INSIGHTS is The Rome Group’s monthly newsletter designed to keep nonprofit leaders, funders, and changemakers informed and inspired. Each issue features timely sector news, thought-provoking articles, funding opportunities, and upcoming local events to support and strengthen your work.
What Nonprofits Need to Know About the July 2025 Postal Rate Increase
The U.S. Postal Service has announced a new round of postage increases, set to take effect on July 13, 2025. While rising rates can be cause for concern, the good news is that nonprofits still receive some of the deepest postage discounts available, and direct mail can outperform other fundraising channels when done right. Click here to read how upcoming changes may mean for your organization.
Create a Nonprofit Memory Book to Establish Institutional Memory
Institutional memory reflects a nonprofit’s theory of change and, over time, captures an organization’s key characters, events, traditions and culture, practices, and strategic decisions in writing. That is, it covers the life history of the organization. Institutional memory is the glue that links the past to the present. It clarifies who got it correct and not so correct to inform the future. Click here to read how your nonprofit can chronicle and keep current institutional memory by creating a memory book.
10 Best Ways to Communicate With Donors and Prospects
There is an ever-increasing array of ways to communicate with donors and prospects, which is great. However, people may have vastly different preferences in how, where and when they prefer to be on the receiving end. Much of this dilemma is driven by new and smarter technology. There are no one-size fits all solutions, click here to learn more.
A Blueprint for Nonprofit Sustainability Amid Funding Challenges in 2025
The article outlines a strategic approach to nonprofit sustainability in the face of 2025’s economic uncertainties and funding challenges. It emphasizes the importance of diversifying revenue streams, strengthening donor relationships, and investing in data and technology to make informed decisions. Leaders are encouraged to focus on transparency, adaptive planning, and building organizational resilience to withstand volatility. Ultimately, it serves as a blueprint for nonprofits to not just survive, but thrive, amid ongoing shifts in the philanthropic landscape. Click here to read more.
State of Nonprofits 2025: What Funders Need to Know
In The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)’s third annual State of Nonprofits report, nonprofits report difficulty pursuing their missions in a complex environment shaped by the current political climate and future economic uncertainty. Click here to learn more and view the full report.
Embrace Agility in Nonprofit Strategic Planning for 2025
Work in the nonprofit sector lately has felt a bit like riding a Tilt-a-Whirl that periodically grinds to a halt and then hurtles backwards at an alarming rate. The ride also has a wonky wheel, and someone keeps throwing foreign objects onto the track. The best thing nonprofits can do in uncertain times is to be as strategic and nimble as possible. Click here to read more.
Reinventing the Cycle: Adapting Relationship Fundraising for Donors Who Use DAFs
As intermediaries between individual donors and charitable organizations, DAFs change individual philanthropy and have implication for the relationship fundraising paradigm that dominates major gift fundraising strategies and processes. This Report, based on interviews with professional fundraisers from across the US, explores DAF’s effects on fundraising and implications for fundraisers’ day-to-day work. Recommendations for developing and refining DAF fundraising are included. Click here to read more.
Work Force Development Funding Cycle 2025
The St. Louis Community Foundation’s Economic Mobility Fund is launching its first workforce development grant cycle under the “Job Access and Creation” sub priority area. These grants are targeted to organizations, programs, and projects that focus on adults seeking employment or advancement in the workplace and that address barriers to employment, retention, and/or advancement. There will be an information session at 11:30am on June 26th, 2025. Click here to register for the info session and click here to learn more about the grant opportunity.
St. Louis Regional Grant Professionals Association Offering Membership Scholarships
The St. Louis Regional Chapter of Grants Professionals Association has opened applications for two scholarships to support national or chapter membership. They are looking to improve access to their community. Applications are due June 30, 2025. Click here for more information.
St. Louis County Port Authority Now Accepting Applications for Community Investment Fund
The St. Louis County Port Authority announces that the 2025 Community Investment Fund (CIF) application period is now open. This is an opportunity for nonprofit organizations located in or serving St. Louis County to secure funding for impactful projects that strengthen communities and drive meaningful development. The CIF prioritizes initiatives that enhance economic opportunities for historically underserved individuals and benefit economically distressed communities. The application deadline is July 10, 2025. Click here to access more information and the application portal.
NSC to Reboot A&E Grantmaking
Network for Strong Communities (NSC), which absorbed the Arts and Education Council (A&E) last year, is reviving grantmaking under the A&E brand. Its Arts and Healing Initiative will fund requests up to $15,000. Rural Arts Programming grant requests will be limited to $5,000. Applications open on July 1, 2025 and a website is under development. Click here to learn more about NSC.
Gateway Children's Charity 2025 Grant Application Now Open
Gateway Children’s Charity raises funds to make high-impact, tangible investments in nonprofit early childhood programs that support children living in underserved metropolitan St. Louis communities. Grant applications close July 31st, 2025 at 5 p.m.
GCC provides two types of grants:
Expansion– GCC offers grants for capital expenses to assist high-quality early childhood programs in expanding the number of children that they are able to serve by adding additional classroom space. Expansion grants are one-time grants awarded for capital expenses with maximum funding of $100,000. Programs must be able to demonstrate student achievement results.
Capacity Building – GCC offers grants for early childhood programs that request support in quality improvement initiatives. These one-year grants may be awarded up to $50,000.
AFP St. Louis Chapter Gateway Conference - Fundraisers' Legacy: 50 Years of Relationships, Resilience & Results
The AFP St. Louis Chapter Gateway Conference on August 6-7, 2025 will celebrate 50 years of advancing philanthropy in St. Louis. This year’s theme honors the remarkable impact of fundraisers who have built lasting relationships, demonstrated resilience through changing times, and delivered measurable results for their organizations and communities. This 1.5-day conference will feature inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and meaningful networking opportunities designed to empower you with tools and strategies to elevate your fundraising success. Click here to learn more and register.
St. Louis Racial Equity Summit by Forward Through Ferguson
The 2025 St. Louis Racial Equity Summit will be hosted by Forward Through Ferguson on August 8-9, 2025 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Forward Through Ferguson aims to ensure that the Ferguson Commission's 189 calls to action are not forgotten. They look forward to convening hundreds of advocates in-person and online to exchange ideas, insights, and perspectives on ways to transform the St. Louis region into a racially equitable place to live and thrive. Click here to learn more.
2025 Philanthropic Landscape - Meeting the Moment
Save the date for TRG's 2025 Philanthropic Landscape on August 28th! We are excited to be back at COCA. Start your morning with coffee, networking, and connection, doors open at 7:30 AM. Then, dive into insights from The Rome Group’s annual Nonprofit Survey, revealing key trends shaping our region. Finally, hear a powerful keynote from Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight offering a timely call to action for nonprofit leaders to build resilience and meet this moment with clarity and purpose.
Prior to this event, TRG conducts a survey of St. Louis area nonprofits to track trends in the philanthropic sector. Results of the survey will be shared at the Landscape Event.
If you are an Executive Director, CEO, or a Development Director at your organization, please take a moment to complete our survey. Click here to complete.
Spectrum Conference: Business NOT as Usual
Spectrum is the region’s premier conference for nonprofit marketing communications professionals. The day-long conference, brought to you by Nonprofit Marketers Network–STL, brings together a diverse group of professionals representing 90+ nonprofit organizations, marketing experts, and industry leaders. This year's conference on October 17, 2025 will focus on the many innovative ways that nonprofit marketing professionals think and work differently to accomplish their goals and move missions forward. Click here to register and learn more.
THINKSGIVING: A Day of Collaboration for a Lifetime of Impact
THINKSGIVING partners St. Louis nonprofits with teams from smart businesses for a day of creative problem-solving focused on the future. Mark your calendars for November 6, 2025. For more information, click here to learn more.
The Rome Group's book club offers a space for our team to explore books that inspire personal and professional growth. This quarter, we are reading:
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. But more than that, it is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward American Indians that allowed the murderers to operate with impunity for so long. Click here to learn more.
Last spring, we established goals related to our ongoing commitment to DEI as an organization. At our most recent team meeting, we watched and discussed two TED talks that focus on self-awareness and understanding our own perceptions. Thanks to Ready Readers for sharing the following resources:
Congratulations to the following individuals who are starting new roles in the St. Louis nonprofit community.
Brooke Bennett, Family Services Manager, Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis
Maria Bradford, CFRE, Senior Director of Development, Classic 107.3 / the Radio Arts Foundation
Heather Brown, Deputy Director, Arch Grants
Jeffrey Buchek, Senior Director of Advancement, Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation
JoFlannery, Director of Impact & Partnerships, Arch Grants
Leah Hawkins, Executive Director, SouthSide Early Childhood Center
Lindsay Jeffries, Director of Behavioral Health, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services
Kelly, L. Laura, MBA, Executive Director, LEAD STL
Steffani Lautenschlager, MEd CFRE, Vice President of Strategy and Development, Gateway Early Childhood Alliance
Liz McQuaid, Communication and Community Outreach Coordinator, St. Louis County Children's Service Fund
Michele Mosley, CEO, The Innovative Technology Education Fund
Katie Rhoades, CEO, Show Me Aquatics and Fitness
Do you have news about a job opening, new hire, promotion, or other happenings? If so, send us your news and we’ll consider including it in our next issue of Insights.
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