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MISSION

Maximize the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of the nonprofit sector in the St. Louis region while simultaneously being a catalyst for the transformation of neighborhoods in North St. Louis City.

WELCOME

to the Delmar DivINe

2024 annual report. It seems hard to believe that it was ten years ago that I started down the path that would eventually lead to the dynamic nonprofit accelerator and community catalyst that our thriving campus is today. While I may have gotten the ball rolling, none of this would be possible without all of the partners, advisors, collaborators, and contributors that joined me along the way. Their fingerprints are on all of the achievements that this report celebrates.

I realized after Michael Brown Jr. was killed that there was a need for a place where agencies focused on change could collaborate. That’s what still animates Delmar DivINe today a decade later, and with the Phase 2 expansion in 2025, I trust the project will continue to play a role for lasting change for our region.

I hope you enjoy this report as we look back on what we got done last year and everything still to come as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Maxine Clark

Everyone at The BRIC had an incredible year caring for patients. So glad for your vision!

~ Dr. LJ Punch, Founder, Power4STL

Executive Summary

From the outset, Delmar DivINe has been a placebased endeavor, purposefully situated on the infamous “Delmar Divide” an epicenter of injustice and discrimination. Here, Delmar DivINe has striven to be a partnership–driven effort for change, as was described in our very first annual report, “Reaching Out with Purpose.”

Over the course of our first two years, those partnerships began to form in a meaningful way, which we detailed in our 2023 annual report, “Putting the Pieces Together.”

In 2024, we began to truly see the fruits of the collaborations that had been set in motion. They have taken many forms: the six-agency partnership that produces the older-adult focused “Wisdom Café”; the combination of medicinal and nutritional interventions generated by GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness and

Operation Food Search; the joint efforts of Turn the Page STL and United 4 Children that ultimately resulted in the creation of the St. Louis Regional Childhood Community Leadership Task Force which now includes nearly 40 stakeholder organizations; and many more.

But where Delmar DivINe has catalyzed the greatest impact is the way it has become a center of gravity for nonprofits, funders, stakeholders, and community members to gather, deliberate, and take action regarding some of the most pressing challenges for our region, if not the country.

In all, our Berges Family Foundation Conference Center and our Ameren Community Convening Room hosted a remarkable 1,492 events and gatherings. The totality of our conference capacity saw 19,151 hours of usage. So it is that this report especially tries to capture the networks of people

and organizations, many from the metropolitan area but many others from across the nation, who came to Delmar DivINe to work together to change systems, improve community outcomes, and achieve shared goals.

Internally, we continued delivering valuable programming to our tenants and to the larger nonprofit sector, with programs like INsights, The mINgle, and Thinksgiving U. And for communities north of Delmar Blvd., we created a host of programs, including the aforementioned Wisdom Café, kids summer camps, family literacy sessions, and reducing neighborhood gun violence, just to name a few.

All of these efforts require funding, of course, and we once again relied primarily on earned income and in-kind donations, using that total revenue of $3,033,366 to produce our impact and reducing the draw on the finite resources of philanthropy

that are so crucial to the host of nonprofit agencies doing great work in the region.

We also helped enhance the economic vitality of the area, adding to the continuous growth in the Delmar District. At Delmar DivINe alone, we added 870 employees and 200 residents to the area. In all, Delmar DivINe generated an estimated $50 million in wages. And this will only increase as we move into the Phase 2 renovation of the campus which will add another 20,000 sq.ft. of office space for nonprofit agencies and 81 more apartments. In all, we anticipate a total economic impact of over $112 million.

In short, 2024 was a year of leveraging the work of our first two years to turn our campus into a premiere location for solving problems and building community. There remains much to do, but we made significant progress.

Resolutions Challenges and

Our founder, Maxine Clark, observes that as soon as you try to tackle any problem, you find that it is related to a host of other challenges. That’s why Delmar DivINe works to convene thought partners across a wide range of areas so that multilayered responses can be crafted for complex issues.

For this report, we have segmented those areas into five categories: equity and opportunity, education, healthcare, human services, and economic empowerment. Read on to see highlights of the year’s events in each of these categories, the scope of geographic areas that were brought together, and the actions that emerged to address some of our most difficult problems.

1

Equity & Opportunity

Delmar DivINe was created first and foremost in response to the “Delmar Divide” as illustrated in the initial major story about the project in 2021. It’s no surprise, then, that issues related to systemic racism and opportunity gaps for people of color would be one of our main focus areas.

In 2024, HomeGrown StL , a member of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance, hosted the Obama Foundation’s National Certification Convening at Delmar DivINe. Over 60 people representing MBK communities from across the nation met to address the persistent opportunity gaps that boys and young men of color face and to ensure all young people can reach their full potential. The two-day event covered a variety of topics, including pathways to population level changes, constructing a vision for collaborative action, and developing a systems approach to challenges.

Dr. Sean Joe, Principal Director of HomeGrown StL, commented that “Together we will continue to advance equity in the region and improve the economic outcomes for Black boys and young men.”

Delmar DivINe hosted a variety of Black History Month activities, capstoned by welcoming St. Louis author Vivian Gibson to discuss her book, The Last Children of Mill Creek , which the Library of Congress selected to represent Missouri’s literary heritage at its National Book Festival. In her moving memoir, Gibson vividly illustrates the everyday life of her family as members of the tight-knit Mill Creek community. At the event, which took place in the Berges Family Foundation Conference Center at Delmar DivINe, Gibson spoke about growing up

in the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood, which was razed in 1959 in the name of “urban renewal.” Her family, friends, church community, neighbors, and over 20,000 Mill Creek residents were displaced by this act of systematic discrimination to hinder African American progress.

“I think people need facts, I think people need the information, we need the history before we can even start having conversations about equality,” Gibson said to the capacity crowd. “My father couldn’t be more than a truck driver, couldn’t be a musician [even though] he became a choir director and nurtured his own love of music and still managed to raise his family. We have to have these real honest conversations about how that happened...and how it has marginalized so many people. People have to have some hope, and we can figure out how to make people hopeful.”

Bridge2Hope STL Parent Institute used a town hall format to provide nearly 100 parents with the essential tools to understand the power of their voices and the laws designed to protect them. The event emphasized the importance of active parental involvement in shaping their children’s future and advocating for changes. During the town hall, parent participants delved into Missouri legislation that is crucial for ensuring children receive the necessary interventions to pave the way for a successful future and develop into generational leaders. The discussions highlighted how parents can leverage their understanding of such legislation to advocate effectively for their children’s educational needs.

The event was part of the agency’s ongoing “We Ready Series,” aimed at equipping parents with the information and resources vital to their communities and families.

“Bridge2Hope STL Parent Institute encourages all parents to join the next We Ready Series town halls to stay informed and connected,” said the organization’s chief executive, Krystal Barnett. “Together, we can champion for all children and families.”

Barnett’s efforts allowed parents to better interpret reading assessments, monitor progress, and engage with school staff effectively, ensuring their children receive the personalized support they need.

Generate Health, which builds collective power to advocate for racially equitable policies and practices that support Black families throughout pregnancy and parenthood, led a critical conversation about the realities of the public education system. A panel discussion and conversation delved into the systemic issues leading to the undereducation and lack of support for Black youth. The attendees deliberated about where the school system falls short, the lack of relationships between schools and local organizations, and options for child education beyond public schools. Kendra Copanas, immediate past executive director of Generate Health, said, “This conversation matters because the failures of the education system disproportionately impact Black children, resulting in cycles of inequality and limited social opportunity. Addressing these issues is crucial for creating a more just and equitable society.

Aug. 9, 2024, marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri. While his family has been honoring him every year and created Chosen For Change to help parents who have lost a child, this year was a special commemoration entitled, “All Roads Lead to Ferguson,” and Delmar DivINe was honored to be part of it. The remembrance at Delmar DivINe, which took place on Aug. 8, centered on Paintings For Peace, a collection of murals painted on plywood boards that originally covered damaged building or lined the streets of Ferguson and South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis in the wake of Michael Brown’s death. The works were donated to Delmar DivINe by Carol Swartout Klein, who grew up in Ferguson and rescued the art when the buildings began reconstruction.

The event, paired with other regional commemorations including a unity walk, a concert, and a documentary screening, brought families together from all over the country to join in the memorial, including other parents who lost children in incidents involving law enforcement.

Education

In a region that boasts some of the country’s best high schools and universities, education is an area that draws much attention, and that was the case in 2024 at Delmar DivINe.

Teach For America St. Louis hosted its 6th annual Lead in The Lou: Innovation and Impact Convening. This event brought together over a dozen organizations and nearly 100 participants representing schools and nonprofits to learn about the innovative work taking place across the region and how this is having a positive impact on students. Throughout the evening, there were multiple opportunities to engage and learn, including hearing 5-minute TED-style talks, meeting directly with senior school and district leaders at an opportunities fair, and networking with fellow attendees. Participants left informed and energized by organizations that are having a positive impact on students in the region – and many attendees shared that they planned to continue the conversation and even pursue future opportunities, with one saying, “The superintendent of one school district told me, if I am interested in any positions, I could email him directly. That was pretty cool.”

Delmar DivINe does incredible work; keep it up!

~ Ron Unterreiner, People of Construction Inc.

Leaders from the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) met with myriad stakeholders at Delmar DivINe to share the agency’s strategic plan with members of the St. Louis area education & business communities. DESE is the administrative arm of the Missouri State Board of Education that works with school officials, legislators, government agencies, community leaders, and residents to maintain a strong public education system. The strategic plan, which runs through 2026, focuses on teacher retention, mental health support services for students and teachers, training and interventions that improve student behavior and teacher satisfaction, and improving literacy proficiency rates for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade.

DESE accentuated that Delmar DivINe “allowed for rich conversations aimed at improving lives through education.”

Bridge 2 Hope and Turn the Page STL partnered with other dedicated changemakers committed to advocating for all children and families to organize a successful book drive to close the access gap for families in need of books and promote cognitive development. Entitled, “Books and Brunch,” the event is part of an ongoing effort to address disparities and instill a love of reading in underserved communities by providing books to families lacking access. The program raised awareness about reading and sustainability and also facilitated the distribution of over 6,200 books

to more than 1,000 homes and organizations, including daycare centers and elementary schools.

Krystal Barnett, CEO and Founder of Bridge 2 Hope, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming community support, which exceeded an initial goal of collecting 2,000 books and reaching 500 homes. “This showcases what a collective commitment to literacy & education can achieve,” Barnett said.

Throughout the summer, in association with Blueprint4 , the Ameren Community Convening Room hosted camps for all kinds of kids with our two partners, Kode With Klossy and Unleashing Potential. Kode with Klossy is intensive coding designed for girls, trans, and gender nonconforming students ages of 13 - 18. The organization was founded by Karlie Kloss, best known for her fashion model work but who has for many years delivered high-quality educational opportunities to kids in St. Louis, where Karlie lived for nearly two decades and graduated from Webster Groves High School.

Unleashing Potential delivers seven weeks of summer camp for children, providing educational activities, breakfast, lunch, and an amazing environment focused on closing the opportunity gap for children and youth by building on their strengths. At Delmar DivINe, 40 kids from grades 1-8 participated in all-day learning that included STEM, character development, literacy, sports, and field trips, all within the context of healthy social and emotional growth.

Navigate STL Schools , an agency that helps families learn about the local school system and the school options available to them, held its third annual “Fall into School” event to mark the beginning of the school year. It brought together a diverse group of nearly 25 vendors, including local businesses, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and community service providers. The festive atmosphere, filled with excitement and anticipation, welcomed hundreds of guests, including families, educators, and community leaders. Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to explore a wide range of resources tailored to meet the needs of students and their families as they prepared for the upcoming school year. The vendors offered comprehensive support services, from school supplies and educational materials to health services and extracurricular activity sign-ups. The event also featured engaging activities, live entertainment, and interactive workshops that entertained and educated the community on various topics related to education and family well-being. One of the event’s most notable features was its emphasis on building ties within the community, according to Anna-Stacia Allen, executive director of Navigate STL Schools.

“The event was an outstanding demonstration of community collaboration and support. By bringing together various organizations and resources in one place, the event allowed families and service providers to establish meaningful connections. This effort emphasized the value of community support in ensuring that all children have access to the resources they require to flourish academically and personally,” Allen said.

Over 300 book bags filled with school supplies were given away, along with 200 boxes of fresh produce.

This place is so beautiful. I come over here on a regular basis for the Wisdom Café and for meetings with my representatives, and I got hooked on coming in. To be here speaks louder than anything else. When you walk inside the building, there’s quality here. When you leave, you feel strengthened, because you walked through something that reflects us, our history. [Delmar DivINe] makes a difference.

~ Pat Miller, Community Collaborative Board

3

In tandem with education, the region is also known for its outstanding healthcare institutions, and this area was also well represented in 2024 at Delmar DivINe. Healthcare

Eye Thrive proudly presented its inaugural Eye See You: A Community Health AF[FAIR]. More than 100 individuals comprising 37 families came to the public event to receive quality healthcare services from licensed providers at no cost and with no insurance requirements. The event was especially timely with the return to school period in late summer, allowing families to access a range of resources all in one spot at Delmar DivINe.

“Because of our rich collaboration, families were able to maneuver conversations about eye health, mental health, and other services like blood pressure and blood lead screening,” said Kate McKearn, chief executive of Eye Thrive. “Additionally, they connected with some key educational resources and were nourished through both song and story time!”

38% of youth who came to the event received blood lead screenings; 63% received school supply resources; and 100% of youth and families shared that they would attend the health fair again.

Led by Dr. LJ Punch, a former trauma surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) provides patients with critical services. While the most crucial service is bullet removal, they are also offered education and supplies for wound care, resources for physical therapy, and advanced cognitive therapy.

In creating the BRIC, Dr. Punch has transformed his career into a lifeline for those impacted by gun violence. “I met people on the worst days of their lives as a trauma surgeon. I was drawn to what it meant to stand there and help them through those really awful moments,” Punch said in an interview with KSDK

The BRIC recorded over 15,000 visits last year. “Being at Delmar DivINe has brought a new sense of community and safety to our patients and families as they take powerful steps toward healing,” Punch noted. “By providing an artful and accessible space for us to provide highquality care to those who need it most, Delmar DivINe has become a beloved space for our community of health.”

KIPP St. Louis , along with civic leaders across the metro area, launched a gun violence prevention initiative at Delmar DivINe to address the public health crisis represented by gun violence, which has surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the number one killer of children ages 1-19 years in America. At the Delmar DivINe event, participants came from as far away as Jefferson City and Peoria, Illinois, to work on the effort. Key contributors included trauma surgeon Dr. LJ Punch, Commissioner for St. Louis City Violence Prevention Unit Wilford Pinkney, and Wydown Middle School student Torie Mays. The dialogue also featured Precious Jones, a mother who lost a son and a nephew to gun violence and

has channeled her pain into becoming a fierce community advocate.

Sheryl Simmons, Head Nurse for KIPP St. Louis, said, “Our team is working side by side with school nurses across the region to save our children and promote safety and well-being within our school communities. The session at Delmar DivINe helped us prepare to reach the young people in our communities, to start the conversation with students, people who have lost a loved one, and even reformed individuals who have carried a gun to do harm so we can learn how to change the narrative.”

GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness launched an innovative collaboration with Operation Food Search (OFS) that allow people to get prescriptions and fresh food delivered right to their homes. “We are working with OFS to deliver free fruits and vegetables along with medications to the homes of our patients because we believe that in order for our patients to get healthier they must take their medication and have a healthy diet,” said Marcus Howard, CEO of GreaterHealth. OFS packs boxes with nutrient-dense foods that are helpful for a variety of chronic conditions. The organization prepares a different food box each month which is then distributed by GreaterHealth along with its patient medication deliveries. In an interview for KSDK’s 5 On Your Side, Kristen Wild, CEO of OFS, said the collaboration helps solve the problem of “the last mile, and how difficult it can be for foodinsecure individuals who don’t have access to transportation to get to a food outlet.”

Approximately 40% of the pharmacy’s patients with chronic and complex conditions receive free fruits and vegetables to support their journey to a healthier lifestyle, while a third of patients who have Missouri Medicaid coverage and have chronic and complex conditions receive free telehealth support services.

Sponsored by BJC HealthCare, SSM Health, and Missouri Foundation for Health, the three-day Healthcare Anchor Network Annual Convening was held in St. Louis to highlight the tremendous impact that collaboration between healthcare institutions and community partners can have. The event included five immersive learning experiences that attracted over 300 attendees from more than 60 different healthcare systems.

One of the experiences was held at Delmar DivINe where the organization’s founder, Maxine Clark, provided attendees with a history of the physical building, its historical context, and the importance of its location. She also spoke about regional events that inspired her to propel change in her own community.

In addition, attendees also heard from three Delmar DivINe tenants – Marcus Howard, CEO of GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness , Veronica Coleman, a financial advisor with Edward Jones , and Kate McKearn, CEO of Eye Thrive. They spoke of how their organizations have benefited the region by being in the community.

Christopher Nolan, Director of Community Benefit and Anchor Initiatives at BJC HealthCare, said, “This national meeting highlights the great economic health and well-being work that is happening in the region – especially inclusive community and economic development. Delmar DivINe brings together community organizations and residents to collaborate together and make a difference in North City.

“Long under- and disinvested, this new nonprofit working hub fosters innovation and collaboration in partnership with our community north of Delmar. BJC is proud to be an anchor tenant at Delmar DivINe alongside some amazing organizations such as those featured on the panel as well as one of our community investment collaborators, St. Louis Community Credit Union.

Nolan added, “Delmar DivINe was an easy choice when deciding on an immersive learning experiences for the convening. We know that attendees left inspired by the amazing work happening both at Delmar DivINe and in the St. Louis region.”

Human Services

Delmar DivINe also played host to a wide range of events and ongoing programs related to human and social services, efforts that undergird so many other endeavors geared towards improving the lives of people in our communities.

Each time I visit the Delmar DivINe, I’m struck by its growing power! Today, I kept running into folks who I know all have their shoulders to the same wheel—all working to make St. Louis the place we know it can be. What a force.

~ Jack Krewson, Kairos academy

United 4 Children, in cooperation with Operation Food Search (OFS) and the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank , brought stakeholders together at Delmar DivINe for a Child Wellness Summit that asked people to imagine every child in Missouri having access to affordable, high quality childcare, healthy meals, and plentiful diapers. Then they asked the question: What would it take for that to happen? The ensuing conversation occurred during the day-long gathering that featured expert panelists, including United 4 Children Executive Director Deanna Finch, OFS President and CEO Kristen Wild, and St. Louis Area Diaper Bank CEO Muriel Smith. The group was led through a discussion on current barriers to child wellness by moderator Yemi Akande-Bartsch, President and CEO of Focus St. Louis. Attendees were also given an update on current legislation impacting children by Casey Hanson, Deputy Director of Kids Win Missouri

“The summit was organized by and to bring together a community invested in child wellness,” said Deanna Finch of United 4 Children.“We were very glad to be a part of this partnership.” “None of our work can happen without collaboration,” added Kristen Wild of OFS. “Together, we can come up with solutions that are more impactful than any one organization alone.”

In the months after the event, participants worked on a host of topics that emerged from the session, most notably additional investment in early childhood, policy changes, and increased support for the early childhood workforce.

More than 3,500 babies in the U.S. die suddenly and unexpectedly every year while sleeping, often due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or accidental deaths from suffocation or strangulation, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. To help avoid these tragedies, Generate Health partnered with Nurses for Newborns to host the Safe Sleep Summit at Delmar DivINe. The summit aimed to uplift the importance of safe infant sleep. About 70 professionals, caregivers, and stakeholders were on hand to hear a stirring keynote from Nancy

Maruyama of SIDS Illinois , along with presentations on current infant health challenges and a panel discussion with public health experts.

“The event helped raise awareness about the significance of safe sleep practices for infants by bringing people in the community together to discuss and prioritize the safety of babies during their rest. By fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge, we strive to create environments where every baby can sleep safely and peacefully,” said Kendra Copanas, executive director of Generate Health.

We are very impressed with all that is happening at Delmar DivINe. It’s something that we would love to see other communities do because of the strong sense of community it creates. For these nonprofits, they realize quickly that they are not alone and there is experienced, collaborative help just outside their door.

~

Former U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, Shepard McCaskill Foundation

Region 7 for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Kansas City, which also covers the St. Louis region, hosted the HUD Office of General Counsel meeting in St. Louis, bringing together about 100 lawyers and professionals from all over the country. The week-long conference included a visit to Delmar DiviNe as part of an exploration for possibilities to collaborate on future endeavors. While on campus, the group also discussed the impact of Delmar DiviNe since its launch, and an overview of the history of the surrounding communities.

St. Louis Arc hosted its Day Services all-team meeting in Delmar DivINe’s Berges Family Foundation Conference Center. The Day Services team, composed of over 100 members, reviewed best practices in for community supports, engagement, and policies.

The day closed with a diversity, equity and inclusion workshop facilitated by Tabari Coleman of The Coleman Group that focused on individual identities. In addition, the agency held its first City Services Open House, a free event for St. Louis City community members interested in learning more about St. Louis Arc’s resources, services, and support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, including its Adult Day and Leisure programs, family support resources, transition services, and summer programs for teens.

Delmar DivINe facilitates the agency’s ability to bring its stakeholders together to review best practices, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, and ensure that it is supporting individuals with the most current and safe supports.

Washington University in St. Louis launched Empower: Career Success for Refugees , a 26-week program to help refugees develop nextlevel language and professional skills to succeed in healthcare and other high-demand industries. The program is offered at no cost through WashU’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) and takes place at Delmar DivINe.

“This program is changing lives,” said Sean Armstrong, dean of CAPS. “We have made a longterm commitment to provide refugees with the tools and support needed to succeed in emerging jobs across the region.” Applicants must have legal refugee status, basic English skills and a high school education. Students will gain applied language skills as they work toward a certificate in healthcare or another CAPS program such as geographic information systems, data analytics and project management. CAPS provides all course materials, including laptops.

“Many refugees are highly educated and skilled,

but they lack language skills and general cultural capital to move into a better job,” said Katie Blackburn Brown, program manager at CAPS.

“Refugees and their families suffer as a result and so does the St. Louis community, which needs talented people in these roles.” A state grant is funding the program’s 18-month rollout. After that, Washington University will assume all costs thanks to a $10 million donation from a university donor.

For the second straight year after opening its community hub at Delmar DivINe, Raising St. Louis held its annual graduation ceremony in the Berges Family Foundation Conference Center. The event celebrates families that have met the criteria for successfully completing the program and children who will be entering kindergarten in the fall. The Raising St. Louis community hub at Delmar DivINe is one of four hubs in the region that provide direct services as an extension of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

The hubs are used to conduct family visits, host events tailored to meet the needs of neighboring community members, and to introduce area residents to a wide variety of social services that are available to them. Hosted events range from male engagement classes to onsite job interview opportunities, and everything in between.

More than 100 community members came to Delmar DivINe for the 15th annual Community Agriculture Conference hosted by Seed St. Louis. Attendees heard from keynote speaker Chris Smith

of The Utopian Seed Project on the importance of seed diversity and climate change. Nine additional breakout sessions were presented by twelve local experts on subjects like accessibility in the garden, growing medicinal herbs, regenerative agriculture, indoor mushroom cultivation, and more.

Matt Schindler, executive director of Seed St. Louis, said, “Our guests had the opportunity to explore food-growing initiatives in St. Louis, connect with fellow growers from across the region, and network with various nonprofit and for-profit organizations working within the food sector. It was a great experience for everyone.”

5

Economic Empowerment

While rightly focused on programs and partnerships that strengthen communities, Delmar DivINe recognizes that economic development is also crucial for the wellbeing of a region. To that end, the campus works continually with several of our tenants, as well as hosting events and laying the foundation for further growth.

St. Louis Community Credit Union (the very first organization to sign a lease with Delmar DivINe) has built on its early success of serving community members in the West End and surrounding neighborhoods. It also continues its key collaboration with BJC Health Care that clears pathways for individuals and families to build generational wealth through home and business ownership by providing access to affordable credit. Since the branch opened at Delmar DivINe, it has opened 841 loans totaling $1,687,171 and 113 new accounts.

Edward Jones opened its first financial advisor office north of Delmar Blvd. at Delmar DivINe in 2022. Veronica Coleman, the financial advisor for Edward Jones who directs the branch (and who was featured in the St. Louis Business Journal) moved her location from Granite City and subsequently experienced 300% growth in assets under care, serving more than 300 households.

Every time I set foot into Delmar DivINe, I am energized by the buzz of activity and the sense that there are forces for good at play. I can’t imagine a better place to anchor the Berges Family Foundation’s work.

~ Elizabeth Mannen Berges, Lead Trustee, Berges Family Foundation

Delmar DivINe itself was a catalyst for small business events and economic development, including the opening of seven new restaurants.

Our nonprofits agencies realized an 8.8 % average increase in funds raised, beating the national average of 1.9%.

In all, a study commissioned by the Clark-Fox Family Foundation and Seneca Group estimated that over $50 million in wages were earned at Delmar DivINe, supporting 151 additional jobs and creating $32.2 million of economic output.

Moreover, the Phase 2 expansion that begins in the second quarter of 2025 is expected to generate 308 direct jobs and 52 indirect jobs, with more than $8 million in economic activity. In all, we expect over $80 million in economic production.

And as for the 63112 zip code in which Delmar DivINe resides, since construction of the project began the average home sale price has risen by over 54%, providing great value in a centrally located historic neighborhood.

In just three full years of operation, Delmar DivINe has become a major convener of thought leaders from throughout the nation, bringing people together in an area once known as a symbol of division. In all, 28 of 50 states were represented among the dynamic individuals and institutions that chose our campus as the place from which they would explore actionable solutions to complex challenges.

While much of our work in 2024 was focused on the important task of convening stakeholders to conceive solutions to pressing problems, we didn’t forget that nonprofit agencies are the engine for implementing those ideas. And while we mostly focused on the outstanding 33 agencies who call Delmar DivINe home, we also mixed in opportunities to work with other charitable organizations.

Thinksgiving

Delmar DivINe presented Thinksgiving U. based on the wonderfully effective program, Thinksgiving, created by Matt Homann and Filament, which is held each fall at Cortex. Many Delmar DivINe agencies previously participated in the Filament event and were extremely pleased with the results.

For Thinksgiving U. Delmar DivINe paired nonprofits with innovative groups of students from Washington University’s Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) for a day of creative problem solving. For the entire day, student teams analyzed non-monetary challenge that an agency was facing and created potential solutions.

After a welcome session in the Berges Family Foundation Conference Center, the students and nonprofits divided into various conference rooms

throughout the campus to begin working, with the end product for the day being a poster capturing all the ideas the session generated. This work continued for seven hours, only interrupted by lunch provided by Ben Poremba and the Deli Divine. Near the end of the day, all of the teams returned to the conference center and presented their posters, and discussed how their strategies could be put into action.

“Thinksgiving U. provided a unique opportunity for our staff and board to engage with fresh perspectives from the WashU community to solve a current challenge we are facing,” said Kate McKearn, executive director of Eye Thrive. “Not only did we collaborate to find innovative solutions, but our entire team was re-energized by partnering with WashU to collaborate in new and different ways.”

INsights

ThemINgle

Gary Parker, Associate Dean for External Affairs at the Brown School at Washington University, moderated an expert panel that discussed strategies for charitable organizations to engage in advocacy and lobbying to push for systemic changes that align with their missions. David Winton, founder and president of Winton Policy Group, Lora Gulley, director of community mobilization and advocacy for Generate Health, and Aimee Wehmeier, president of Paraquad, led a spirited discussion of the cans and cannots with regard to advocacy and how important a tool it is to achieve systems change.

Following the election in November, there was a follow up session with Mr. Winton and Jordan Bernstein of Cassidy & Associates to discuss policy and regulation implications of the new administration and the new composition of Congress.

A total of 21 regional foundations and corporate social responsibility officers came to Delmar DivINe to make connections with 24 nonprofit agencies and explore the possibility of funding partnerships. The format allowed the agencies to speak with up to six companies/foundations in ten-minute increments, with informal meeting happening in a post-event reception.

In between the meetings and the networking, everyone participated in roundtable discussion that acted as an opportunity for frank and open conversations between funders and agencies regarding pressing topics in the sector. As one foundation officer noted, “I think this is an important event because we need to create space for funders and foundation staff to interact.”

Amazing and inspiring work! IFF is so glad to be part of Delmar DIvINe.

~ John Kuhnen, Vice President of Asset Management, IFF

From its inception, Delmar DivINe has strived to create collaborative opportunities so that nonprofit agencies may increase their impact and reduce costs through shared resources. To further this effort, we featured our inaugural Spirit of Delmar DivINe Collaboration Awards. The ceremony recognized organizations and individuals that broke down silos to work together, embodying the mission and vision of Delmar DivINe: using the power of collective action to create a future of INnovation, INvestment, and INclusion for all who call St. Louis home.

Delmar DivINe Spirit of

Two awards of $20,000 each were presented for internal (two or more Delmar DivINe tenants) and external (one or more Delmar DivINe tenants and at least one non-tenant agency) partnerships. During a ceremony in the Berges Family Foundation Conference Center, the winners were announced: United 4 Children and Turn the Page STL (internal) and iFM Community Medicine (iFM) and Youth & Family Center (external). The internal collaboration featured a two-step approach to address the lack of trust among early childhood providers and scarcity of resources in St. Louis. Turn the Page STL and United 4 Children began building trust through an early educator appreciation event which brought together a number of stakeholders including Books 4 Newborns, LUME Institute, Ready Readers, RISE, the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County Library, Gateway Early Childhood Alliance, Urban Sprouts, Nine PBS, and Parents as Teachers. The second part of their initiative formed a St. Louis Regional Childhood Community Leadership Task Force with support from the Office of Childhood in the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and from the University of Missouri - St. Louis to help develop a plan outlining funding opportunities for St. Louis providers and families. The taskforce has grown to include nearly 40 stakeholder organizations.

The external award recognized the work between iFM and YFC to address health inequities and disparities for uninsured and underinsured people with chronic health conditions. They began their partnership with a primary care clinic in early 2023 and added a bimonthly asthma and allergy clinic. To date, they have served 152 patients and provided 532 appointments; they anticipate an additional 250 individual patients and 800 visits. The awards were made possible by the generosity of the Berges Family Foundation, Hillary Anger Elfenbein, and Carol and John Hamilton. Maxine Clark, founder of Delmar DivINe, commented, “That’s what we can do here. We bring people together to work together. There’s great joy in seeing people joining forces to solve problems.”

Community Engagement

At the very start of 2024, our community multipurpose space was rechristened the Ameren Community Convening Room in recognition of a very generous donation made by Ameren.

The gift from Ameren made it possible to hold myriad events and gatherings throughout the year focused on communities north of Delmar Blvd.

In addition to the summer-long camps for kids mentioned earlier in this report, we held 38 sessions of the Wisdom Café, with themes ranging from grief, to navigating Medicaid, to playing chess, and myriad topics in between.

In all, the room hosted over 279 communityfacing events and gatherings, including real estate seminars for women and people of color, feedback sessions with members of Missouri’s General Assembly, training for elementary school teachers, and a host of programs focused on health and wellness, positive self-image, leadership, advocacy, and career exploration.

In addition, the St. Louis MetroMarket, a city bus converted into a mobile market that travels to areas with limited access to fresh, healthy

food, made weekly stops at Delmar DivINe. MetroMarket’s innovative approach uses a customer model to empower the community to shop at significantly lower prices than retail grocers. Fresh, affordable produce has been carefully selected from local farm partners and is brought directly to partner sites in the community.

“With our mobile market service, we aim to provide greater accessibility and affordability to grocery items in neighborhoods with limited food access,” said Operations Senior Manager Quinton Ward. “We were excited to bring the mobile market to Delmar DivINe since it is a catalyst for the support and transformation of North St. Louis City and the community members who call it home.”

Since 2016, St. Louis MetroMarket has been partnering with community organizations to serve St. Louis neighborhoods and to generate attention for issues of food access. Now, having joined forces with its longtime partner, Operation Food Search, the organization is growing its programming, including recipe tastings, nutrition education, and other community nutrition offerings.

OurTenants

At the heart of Delmar DivINe are the 39 organizations who call our campus home. Here is a roster of our organizations in 2024.

Asthma & Allergy Foundation

Behavioral Health Response

Berges Family Foundation

BJC HealthCare

Clark-Fox Family Foundation Bridge 2 Hope

Edward Jones

EMD Consulting

Eye Thrive

Deli Divine

WORKS! Health Literacy Media Girls in the Know GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness

Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri (MHA-EM)

Mid-America Transplant Foundation Life Outside of Violence Generate Health

Mound City Bar Association

Navigate STL Schools

KIPP St. Louis

Seed St. Louis

St. Louis Arc

St. Louis Community Credit Union

Teach for America St. Louis

The Opportunity Trust

The Sophia Project Inc.

The SoulFisher Ministries

United 4 Children University of Missouri - St. Louis

Your Philanthropy LLC

Washington University in St. Louis

The BRIC

Financials 2024

In our ongoing commitment to transparency and stewardship, we present the unaudited financials for 2024 (to compare with year-over-year performance, please review our audited financials for 2023).

These figures reflect not just numbers, but the tangible outcomes of the trust and resources invested in our mission as we strive to maximize the impact of every dollar received.

INvestors 2024

Many people and institutions generously contributed to Delmar DivINe. Each donation, regardless of size, is a testament to their belief in our mission and our shared vision for a better future. We are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us, and we proudly recognize the following individuals and organizations for their investments in 2024.

Joyce Aboussie

Ameren Missouri

Keaira Anderson

Berges Family Foundation

Jenny Birge

Naomi Cahn

Dedric Carter

Allie Cicotte

Maxine Clark & Bob Fox

Annemarie Clarke

Betsy Cohen

Patti Cohn

Renee Denlow

Diane Drollinger

Elfenbein Trust

Lyndsey Ellis

Flourish - A Family Foundation

Fountain on Delmar

Marilyn Freundlich

Maricris Guadagna

Hamilton Family Fund

Terrie Hart

Tom and Jennifer Hillman

Sharon John

April Mickens Jolly

Jeffrey Jowdy

Tina Klocke

Gussie Klorer

Edward & Betsy Lawlor

Carolyn Losos

Ed and Tedi Macias

Art & Belinda McCoy

Mary McKay

Mid-America Transplant Foundation

Midland States Bank

Missouri Foundation for Health

Sandra Moore

Kerry Murray

Jajuana Patrick

Lisa Potts

PreventEd

Gary & Marilyn Ratkin

Regional Business Council

Jorge Riopedre & Shera Dalin

Molly Salky

Sylvia Sanchez

Geetha Sant

SC Partners

Todd & Julie Schnuck

Amy Shaw

Travis Sheridan

Damain Shivers

Simple Tools

St. Louis Community Foundation

St. Louis Trust & Family Office

St. Luke’s Hospital

Michael Staenberg

Steve’s Hot Dogs

Shilpa Thornton

Wallis Companies

Washington University in St. Louis

Hank Webber & Christine Jacobs

Henry Webber

Ellen White

Cynthia Williams

Mark and Karen Zorensky

Peek 2025 at A

The new year promises to be the most exciting year yet for Delmar DivINe. In 2025, construction will begin to complete the renovation of the portion of the campus that was the former nursing school at St. Luke’s Hospital. When done, we will have an additional 20,000 sq.ft. of space to welcome more nonprofits and an additional 81 apartments to go with the existing 150 units.

We also welcomed our new executive director, Yusef Scoggin, who will be building on the work of our founding director, Jorge Riopedre, to develop new opportunities and collaborative partnerships, in addition to expanding our signature programs, including the Wisdom Café, INsights, and The mINgle.

We expect even more community focused programs to emerge from our deep collaboration with Washington University and its Delmar DivINe-based Community Engagement Office, as well as the new School of Public Health. We will continue to be a go-to location for coalition building and community convenings, with plans to surpass the 550 that were held in 2024.

We hope you will continue to support us in our work by collaborating, volunteering, and/or donating to Delmar DivINe so that, together, we may chart a new way forward that sets aside past divides to unite us in creating a more dynamic, inclusive, and prosperous St. Louis.