Areas of Focus
JSMF is supporting four essential Areas of Focus in the St. Louis region. These Areas of Focus are deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing and offer a chance to collaboratively build momentum for positive change and include the following tactics.
Photo by Lance Omar Thurman
Workforce
JSMF increases opportunity for the region’s workforce and enhances workforce systems by supporting efforts that:
Strengthen high-quality early childcare and education to both prepare the future workforce and address barriers the current workforce faces.
Enhance wraparound supports for students and job seekers to build awareness, readiness, and access to quality jobs.
Strengthen connections between job seekers, employers, and education and training organizations.
Photo by Lance Omar Thurman
Small and Midsize Businesses
JSMF supports small and midsize businesses to scale through:
Increased access to capital and additional support for small and midsize businesses.
Strengthened connections between small and midsize businesses, anchor institutions, financial institutions, and corporations to drive new business opportunities.
Photo by Lance Omar Thurman
Wealth Building and Protection
JSMF supports efforts to help individuals and communities build and protect wealth by:
Providing access to financial products and services that enable individuals and families to build wealth.
Building capacity within community-based organizations that support individuals and families to build wealth.
Attracting new investment — including federal, state, national philanthropic, and other private capital — to the region.
Photo by Lance Omar Thurman
Civic Infrastructure
JSMF strengthens regional leadership capacity and civic infrastructure by:
Supporting current and future leaders to impact policy and actions across sectors.
Enabling shared knowledge development and learning.
Helping develop a shared narrative about our region and our collective destiny.
Strengthening coalition and collaboration capacity.