Action St. Louis
Action St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) grassroots community organizing nonprofit founded in 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri, building political power for Black residents through voter engagement, tenant organizing, disaster relief, and coalition-based policy advocacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Action St. Louis does
Action St. Louis is a grassroots 501(c)(3) community organizing nonprofit founded in 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri, that builds political and community power for St. Louisans, with an explicit focus on Black residents and other historically marginalized communities. Its work spans voter education and turnout, tenant and housing justice organizing, disaster relief, and coalition-based policy advocacy. Documented cumulative community reach includes over 200,000 doors knocked since 2016, 50,000+ residents engaged in electoral debates, and 30,000+ voter guide views across 25+ community events.
The organization's core programs include BOSS Organizing Summer School, an eight-week organizer training program launched in 2019 to develop a sustainable talent pipeline; Democracy in Action, a year-round voter engagement initiative; the Housing Justice campaign and We The Tenants effort co-anchored with ArchCity Defenders that produced policy wins including Right to Counsel, the Board Bill 125 mold remediation ordinance, and the Rental Registry; The People's Plan, a policy agenda anchored by 50 local organizations; and The People's Response, an emergency disaster relief program established within 48 hours of the May 16, 2025 EF3 tornado. The Northside Movement Center, a 36,000-square-foot community hub co-anchored with ArchCity Defenders, opened in 2025 following a $15 million capital campaign facilitated by Friends of Northside.
Action St. Louis does not sell commercial products or services. Revenue is generated through tax-deductible donations to its 501(c)(3) entity, contributions to its affiliated 501(c)(4) advocacy arm (Action St. Louis Power Project), and the multi-year Northside Movement Center capital campaign. Its technology stack is non-proprietary and minimal: SMS communications via Strive Messaging, email via Mailchimp, a Squarespace CMS, and Google Analytics for web analytics. The organization is led by Executive Director Kayla Reed with a small named team spanning organizing, communications, and campaign roles, and operates from a headquarters at 1041 Vandeventer in St. Louis alongside the Northside Movement Center at 5939 Goodfellow Blvd.
Action St. Louis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Action St. Louis
- Legal name
- Action St. Louis
- Website
- https://actionstl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Action St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) grassroots community organizing nonprofit founded in 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri, building political power for Black residents through voter engagement, tenant organizing, disaster relief, and coalition-based policy advocacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Action St. Louis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Organizing & Advocacy
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Political Organizations (813940)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)
Keywords
Where Action St. Louis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Action St. Louis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations (C3): Contributions to the 501(c)3 organization support voter education, the BOSS program, general operating costs, and program costs. Donations are tax-deductible.
- Donations (C4): Contributions to Action St. Louis Power Project c4 support political and advocacy activities concerning important social issues.
- Capital Campaign: Community-powered capital campaign to raise $15 million for the Northside Movement Center, facilitated by Friends of Northside as the 501(c)(3) fundraising partner.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Action St. Louis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Action St. Louis is a grassroots 501(c)(3) community organizing nonprofit that runs voter education and engagement programs, tenant and housing justice campaigns, an eight-week organizer training (BOSS Organizing Summer School), disaster relief operations (The People's Response), and a coalition policy agenda (The People's Plan). Offerings are funded through tax-deductible donations and a community capital campaign; constituents can participate in trainings, fellowships, meetings, and campaigns rather than purchase commercial products.
Product overview
Action St. Louis is a grassroots community organizing nonprofit founded in 2016, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of organizing programs, advocacy campaigns, and community initiatives. Core programs include BOSS Organizing Summer School (an 8-week organizer training), Democracy in Action (voter engagement), and Housing Justice campaigns including We The Tenants. Major initiatives include The People's Response tornado relief effort, The People's Plan policy agenda, and the Northside Movement Center facility project. Media offerings include the Under the Arch Podcast. All programs focus on building Black political power and community organizing in the St. Louis region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BOSS: Black Organizing School - an 8-week summer program that trains new organizers in community organizing, strategic communications, movement building, and policy advocacy.
Products and services
- The People's Response Emergency disaster relief and recovery program providing direct aid, resources, and long-term recovery support for displaced families and tornado-impacted North St. Louis residents. Coordinates with partners such as ForTheCultureSTL on relief logistics and community cleanups.
- Democracy in Action Year-round voter education and civic engagement initiative connecting local policy issues to lived experiences, organizing candidate debates, producing voter guides, and mobilizing voters for ballot initiatives and local elections across St. Louis.
- BOSS Organizing Summer School Eight-week summer training program that develops grassroots organizers through organizing fundamentals, hands-on campaign work with partner organizations, and mentorship from experienced community leaders. Open to aspiring organizers, particularly Black residents in the St. Louis region.
- Housing Justice Campaign Organizing campaign advocating for tenants' rights, affordable housing policies, and a Tenant Bill of Rights in St. Louis City, including efforts to address high eviction rates, unsafe housing conditions, and landlord accountability.
- We The Tenants Renter organizing campaign co-anchored with ArchCity Defenders that builds collective power among St. Louis renters through tenant associations, monthly meetings, and policy advocacy for affordable housing, Right to Counsel, Mold Remediation, and Rental Registry accountability.
- People's Response Fellowship Six-month paid leadership and organizing program for North St. Louis residents impacted by the May 2025 tornado, providing political education, grassroots organizing skills, and campaign leadership training, with a $5,000 honorarium for participants.
- Under the Arch Podcast Weekly podcast collaboration between Arch City Defenders and Action St. Louis covering social justice issues affecting the St. Louis region. Hosted on SoundCloud.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200,000 doors knocked since 2016
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Action St. Louis
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Action St. Louis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Action St. Louis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- ForTheCultureSTLcorePartnered with ForTheCultureSTL in the immediate tornado response following the May 16, 2025 EF3 tornado that devastated North St. Louis. Together, they established The People's Response hub within 48 hours, coordinating relief efforts including supply distribution, community cleanups, and door-to-door deliveries.
- Tenants Transforming Greater St. Louis (TTGSTL)coreDeep partnership with TTGSTL, a local Black renter-led organization that catalyzes tenant associations and serves as an accountability mechanism for landlords. Collaborate on site-based organizing and citywide housing policy campaigns including Right to Counsel, Mold Remediation ordinance, and Rental Registry.
- ArchCity DefendersflagshipLong-standing strategic partnership with ArchCity Defenders, one of St. Louis' leading social justice organizations. Collaborate on Northside Movement Center as co-anchoring organizations, Under the Arch Podcast, We The Tenants campaign, and joint organizing efforts to build power at the intersections of protest and politics. This partnership represents a flagship alliance for both organizations.
- Friends of Northsidecore501(c)(3) fundraising partner facilitating the Northside Movement Center capital campaign. Manages the community-powered effort to raise $15 million to transform the historic North St. Louis property into a home for justice and organizing.
- Deaconess FoundationminorCommunity partner referenced in housing organizing context; monthly renters meetings held at Deaconess Foundation location.
- St. Louis Housing Defense CollectiveminorCollective formed during the pandemic to respond to housing instability; first campaign launched to extend the eviction moratorium in the City.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Action St. Louis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Deaconess Foundation: St. Louis-based foundation supporting child and family well-being, including hosting monthly renters meetings with Action St. Louis. Comparable in regional civic infrastructure and convening role in housing and community organizing.
- ArchCity Defenders: St. Louis-based social justice organization providing direct legal aid and advocacy. Co-anchors the Northside Movement Center with Action St. Louis and collaborates on the We The Tenants campaign and Under the Arch Podcast, making it the closest operational peer.
- Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE): Statewide Missouri affiliate of People's Action focused on door-to-door canvassing, voter engagement, and policy campaigns on housing and economic justice. Highly comparable organizing model, scale, and target constituencies.
- Organization for Black Struggle (OBS): St. Louis-based Black-led organization advocating for racial, economic, and social justice. Comparable mission, regional footprint, and base of Black St. Louis residents, with overlapping policy and civic engagement work.
- Tenants Transforming Greater St. Louis (TTGSTL): Black renter-led organization catalyzing tenant associations and housing policy campaigns in St. Louis. Deep strategic partner on site-based organizing and tenant rights, directly comparable in mission, geography, and constituency.
Regional players
- Community Builders Network of Kansas City: Kansas City-based collaborative of community development and organizing nonprofits working on equitable housing and community wealth. Comparable community-organizing approach in a Missouri-adjacent market with similar housing-justice focus.
- Faith for Justice: Faith-rooted organizing network active in housing and tenant rights advocacy. Operates in adjacent geographies and uses similar grassroots tactics, with partial overlap in tenant and civic engagement campaigns.
Emerging players
- Metro Congregations United (MCU): St. Louis interfaith organizing coalition working on housing, criminal justice, and public safety issues. Comparable broad-based community organizing model with a faith-rooted constituency, partially overlapping Action St. Louis's policy agenda.
Broad incumbents
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – National: National civil rights organization whose Missouri chapters and broader network engage on voter rights, housing, and racial justice issues comparable to Action St. Louis's Democracy in Action and Housing Justice campaigns.
- NAACP St. Louis City Branch: Long-established civil rights organization serving Black communities in St. Louis on civic engagement, housing, and criminal justice. Overlapping mission and constituency but operating at broader scale and with longer institutional history.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Action St. Louis social profiles
Digital presenceAction St. Louis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Action St. Louis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Action St. Louis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Action St. Louis 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 Action St. Louis
What does Action St. Louis do?
Action St. Louis is a grassroots 501(c)(3) community organizing nonprofit that runs voter education and engagement programs, tenant and housing justice campaigns, an eight-week organizer training (BOSS Organizing Summer School), disaster relief operations (The People's Response), and a coalition policy agenda (The People's Plan). Offerings are funded through tax-deductible donations and a community capital campaign; constituents can participate in trainings, fellowships, meetings, and campaigns rather than purchase commercial products.
Is Action St. Louis a public or private company?
Action St. Louis is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Action St. Louis founded?
Action St. Louis was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Action St. Louis based?
Action St. Louis is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Action St. Louis make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations (C3) is the primary driver. The others are donations (C4) and capital Campaign.
Who are Action St. Louis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Deaconess Foundation, ArchCity Defenders, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) and Tenants Transforming Greater St. Louis (TTGSTL). Regional players are Community Builders Network of Kansas City and Faith for Justice. Metro Congregations United (MCU) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – National and NAACP St. Louis City Branch.
Does Action St. Louis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Action St. Louis.
What industry is Action St. Louis in?
Action St. Louis's product category is Community Organizing & Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAJ, Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGADAI, Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8300.