Berges Family Foundation

The Berges Family Foundation operates as a deeply relationship-driven, family-governed private foundation with $100.7 million in assets and an annual grantmaking program running approximately $8-10 million per year. Founded by Jim (James G.) and Cathy Berges — with James serving as Settlor and Trustee alongside family members Kevin James Berges, Elizabeth Mannen Berges, and Kris Mannen — the board's family-majority governance means that trust is earned over time, not granted on first contact. Elizabeth Mannen Berges serves as a managing advisor in addition to her trustee role, with non-family trustees Michael Silver, Malory Caltagirone, and Katherine Wackerman rounding out the board. The St. Louis Community Foundation provides grant management infrastructure, including nonprofit vetting, alignment analysis, and grant reporting oversight.

The foundation's self-described philosophy of "an inch wide, a mile deep" is not rhetorical flourish — it is a genuine operating principle. Four named program pillars (Empowering Youth & Strengthening Families, Nurturing S.T.E.M. Futures, Supporting Our Heroes, Thriving St. Louis) define the entire grantable universe. The grantee roster confirms this depth-over-breadth approach: 155 recorded grants totaling $29.6 million skew heavily toward multi-year repeat partners. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri ($5.2 million across 3 grants), Great Rivers Greenway ($3 million across 3 grants), and St. Louis Police Foundation ($1.3 million across 4 grants) exemplify the trajectory: modest initial commitment, deepening investment as the relationship matures.

First-time applicants should not expect a transformational award on first contact. The typical progression begins with a well-crafted LOI submitted through the BFF Online Grants Portal (grantinterface.com), a three-month wait for response, an invitation to submit a full application if invited to Phase 2, and then review at one of four annual quarterly trustee meetings. This means the window from initial LOI to first grant award commonly spans five to six months. Organizations that thrive with this funder are those that view the first grant as the beginning of a long-term institutional relationship — not a one-time project check — and that demonstrate comprehensive, year-round programming rather than episodic or seasonal initiatives.

The Berges Family Foundation has grown from $10.6 million in assets at its 2014 founding to $100.7 million by 2024 — nearly 10x growth in a decade — driven primarily by investment returns ($29.5 million net investment income in 2023 alone). Annual total giving has ranged from $5.7 million (2020, a COVID-influenced trough) to $10.9 million (2022), with the 2023 figure at $9.3 million. The foundation's rapid asset appreciation suggests grantmaking capacity is poised to grow through 2025-2026.

Across 155 recorded grants totaling $29.6 million, the average grant is $190,787 and the median is $124,500. The formal grant size range runs $10,000 to $1.1 million. In practice, first-year grants to new grantees typically fall in the $75,000-$150,000 range, with multi-year partners scaling to $300,000-$500,000 and anchor investments reaching $1 million or more (COCA: $1 million across 2 grants; St. Louis Symphony: $1.49 million across 3 grants). Nearly all grants are awarded as general operating support rather than project-restricted funding, which is a significant advantage for recipients.

Breaking down by pillar based on grantee analysis: Youth & Families accounts for roughly 36% of total grantmaking — the largest single category — led by Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri ($5.2M), CASA of St. Louis ($643K), Boys Hope Girls Hope ($488K), Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition ($300K), and a deep roster of youth-serving nonprofits including Youth in Need, Good Shepherd Children and Family Services, College Bound, and Covenant House Missouri. Civic & Community (Thriving St. Louis - civic sub-focus) represents approximately 21%, dominated by Great Rivers Greenway ($3M) and Delmar Divine ($2M). Arts & Cultural comprises about 16%: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra ($1.49M), COCA ($1M), Missouri Botanical Garden ($600K), Opera Theatre of St. Louis ($360K), St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre ($355K), and The Muny ($300K). Health & Human Services accounts for around 7%: Siteman Cancer Center ($500K), Red Cross ($500K), Missouri Baptist Medical Center ($307K). STEM & Education is approximately 5%: LaunchCode ($390K), City Garden Montessori ($375K), Ranken Tech ($186K). Supporting Heroes is a focused pillar at approximately 5%: St. Louis Police Foundation ($1.3M) plus disability sports and accessibility organizations. Geographically, 154 of 155 recorded grants went to Missouri-based organizations.

The foundation's identified asset-size and NTEE peers share a similar classification (W99, Public Benefit — Multipurpose) but differ substantially in geography and mission. The table below reflects the formal peer set followed by a St. Louis philanthropic context comparison.

The identified NTEE peers are not meaningful strategic comparators for St. Louis-based nonprofits — none operate in Missouri or share Berges's community development focus. For grant strategy purposes, more relevant local comparators include the St. Louis Community Foundation (community foundation model, broad geographic and issue scope, open applications, serves as Berges's own grant management partner), the Missouri Foundation for Health (health equity focus, larger grantmaking capacity, open RFP process), and the Whitaker Foundation (arts and civic focus in St. Louis, open LOI process). Relative to these local peers, Berges stands out for its explicit Supporting Our Heroes pillar — uncommon among foundations of comparable size — and for concentrating 99% of giving within a single metropolitan area rather than statewide. Its general operating support approach also distinguishes it from many peers that restrict grants to specific projects.

The Berges Family Foundation's most notable recent public commitment is a November 2025 multi-year, $240,000 grant to the Parents as Teachers National Center, anchoring the Building Stronger Families Campaign and funding the establishment of a permanent Christopher 'Kit' Bond Center in St. Louis. The grant expands trauma-informed early childhood and family support services across the St. Louis region — a signal that evidence-based, clinically-grounded family strengthening approaches are gaining priority within the Youth & Families pillar.

The foundation's newsroom highlights Dream Builders 4 Equity — which received $150,000 across 3 grants — as a featured success story, confirming the organization's standing as a marquee partner and suggesting equity-focused community development work remains a priority.

Financially, the foundation filed its primary 990 tax return on November 17, 2025, reporting $100.7 million in total assets for fiscal year 2024, up from $86.8 million in 2023 — a 16% increase following a 54% surge between 2022 ($56.5M) and 2023. This compounding asset growth, driven by strong investment returns, positions the foundation to potentially expand annual grantmaking beyond the recent $8-10M range.

No leadership or trustee changes have been publicly announced. CEO Kelly Pollock (kelly.pollock@bergesfamilyfdn.org) and Administrative Coordinator Rebecca Punselie (rebecca.punselie@bergesfamilyfdn.org) remain the primary staff contacts. The Board of Trustees — James G. Berges (Settlor/Trustee), Kevin James Berges, Elizabeth Mannen Berges, Michael Silver, Malory Caltagirone, Katherine Wackerman, and Kris Mannen — appears stable.

Lead with organizational maturity and year-round programming depth. The foundation explicitly seeks organizations that offer comprehensive, sustained programming — morning through evening, weekdays through weekends. A seasonal camp, an annual gala's charitable component, or a pilot-phase initiative are poor fits. Front-load your LOI with evidence of organizational stability: years in operation, annual budget size, number of staff, and consistency of programming delivery.

Pillar alignment is non-negotiable. Every LOI must clearly map to one of the four program pillars. If your work touches multiple pillars, pick the strongest fit and build your narrative around it. The foundation is deliberately narrow — do not try to straddle pillars in a single application.

Calibrate your ask to the relationship stage. The median grant is $124,500; first-time applicants should typically target $75,000-$150,000. Requests above $300,000 from organizations without a prior relationship with the foundation are rarely successful on first contact. Open with a request that allows the foundation to say yes easily, then grow the investment over subsequent cycles.

Frame every request as general operating support. Nearly all Berges grants — including their largest, multi-million-dollar awards — are recorded as general support. Even if you have a specific program need, consider whether a general support request better fits the funder's pattern.

Do not ask for event sponsorships, endowments, individual scholarships, or operational deficit funding. These are absolute exclusions. Submitting a request that touches any of these categories signals that you have not done your research.

Use the correct portal. All submissions go through the BFF Online Grants Portal: grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=bergesfamilyfdn. There is no email or paper submission option.

Work the quarterly cycle. LOI responses take up to three months, and full applications are reviewed only at one of four annual trustee meetings. Build your timeline backward from your target award date — an LOI submitted in January could yield an award no earlier than Q3 of the same year.

Build a relationship before submitting. Contact Kelly Pollock (CEO) at 314.735.0085 or kelly.pollock@bergesfamilyfdn.org to introduce your organization. Given the family governance model and the St. Louis Community Foundation's role in vetting applicants, a warm introduction from a trusted intermediary — Arch Grants, Regional Business Council, or St. Louis Community Foundation staff — materially improves your candidacy.