) and structured applicant feedback. Governance is led by three Co-Trustees (Mike Hejna, Heidi Veron, Franklin F. Wallis, Esq.) and three Fiduciary Trustees from Fiduciary Trust Company International (FTCI) — the corporate trustee since 2007 providing investment management and trust administration. Daily operations are run by an Executive Director (Elke Buckland) and Assistant Director (Julie Hantman), who joined in 2020 following the transition from founding Executive Director JoAnn Hejna.
The foundation's revenue model is non-commercial: it is sustained by returns on its endowment (no products or services are sold) and redistributes capital as grants to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations. Since inception, it has awarded over $71.26 million to 359 nonprofits. Named grantee relationships include Washington University in St. Louis (Saigh Scholarships in Engineering, Fred Saigh Distinguished Professorship), Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (Fred M. Saigh Endowment Fund), Lift for Life Academy, and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The foundation's competitive position is anchored by its brand legacy, its twenty-five-year tenure within the St. Louis philanthropic community, and its lean operating structure (1–10 staff) relative to total disbursement volume.
The Saigh Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Saigh Foundation
- Legal name
- The Saigh Foundation
- Website
- https://thesaighfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Saigh Foundation is a private charitable foundation that awards multi-year grants to nonprofit organizations serving children and youth in education and health within the St. Louis metropolitan area, governed by family trustees and Fiduciary Trust Company International.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Saigh Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Foundation Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
Keywords
Where The Saigh Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Saigh Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Disbursements: The foundation operates as a charitable giving organization, distributing funds to eligible nonprofit organizations serving children and youth in education and health in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Revenue is derived from investment returns on the foundation's endowment established by Fred Saigh.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
The Saigh Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Saigh Foundation is a private charitable foundation that awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving children and youth (ages 0–24) in the St. Louis metropolitan area, with priority focus areas in education and health. Funding is delivered through competitive grant cycles and multi-year commitments ranging from 2 to 10 years, with grant amounts varying by program and project type. Applicants access the foundation through an online grants management portal where they submit letters of inquiry and full proposals.
Product overview
The Saigh Foundation operates as a philanthropic grant-making organization offering two primary grant programs—Education and Health—alongside an online grants management portal for application submission and tracking. The foundation does not offer a single unified product but rather a portfolio of grant funding programs focused on children and youth in the St. Louis metropolitan area, complemented by a digital application platform for managing the grant lifecycle.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Education Grant Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 359 nonprofits granted support since 2000
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Saigh Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Saigh Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Saigh Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Gateway Center for GivingminorThe Saigh Foundation supported the Gateway Center for Giving's Collaborations Directory, a free publicly-available tool designed to foster knowledge-sharing among nonprofits considering collaborative opportunities.
- St. Louis Community FoundationcoreThe Saigh Foundation partnered with the St. Louis Community Foundation's Regional Response Fund to support local organizations' COVID-19 emergency initiatives. Donated $100,000 to broaden reach within the foundation's mission during the pandemic.
- Fiduciary Trust Company International (FTCI)coreFTCI serves as The Saigh Foundation's corporate trustee, providing investment management and trust administration services since 2007. FTCI trustees Kevin Carter, Diana Jauregui, and Jeff MacDonald are integral to the foundation's governance.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Saigh Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- YouthBridge Community Foundation: St. Louis-area community foundation dedicated to managing charitable funds for youth-related causes. Highly comparable as a regional grantmaker exclusively focused on youth services.
- Bayer Fund (formerly Monsanto Fund): St. Louis-based corporate foundation funding education, food security, and community health. Comparable as a similarly-sized St. Louis region private foundation with overlapping focus areas.
- Emerson Charitable Trust: St. Louis-headquartered corporate foundation tied to Emerson Electric, distributing grants to education, health, and community causes. Comparable as a St. Louis-area private foundation with similar education-and-health focus.
- Edward Jones Foundation: St. Louis-based financial services company foundation supporting youth education, financial literacy, and community health. Comparable as a St. Louis private foundation serving children and education-focused causes.
- Danforth Foundation: Major St. Louis private foundation historically focused on education and community development in the region. Comparable as a similarly-structured St. Louis area private foundation with comparable grantmaking scale.
- Crawford Taylor Foundation: St. Louis private foundation established by the Taylor family of Enterprise Holdings, focused on at-risk youth, education, and human services. Comparable as a St. Louis family foundation serving youth and education.
- St. Louis Community Foundation: St. Louis-based community foundation that aggregates charitable giving and disburses grants to regional nonprofits. Directly comparable as a St. Louis grantmaking institution that partnered with Saigh during the COVID-19 Regional Response Fund.
- Deaconess Foundation: St. Louis private foundation focused on child and family health, mental health, and education for vulnerable children in the region. Comparable as a St. Louis private foundation with overlapping children-and-youth health/education mandate.
- Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis: St. Louis regional faith-based foundation funding human services, education, and health programs. Comparable as a St. Louis-area private foundation with education and health grantmaking scope.
Regional players
- Express Scripts Foundation: St. Louis-based corporate foundation tied to the pharmacy benefit management company, funding children's health and education. Comparable as a St. Louis area private foundation with overlapping health and education focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Saigh Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Saigh Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Saigh Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Saigh Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Saigh Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Saigh Foundation
What does The Saigh Foundation do?
The Saigh Foundation is a private charitable foundation that awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving children and youth (ages 0–24) in the St. Louis metropolitan area, with priority focus areas in education and health. Funding is delivered through competitive grant cycles and multi-year commitments ranging from 2 to 10 years, with grant amounts varying by program and project type. Applicants access the foundation through an online grants management portal where they submit letters of inquiry and full proposals.
Is The Saigh Foundation a public or private company?
The Saigh Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Saigh Foundation founded?
The Saigh Foundation was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Saigh Foundation based?
The Saigh Foundation is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Saigh Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Disbursements.
Who are The Saigh Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are YouthBridge Community Foundation, Bayer Fund (formerly Monsanto Fund), Emerson Charitable Trust, Edward Jones Foundation, Danforth Foundation, Crawford Taylor Foundation, St. Louis Community Foundation, Deaconess Foundation and Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis. Express Scripts Foundation is listed as a regional player.
Does The Saigh Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Saigh Foundation.
What industry is The Saigh Foundation in?
The Saigh Foundation's product category is Private Foundation Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 6199.