ST. LOUIS, MO – August 9, 2011 – Today, Monsanto announced the launch of a new community grant program designed to help grow St. Louis and improve lives locally.
Monsanto Chairman and CEO Hugh Grant joined St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and YWCA CEO Adrian Bracy to share details with the community about Monsanto’s “Grow St. Louis” program, an exciting new initiative that invites St. Louisans to join the company in making a real difference in the community.
“This program is what our company and our nearly 5,000 St. Louis employees are all about,” Grant said. “It represents a wonderful opportunity not only to showcase what St. Louis has to offer, but also to inspire creativity, improve lives and make our community stronger.”
Through the “Grow St. Louis” program, people in the St. Louis metropolitan area can nominate eligible projects at local schools and nonprofit organizations to receive a grant of up to $15,000 from Monsanto. The nominations will then be voted on by the public at www.stlgrown.com, so St. Louisans can decide what projects will help to grow St. Louis. The top three vote-getters will receive grants of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000. The program will be repeated quarterly to give a variety of people, organizations and projects the chance to be involved.
“St. Louisans have a strong history of giving generously to our community, and I would like to commend Monsanto for providing people with yet another way to give back,” Mayor Slay said. “Public-private partnerships like this one are critical to the long-term success and growth of our region.”
The grants being awarded through the “Grow St. Louis” program further demonstrate the company’s local commitment. Last year, Monsanto Company and the Monsanto Fund gave approximately $9 million dollars in the St. Louis region. Since 2000, the company has donated more than $97 million in the region. Taking the commitment even further, Monsanto’s nearly 5,000 St. Louis-based employees regularly support local community projects, with more than 10,000 volunteer hours performed in the last year alone.
“Organizations like the YWCA rely on strong corporate partners like Monsanto to realize the full promise and potential of our mission.” Bracy said. “‘Grow St. Louis’ not only expands access to mission-critical funds, it engages the entire community and gives every St. Louisan the opportunity to become involved. Efforts like this are a real shot in the arm, particularly given the economic challenges we face as a region.”
Today’s launch event at the Jewel Box in Forest Park is just the latest step in Monsanto’s larger “St. Louis Grown” campaign. In June, the company launched an advertising campaign celebrating St. Louis, featuring Monsanto employees with families, friends and co-workers volunteering in the community and enjoying some of the many iconic locations that make St. Louis great.
For more information about the “Grow St. Louis” program, visit www.stlgrown.com.
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