For more than 140 years, St. Louis Children's Hospital has provided exceptional care for children in all 50 states and 80 countries around the world. With its academic partner, Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM), St. Louis Children’s is consistently ranked among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. A member of BJC HealthCare, St. Louis Children’s follows one simple mission — to do what’s right for kids. That mission comes to life through medical discovery, innovative therapies, community outreach and compassionate care. St. Louis Children’s relies on generous donations to deliver specialized care for families in need, extend healthcare services to the community, and pursue research that promises to transform pediatric medicine.
As the philanthropic partner, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation is committed to supporting the mission through a granting process that reinvests donor support into the programs, initiatives and expertise required to provide exceptional care. Areas of focus include excellence in care, community and discovery through pediatric research and are made possible through the generosity of our donors.
The Foundation does not accept requests from outside organizations. All requests by outside organizations should be submitted to BJC HealthCare’s Community Health request portal.
See below for guidance on applying for funds through our online request portal, frequently asked questions and a schedule of deadlines and award notifications. Please contact Desiree’ Williams at [email protected] with questions.
Application Portal
*Please note the preferred browser is Google Chrome.
Foundation Funding Priorities
The following are Foundation funding priorities. Additional funding priorities will be added throughout 2023-2028.
If your program is not included in the list below, you may still apply if you have received approval by a St. Louis Children’s Hospital vice president, president or WUSM Pediatrician-in-Chief:
Excellence in Care – Improves the patient experience through investments in people/projects that simplify the complexity of being a patient with a serious illness and relieve some of the everyday burdens that prevent families from being able to focus solely on their child’s health.
Clinical and Family-Centered Care Current Priorities:
Center for Families
Center for Vascular Anomalies
Child Life Services
Child Life Zone
Children’s Specialty Care Center (St. Louis City)
Emergency Department Expansion
Endowed Chair for Palliative Care
Endowed Professorships
Hospice and Palliative Care
Injury Prevention Programs
Mental Health Hospital
Nursing Tuition Scholarships
XMR Suite
Discovery/Research – Generates new treatments, improves patient outcomes, and grows our national reputation for taking care of kids by attracting and retaining top medical talent and investing in innovative research.
Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI) Current Priorities:
Center for Gene and Cell-Based Therapies
Center for Infectious Disease
Center for Neurological Diseases and Brain Development
Center for Pediatric Immunology
Center for Rare, Undiagnosed and Genetic Diseases
Center for Sickle Cell Disease
Child Health Discovery Fund (unrestricted research support)
Hermann Center for Child and Family Development
Community – Reduces health disparities in the communities we serve by improving access, addressing social determinants of health and strengthening partnerships with community stakeholders.
Community Current Priorities:
School-Based Health Programs
Healthy Kids Express
The SPOT
Know Before You Apply
There are two ways to apply for SLCH Foundation funding. The appropriate way for you is based on whether your department has received a donor restricted gift which will fully cover all expenses; or if you are requesting general Foundation (unrestricted/undesignated) funds. See below for guidance:
NEW! Donor Restricted Funding Request
This application is for when you have received donor restricted funds, designated for your service area or program. The amount requested must not exceed the amount available as provided by a member of the SLCH Foundation staff. These applications are on a rolling deadline, so you may apply at any point and the award process will take approximately four (4) weeks from submission to award.
General Foundation/Unrestricted Funding Request
If your requested budget is greater than what you have in available restricted funds, then you would use the "Annual Grant Application" application option to request the full amount. Funding requests which require unrestricted funds are subject to approval through an established review process. Foundation review committees, leadership and Foundation Board of Trustees have the authority to deny any request or reduce the amount being awarded.
You will be notified of a decision when all parties have completed their review.
Requests submitted after the published deadline (see schedule below) will be taken to the next scheduled review meeting and may delay your funding. You must allow enough time to complete a thorough application and budget and receive the necessary leader approval before the deadline.
Funding requests for new initiatives may require additional review and processing time. Please submit new requests at least six months in advance of your anticipated start date. For requests greater than $100,000 and/or include funding for more than one year, we require you to submit six to twelve months in advance of the start date.
Ensure your project, research or program initiative has been approved by either your hospital department vice president, president, or WUSM Pediatrician-in-Chief, including the proposed budget, and that your department has considered all reimbursement opportunities and partnerships (internal and external). Please refer to the list of approvers in the section below.
We encourage you to share your request with your department's finance business partner before submission.
Capital Requests
In the event you are submitting a request for a capital equipment purchase, you will be required to provide all necessary paperwork to the hospital capital committee after receiving Foundation approval for your request. Below is a list of capital request guidelines:
- Capital equipment is a $5,000+ purchase of a single item.
- Requests for $25,000+ in multiple/group purchases can be submitted if individual items are more than $750 each.
- Equipment must have at least a two-year estimated useful life.
- Personal computers are capitalized regardless of dollar amount and must be submitted to the capital committee for review and approval, not the Foundation.
- $100,000+ equipment requests must be presented to the capital committee, not the Foundation.
You may contact Brian Hannel, St. Louis Children’s Hospital capital budget lead, for further assistance at [email protected].
Equipment/Technology Requests
All submissions that include new or expanding technology and application software must be submitted through the Technology Information Project Committee (TIPC) to Tim Gore and Jamie Danks and the [email protected] mailbox prior to applying for Foundation funding. This will help ensure there are no system initiatives available or in progress that would address the department needs as well as look for any gaps not considered in the request process such as network/interface needs.
Requests for Salary/Benefits Support
Funding for new Fellowship programs will only occur for the first three years.
Funding for new full-time employees (FTEs) will only occur for up to three years, with some exceptions as determined by both the St. Louis Children’s Hospital President and WUSM Pediatrician-in-Chief.
Reporting Requirements
The final step for all approved funding requests is the Use of Funds Report, which is submitted to the Foundation upon the project end date or no later than January 31 of the following year. This report is required to be eligible for future funding.
- Endowed Chair report questions (to be completed on WUSM department letterhead by January 31)
- Fellowship report questions (to be completed on WUSM department letterhead by January 31)
Non-CDI Research Grants
St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation provides non-CDI research grant support to St. Louis Children’s Hospital and WUSM for the advancement of the shared mission. Grant awards support capital equipment, education, training and patient care — whether that care takes place in an inpatient or outpatient setting or within our community through established programs and initiatives. Please review the important dates and approver list below.
2024 Grant Request Deadlines
NEW! Direct Award Requests for use of donor restricted/designated funds may be submitted at any time. The requests must not exceed the amount of restricted funds on hand.
General Foundation/Unrestricted Funding Applications for requests requiring $15,000 or less of unrestricted funds*
Deadline to submit application to the Foundation | Reviewed by Under $15K Committee | Decision Letters Sent |
---|---|---|
February 2 | February 13 | Week of March 4 |
May 3 | May 14 | Week of May 27 |
October 11 | October 22 | Week of November 4 |
*Requests which require more than $15,000 of unrestricted funding and are recommended for review will be moved to the next Resource Allocation Committee (over $15K) meeting.
General Foundation/Unrestricted Funding Applications requiring more than $15,000 of unrestricted funds
Deadline to submit online application to the Foundation | Reviewed by Resource Allocation Committee | Decision Letters Sent |
---|---|---|
March 1 | May 1 | Week of May 20 |
September 6 | October 14 | Week of December 9 |
If you would like to request support through our project award grant program, please submit your application through our Grant Opportunity Web Portal.
Deadline to submit grant extension requests |
---|
November 30 |
We ask that you request an extension at least 30 days before the end date of the award period (project deadline) to prevent disruptions – and no later than November 30.
Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI) Funding Request
Learn More
Our Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI), a partnership between St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University, is the result of a shared vision to change the way pediatric research is conducted and an intense commitment to bring about dramatic results in pediatric care to offer innovative, therapeutic treatments for patients who were previously considered untreatable.
With philanthropic gifts to the CDI, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation drives pediatric discoveries to uncover what may now seem unfindable — lifesaving treatments and cures for childhood medical conditions. Since CDI’s inception in 2006, our research award commitments for CDI investigator-led projects have generated more than 1,439 scientific papers and more than $550 million in external grant funding, including prestigious awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
The CDI is an invaluable resource that allows us to turn promising research concepts into real-world strategies that can save lives and improve patient care.
At this time CDI requests are limited to funds restricted to the following pediatric research areas: Cancer, Congenital Heart Disease, Lung & Pulmonary, Metabolism & Immunity.
To submit a 2024 request for funding, please complete the PDF application and send to Holly Kelley at [email protected].
Pediatric Research (CDI)
Deadline to submit application | CDI Board of Managers Meeting | Decision Letters Sent |
---|---|---|
March 25 | May 20 | Week of May 27 |
September 9 | October 30 | Week of December 9 |
Approver Options for Funding Requests
Please refer to the following list of pediatric divisions/service lines approvers and note the following:
- Approval is required when submitting a request for funding that exceeds the amount of donor restricted funding on hand, designate to your department/program.
- Only St. Louis Children’s Hospital vice presidents/senior leaders or pediatric division chiefs/Pediatrician-in-Chief can be listed as the grant approver on your application.
- If there is more than one option below, please select the senior leader or division chief the grant recipient reports to.
- If you do not see the approver in the list below, please contact Desiree’ Williams at [email protected].
Department/Service Line | Approver (Hospital) | Approver (WUSM) |
---|---|---|
Academic | Casey Pruitt | |
Adolescent Medicine | Katie Plax | |
Ambulatory/Outpatient Services | Tesh Jewell | Casey Pruitt; Jason Newland |
Anesthesiology | Dolores Njoku | |
Audiology/ENT/Otolaryngology | Tesh Jewell | David Leonard |
Cardio Thoracic Surgery | Pirooz Eghtesady | |
Center for Families | Beverly Brozanski | Beverly Brozanski |
Child Health Advocacy and Outreach (CHAO) | Tesh Jewell | |
Child Life Services | Tesh Jewell | |
Dermatology | Susan Bayless | |
Emergency Services | Carrie Lee | Kimberly Quayle |
Endocrinology | Carrie Lee | Anna Maria Arbelaez |
Facilities | Gary LaBlance | |
Gastroenterology | Phillip Tarr | |
Genetics | Patricia Dickson | |
Gynecology | Holly Hoefgen | |
The Heart Center/Cardiology | Carrie Lee | Andy Glatz |
Hematology/Oncology | Carrie Lee | Jorge Di Paola |
Hospitalist | Lisa Moscoso | |
Hospice (WINGS) | Michele McKee | Barb Warner |
Immunology/Rheumatology | Megan Cooper | |
Infectious Disease | David Hunstad | |
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)/Newborn Medicine | Carrie Lee | Barbara Warner |
Nephrology | Carrie Lee | Vikas Dharnidharka |
Neurosciences/Neurology | Gary LaBlance | Christina Gurnett |
Neurosurgery | Gary LaBlance | Jennifer Strahle |
Ophthalmology | Andrew Lee | |
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)/Critical Care | Carrie Lee | Julie Bubeck-Wardenburg |
Plastic Surgery | Kamlesh Patel | |
Pulmonary Disease & Asthma | Carrie Lee | Ronald Rubenstein |
Psychology/Psychiatry | Carrie Lee | Julie Bubeck-Wardenburg |
Quality and Safety | Beverly Brozanski | Beverly Brozanski |
Radiology | Tesh Jewell | Ting Tao |
Social Work & Chaplaincy | Tesh Jewell | |
Surgery | Colin Martin | |
Staff Education | Carrie Lee | |
Therapy Services/Orthopedics | Tesh Jewell | Lindley Wall |
Transplant (general) | Carrie Lee | Ronald Rubenstein |
Transplant (Heart) | Andy Glatz | |
Urology | Douglas Coplen, MD |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the process for submitting a request to St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation?
Please find the granting workflow for requests
What happens during the review process?
All requests are reviewed by a multi-step review process.
For requests which require $15,000 or less of general Foundation/unrestricted funds the application is reviewed by a committee made up of Foundation and hospital representatives. The committee makes recommendations to fund, not fund or request clarification before a decision is made. Those recommended for funding are presented to the Foundation CDO for a final decision.
For requests which require more than $15,000 of general Foundation/unrestricted funds the application is reviewed and scored by the senior leadership team and the WUSM Pediatrician-in-Chief. Those recommended for consideration are presented to the Resource Allocations Committee (RAC). RAC is a subcommittee of the Foundation Board of Trustees and committee members ensure responsible stewardship of dollars raised by the Foundation and maximize the impact of these funds in support of hospital programs and services. Upon RAC review, those recommended for funding are presented to the Foundation Board of Trustees for a vote.
Direct award/Donor restricted requests are initiated by our donors who have expressed an interest in fully funding a program/initiative. The intended use of the funds is determined prior to the application being submitted. Upon signed agreement and/or receipt of the restricted gift, the Foundation will reach out to the appropriate hospital leader to request an application be submitted for funding. Because the determination of need is approved prior to the application submission, this funding does not require committee review and voting by the Foundation Board of Trustees. Instead, all donor restricted funding requests will be submitted to the Foundation CDO for approval. This process can take up to four weeks to complete. There is now a short-form option to request donor restricted funds — please visit the application portal to complete it!
Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI) requests are limited to pediatric research requests and established priorities. At this time, requests are submitted through an application that is submitted via email to the CDI Administrative Contact, Holly Kelley, [email protected]. Following receipt of the submitted application, the document is reviewed by the WUSM Pediatrician-in-Chief and Foundation leadership for thoroughness and approval to move forward. Based on the type of research request, the application will go to a review committee that includes one or more of the following: members of an established scientific review board, representatives from CDI Administration, WUSM leadership and the Foundation. All requests recommended for funding are presented to the CDI Board of Managers for final review and vote.
Is there a template I should use or examples to reference?
- Grant Opportunity Web Portal
- Annual Grant Application 2024 Sample
- NEW Donor Restricted Funding Request
- Endowed Chair report questions (to be completed on WUSM department letterhead by January 31)
- Fellowship report questions (to be completed on WUSM department letterhead by January 31)
- Extension Request form (to be completed 30 days before the end date of your award or no later than November 30)
- Expense Reimbursement/Direct Transfer Coding form
- CDI Application (to be emailed to [email protected] by published deadlines above)
- Capital Request Template
How do I know which deadline to submit my request?
The published deadlines are based on the amount of unrestricted funds required. For requests which will require more than $15,000 of unrestricted funds, the application will be included in the next Resource Allocation Committee meeting. Requests utilizing less than $15,000 of unrestricted funds will be reviewed at the Under $15K committee. And requests utilizing fully restricted funds are welcomed to submit their request at any point. Leaders are welcome to contact the Foundation before submission to verify funds' availability.
I missed the submission deadline. Can I still submit a request via the portal?
You are invited to submit a request at any point, however, any application submitted after a published deadline will be moved to the next scheduled meeting for review, which may result in delays to your project.
It has been a while since I made a request with the Foundation, can I still submit a request?
Absolutely! The login that you have used in the past is still active. You are welcome to submit a request by the published deadlines above. If you cannot remember your login credentials, please contact the grant coordinator for assistance at [email protected].
My department would like to request a one-time grant. Is that possible?
Yes! We ask that you verify with your finance business partner and senior leader to determine if your program or initiative can/should be operationalized and/or is revenue-generating, prior to submitting a funding request. Your application and budget should provide a complete overview of the program including total expenses and a sustainability plan to fund in future years if applicable, etc.
I may forget all my reporting data. Can I submit my Use of Funds Report early?
Absolutely! We strongly encourage you to submit your report within 30 days after your award is completed. You will receive the link to submit your report by mid-November.
My department was not able to spend all awarded dollars by the project deadline. May I extend a funding request?
You may request a one-year extension up to three times unless the original award required funding to be used in the original allotted time frame, or the original award is under $5,000 and has been directly transferred to your department’s cost center. We ask that you request an extension at least 30 days before the end date of the award period (project deadline) to prevent disruptions and no later than November 30th. Please contact our Grants Coordinator at [email protected] to confirm if an extension is possible.
My project expenses are more than what was awarded, what do I do? Can a supplement be awarded?
Supplements will be considered by the Foundation based on funds available. Please ensure you have reviewed your awarded budget to determine if there are under or unspent budget line items you could modify to cover expenses. The Foundation does allow budget modifications up to 25% of the total approved budget without prior authorization. Supplements are requested in the same manner as your original funding request and may require Board approval.
May I request foundation funds for conference related expenses?
It is advised that conference expenses such as registration, travel, lodging, and meals be included in the department's operating budget. Exceptions are limited to approval by hospital/WUSM leadership and in instances where donor restricted funds are available for use.
Why is funding for fellowships only available for up to three years?
The Foundation would like to remain aligned with set guardrails around funding for fellowships. You are invited to submit your request and justification whenever there is a need, however, the Foundation will limit the award, if approved, to restricted and/or endowment funds established specifically for this purpose. Please note for endowed funds, the total amount available to grant may be lower than in previous years due to market performance.
*For programs that do not participate in reimbursement and/or revenue income, prior approval from Foundation and Hospital/WUSM leadership will be required for salary/FTE requests after three years.
Why is funding for full time employees (FTEs) only available for up to three years?
The Foundation would like to remain aligned and consistent with set guardrails around funding FTEs. This best supports our ability to request funds from donors who are looking for the Hospital/WUSM to have a plan for sustainability, meaning they will not be asked to fund positions long-term. Foundation funds may be requested for a pilot phase intended to demonstrate the need for the role and/or impact on patient outcomes and experience. After the pilot phase, salary/benefits must be built into the department's operating budget. Within the three-year period, FTEs will be evaluated to move to an operating budget based on set outcomes. An FTE may not continue if the pilot does not demonstrate intended outcomes. The only exceptions to this policy are specific FTEs supported by existing restricted and/or endowment funds established by our generous donors. Please note for endowed funds, the total amount available to grant may be lower than in previous years due to market performance.
*For programs that do not participate in reimbursement and/or revenue income, prior approval from Foundation and Hospital/WUSM leadership will be required for salary/FTE requests after three years.
My department will have multiple small requests throughout the year. Should I submit a request for each?
If you anticipate small requests throughout the year, we ask you to combine them into one comprehensive request and provide a detailed budget justification for each project. You are welcome to attach separate documents to your online request as needed.
My funding request was denied, what next?
Requests are not funded for a variety of reasons. Please do not be discouraged from submitting future funding requests. As stewards of donor dollars, the Foundation and the Foundation Board of Trustees must abide by the intent of our donors while also aligning with the hospital/WUSM mission, vision and goals.
Reasons could include:
- Insufficient funds available at the time of request.
- The request may not be well suited for the use of donor dollars. We advise you to work closely with your finance business partner to consider operationalizing or using other accounts within your cost center.
- The request falls outside of established guardrails and policies outlined.
- The application does not provide necessary answers to the questions including clear and concise goals, metrics, sustainability plan and/or a budget that is appropriate to the ask.
- Prior awards were not fully utilized or a budget balance remains, and additional funding will not be provided at this time.
- The annual Use of Funds Report was not provided by the January 31 deadline.
The Foundation makes every effort to provide feedback and guidance within the decision letter. Should you have additional questions, you are encouraged to speak with your senior leader/WUSM Chief. You may also reach out to the Foundation director who oversees the granting process at [email protected].
How will my department be reimbursed?
For awards granted in the amount of less than $5,000, which will be spent in full prior to December 31, the Foundation will now make a direct transfer to your department cost center. Funds must be used by the end of the calendar year in which they are awarded and will not be subject to an extension. All unused funds as of December 31 will no longer be available for use.
For awards granted in the amount of $5,000 or higher or will accrue multiple expenses within a year or more timeframe, you will be given a project number with the Foundation Finance Office (Shared Services), formerly the GMO. As expenses occur, you will submit expenses against the provided number. Please ensure all expenses are submitted/expenses against the project number regularly and no later than 30 days after the end date of an award and no later than November 30.
For Capital equipment awards, you will be given a Project ID, known as the Expense Authorization EA#. As charges occur, they will be charged to the EA#. We ask that the PI or grant contact reach out to Brian Hannel and [email protected] when your project is complete, and all items have been purchased and/or installed. The Foundation will then perform a reimbursement to the given EA#.
For awards granted to WUSM, quarterly invoices are provided by WUSM Special Projects, [email protected], and processed by the Foundation. Once payment is received by WUSM, reimbursements are made to the necessary department.
May I use my foundation award funding for to purchase gift cards?
It depends on which entity is awarded the funding. BJC and WUSM are separate legal entities. If the foundation made an award to a BJC entity, BJC policies, including any applicable IRB, would apply. If the foundation made an award to WUSM, WUSM policies, including the WUSM IRB, would apply.
To verify policies, please reach out to your respective Corporate Compliance Department:
BJC/SLCH
Karen James – Manager, BJC Compliance [email protected]
Sammie Fechter – Senior Counsel [email protected]
WUSM
General inquiries – [email protected]
https://hrpo.wustl.edu/
If I have more questions or need help, who do I contact?
You are welcome to contact our Grants Coordinator Desiree’ Williams. She can be reached by phone at 314.286.1545 or by email at [email protected].