Community Impact Network

Community Impact Network operates as a collective impact intermediary rather than a conventional grantmaking foundation. The organization coordinates more than 83 member nonprofits working within the 24:1 region of North St. Louis County — a community of approximately 33,280 residents served by the Normandy Schools Collaborative, encompassing municipalities like Pine Lawn, Pagedale, and Wellston.

The path to funding runs almost entirely through network membership, not open proposal cycles. CIN's IRS 990 filings and grantee history reveal that virtually all 90 recorded grants — totaling $23.82 million since the foundation's 2018 IRS ruling — went to organizations already embedded in the network's platform structure. Equity Homes, Beyond Housing, United 4 Children, and Parents As Teachers collectively absorbed over $16.74 million, all pre-positioned as subcontracting "platform partners" rather than competitive applicants.

For first-time applicants, this means the entry point is not a grant portal but a relationship. CIN hosts monthly convenings where member organizations share resources and funding opportunities. Attending these meetings — and eventually becoming a member — is the prerequisite to any funding conversation. The organization describes its model as "listening, collaborating, and investing" in that order, which signals that relationship development precedes resource allocation by a significant margin.

CIN's funding approach is also shaped by its unusual dual role: it simultaneously raises funds from major donors (drawing primary support from the Alvin Goldfarb Foundation at $11.4 million and the Jane Goldberg Foundation at $7.2 million in FY2024) and redistributes those funds to platform partners. This intermediary structure means priorities can shift based on what its primary funders direct, so alignment with CIN's stated pillars — learning, living, and legacy — is necessary but not sufficient. Deeper alignment with the Normandy-area geography and the specific coalitions CIN manages is the real filter.

Organizations that have received multi-year, multi-grant support (4 grants each to Equity Homes, Beyond Housing, United 4 Children, Belle Children's Services, and Parents As Teachers) share common traits: they provide direct services in the 24:1 area, they operate continuously rather than episodically, and they function within one of CIN's defined continua. New entrants should expect a long runway — membership and relationship-building likely precede any formal funding invitation by 12 to 24 months.

CIN's total giving has grown substantially, from $4.06 million in FY2019 to $9.59 million in FY2023, a 136% increase over four years. Revenue surged to $17.93 million in FY2024 (an 89% year-over-year jump), and assets reached $25.26 million, suggesting a major capital infusion that could presage expanded grantmaking in FY2025 and beyond.

Across 90 recorded grants totaling $23.82 million, the median grant stands at $87,972 and the average at $264,676, but the distribution is highly skewed. The top two grantees alone — Equity Homes ($7.62 million across 4 grants) and Beyond Housing ($4.23 million across 4 grants) — account for 49.9% of all recorded giving. This concentration reflects CIN's platform partner model, where core subcontractors receive recurring, large-scale support rather than one-time project grants. The largest single grant recorded was approximately $2.35 million; the smallest was $500.

By program area, housing dominates at roughly 50% of total giving: Equity Homes handles new construction, demolition, and renovations of single-family homes for ownership, while Beyond Housing focuses on family engagement and housing resource coordination. Early childhood education ranks second at approximately 27%, led by United 4 Children ($3.1 million for the PAQ Center program) and Parents As Teachers ($1.8 million for in-home and doula services). Belle Children's Services received $783,388 for special education programs at PAQ Centers, and Harris Stowe State University received $524,028 for educational center support.

Basic needs — food security, diapers, rental assistance — captures about 7-8% of giving: Operation Food Search ($850,051), St. Louis Area Diaper Bank ($826,543), and St. Vincent de Paul ($100,000 in rental assistance). Youth development accounts for roughly 10%, with The Legacy Center via Regional Business Council ($1.3 million), STL Youth Jobs ($377,159), Big Brothers Big Sisters ($262,441), and Epworth Drop-In Center ($242,414).

Smaller "special project" grants in the $1,000-$12,000 range exist — distributed to 15+ organizations — but these appear to be ancillary community investments rather than strategic funding opportunities. The practical funding target for an aspiring platform partner is $200,000-$1 million per year, with multi-year commitments possible once the organization is embedded in a CIN coalition. Grants paid declined slightly in FY2023 ($6.62M) from FY2022 ($7.05M), likely reflecting a portfolio rebalancing rather than a reduction in commitment.

The five peer foundations matched to CIN by asset size (all in the $25.2M-$25.3M range) represent the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category but operate in different geographies with less publicly available grantmaking data. The comparison below situates CIN within this asset tier and highlights what distinguishes it:

What distinguishes CIN within this peer set is its operating foundation status and high-velocity grantmaking. Most comparable-sized foundations in this tier are pass-through grantmakers or family foundations with modest payout ratios. CIN's annual giving-to-assets ratio of approximately 38% in FY2023 is exceptionally high relative to the 5% minimum payout typical of private foundations, reflecting its role as a redistributor of externally raised capital rather than an endowment spender. This also means CIN's grantmaking capacity fluctuates with its own fundraising success — the 89% revenue jump in FY2024 is a positive signal for applicants, as it likely translates into expanded grantmaking in FY2025-2026. For grant seekers evaluating similar-sized funders, CIN is distinctive in that it publishes a clear geographic and coalition-based framework for funding, making it more navigable than many family foundations of comparable size that fund across broad, undifferentiated categories.

The most significant recent financial development is CIN's FY2024 revenue surge to $17.93 million, up 89% from $9.47 million in FY2023. IRS and third-party records attribute the jump primarily to investments from the Alvin Goldfarb Foundation ($11.4 million) and the Jane Goldberg Foundation ($7.2 million). Total assets grew from $21.62 million to $25.26 million, positioning CIN for expanded grantmaking capacity in FY2025-2026.

On the program side, April 2026 saw the launch of the Metro Market, a fresh produce access initiative serving 24:1 community residents — CIN's most visible new program investment in the Basic Needs continuum. In May 2026, the Nonprofit Sustainability Series held its second session on fundraising strategies, and multiple CIN member organizations collectively participated in GiveSTLDay, with CIN facilitating shared activation across its network.

The network itself grew from approximately 70 member organizations to 83 active members serving 17,151 clients, with over 50 active inter-organizational collaborations reported as of mid-2025.

Leadership has shifted: Neosha Franklin now appears as President/CEO (compensation: $166,956), a notable change from prior filings in which Winston Calvert held the primary leadership role (still listed as VP/Secretary/CEO at $225,000). Jean Cody, previously listed as both Chairman and President, does not appear in the most recent compensation data, suggesting a governance transition. COO Andria Nelson Roberts ($145,000) and CFO Wayne Knight ($150,384) remain in their roles. CIN also joined Idealist in June 2025, expanding its public-facing nonprofit recruitment profile.

The most critical fact for any prospective applicant: Community Impact Network does not operate an open grant competition. Its IRS filing explicitly notes application instructions as "none," and all recorded grantees are embedded platform partners or active member organizations within the 24:1 coalition. An unsolicited proposal sent to CIN is not part of any documented funding pathway.

The actionable path begins with network membership. Contact CIN directly at info@stlci.net or 314-776-9600 to express interest in joining the 83-member network. Organizations that do not currently serve clients within the 24:1 region — defined by the Normandy Schools Collaborative boundaries in North St. Louis County — should not invest time in this relationship; geographic alignment is an absolute prerequisite, not a preference.

Frame your work within CIN's defined continua, not as a standalone program. CIN funds organizations operating within the Early Childhood Continuum (0-8 years, wraparound services), Youth Continuum (school-age through career readiness), Community Investment (housing, economic mobility), and Basic Needs. Describe how your organization functions as a node connecting to other member organizations — the platform partner model rewards coalition integration over individual program strength.

Lead with operating support, not a project grant ask. "Operating Support" is the most common purpose designation across CIN's top grantees, including Mission St. Louis, Prosperity Connection, Fathers and Families, and Helping Hand Me Downs. Demonstrating organizational sustainability and sustained service delivery within the 24:1 area will resonate more than a pitch for a new initiative.

COVID-era rapid-response grants (2020-2021) show CIN's willingness to deploy funds quickly for acute community needs — Affinia Healthcare received $50,000 for COVID testing and the Diaper Bank received emergency food support. For established network members, CIN can be a rapid-response partner in crises.

Avoid the "special project" trap. Grants of $1,000-$12,000 to organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs ($9,000), NAACP St. Louis County ($3,000), and St. Louis Artworks ($9,000) appear to be community goodwill investments, not strategic entry points into larger funding. The realistic funding horizon for a platform partner begins at $100,000 and scales with demonstrated coalition contribution.