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NextGen Grantmakers Initiative

Overview

Goal

Toolkit

Learn More

Overview

In a bold move to reimagine the future of philanthropy, The Deaconess Foundation has partnered with Vision for Children at Risk to launch this transformative NextGen Grantmaking Initiative aimed at placing funding decisions directly in the hands of young changemakers. This innovative initiative shifts traditional grantmaking power structures by empowering youth–not just as beneficiaries, but as decision-makers–who will design, lead, and allocate grant funds to projects that matter most to them and their communities.

“Youth are not just the future – they are the present, and their voices are essential in shaping the change they want to see. Through this youth-led initiative, our Youth Advisory Council members are leading with purpose, making funding decisions that directly impact their communities. This is what true youth leadership looks like – authentic, informed, and driven by lived experience.” – Sanaria Sulaiman, VCR President & CEO

Press Release

Goal

To center youth in funding decisions that impact their lives and communities through an equitable, transparent, and youth-led grantmaking process.

Key features of the initiative include:

  • Youth-led Decision Making: Grant decisions made entirely by youth.
  • Capacity Building: Training and mentorship in grant evaluation, equity, and leadership.
  • Community-Centered Focus: Funding support initiatives rooted in community needs and youth vision.
  • Transparent Process: Open call for proposals, inclusive review, and public sharing of outcomes.

Toolkit

This initiative is all about empowering young people, and it takes us all working together to do that. Are you part of a foundation seeking to increase your impact with youth? Are you a nonprofit seeking to equip young people to lead? This toolkit is for you!

Inside, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to our process—from forming the NextGen Grantmakers Committee, to creating the RFP, to selecting funding awards. It’s designed as a practical resource for our community, and we invite you to build on our work by adapting this tool for your own community.

Download Toolkit

Learn More

Through this initiative, Deaconess Foundation will be distributing $100,000 in grant funds to youth-led or youth-serving projects that prioritize equity, justice, and community impact. The application period is now closed, and the Youth Advisory Council is moving through the process to select awardees and distribute funding.

To learn more, reach out to Jawana Hammonds, System of Care Project Director at jhammonds@visionforchildren.org.

View Other Focus Areas

Engaging
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Informing
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Advocating
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Upcoming Events

Virtual
OCT
8
System of Care Council

Collaborating on issues concerning families and mental health.

OCT

17

Stepping Up for Kids 2025

Join us to celebrate local heroes for kids in foster, adoptive, and kinship care

virtual
TBD
Vitality Cafés

A Journey to Vitality – focused on ensuring individuals are well

Full Event Calendar

Children’s Data

Two Great Ways to Explore

Check out our CMSL Data Book and our new interactive Children’s Data Center

Quantitative and qualitative data should provide the foundation for informed, strategic, collaborative community engagement, action, and advocacy. We invite you to explore the data and join us in working towards a better future for children and families in the St. Louis region.

CMSL Data Book
Children's Data Center
Ernest Gauss
Project Director:
Family Support Services
Biography

Ernest has been connected with VCR since 2018 serving in multiple roles – always a dedicated advocate fostering meaningful change for families navigating complex challenges. He is currently the Project Director of Family Support Services focused on strengthening peer-to-peer connections and helping families access crucial resources. His work centers on empowering parents and caregivers by providing a supportive space for voice and choice and by validating their expertise regarding their own family’s needs.

Ernest’s commitment to the community is rooted in the belief that supportive relationships are fundamental to building a better future for children and families.

Outside of VCR Ernest enjoys being a devoted husband and loving father.

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Connie Rigas
Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Connie joined VCR in 2020 as a Family Support Partner for the System of Care (SOC). She brings professional training to her work, as well as personal experiences from raising her daughter. She walks alongside families in their journey navigating behavioral health and social emotional supports for their child(ren).

Outside of VCR Connie enjoys reading, planting flowers and herbs, and spending time with her family and friends.

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Jawana Hammonds, MSW​
Project Director: System of Care
Biography

Jawana first connected with VCR through the Project LAUNCH initiative as a council member and joined the staff team in 2020. As the System of Care Project Director, she oversees the collaborative network of organizations, agencies, and families committed to a family-driven and youth-guided approach to providing care for children and youth with mental health challenges. The System of Care is working to ensure children and youth can thrive by getting the total support they need to become physically and emotionally healthy at home, in school, and in their communities. 

Outside of VCR Jawana enjoys listening to music and fashion design. 

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vcr@visionforchildren.org
(314) 534-6015

Anita Blagajcevic, MSW
Compliance Coordinator
Biography

Anita first connected with VCR by utilizing the CMSL Data Book, finding the data impactful and helpful. Anita later joined the VCR team in 2018 to focus on improving access to and coordination of early childhood screenings. She now serves as VCR’s Compliance Coordinator, helping manage the applications, data, and reporting for our federal and local grants.

Outside of VCR Anita enjoys spending time with her husband and family. If she’s not doing that, you can find her watching reality TV and pretending she’s viewing it through an anthropological lens.

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Alicia D. Hall, M. Ed., LPC, NCC
Behavioral Health Coordinator: Project LAUNCH
Biography

Alicia joined VCR’s team in 2020, already familiar with and connected to VCR’s collaborative efforts and MO Project LAUNCH (2012). As the Project LAUNCH Behavioral Health Coordinator, Alicia drives our work integrating behavioral health into primary care health and early care and education. She works to increase and integrate the use of screening tools and mental health consultation for children’s well-being.

Outside of VCR Alicia enjoys anything outdoors in the sun with a special appreciation for the Caribbean. She loves eating and trying new restaurants, travel, sand in her feet, water, and blue skies. Alicia also enjoys spending time with family and her grandchildren that keep her young.

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Liz Hoester
Data & Research Coordinator
Biography

Liz, a VCR team member since 2007, coordinates the overall data and research functions for the agency. This includes production of the Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Data Book (CMSL) as well as community assessments and special reports on key policy issues for community organizations and collaborative groups. She also provides customized child well-being focused data to various entities including local foundations, legislators, and numerous community initiatives and organizations. These data are used in everything from securing grants to informing funding and policy decisions. 

Outside of VCR Liz enjoys exploring her neighborhood by foot and the city by bike.

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Isaac McBride, MS
Project Director: Family Support Services
Biography

Isaac connected with VCR because of our prevention work with children and families. Having worked on the intervention side previously, he truly sees the importance and impact of prevention and early intervention. Isaac joined the team in 2020 as our Education Coordinator with Project LAUNCH, then served as the Project LAUNCH Director, and is now the Project Director of Family Support Services.

Outside of VCR Isaac enjoys being outside with his significant other and dog, jiu jitsu, reading, and playing games with his brother. Isaac also loves to cook and bake and has some pretty great skills thanks to his mother. He is notorious for modifying the recipe every time.

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Breann (Bree) Schubert, MSW
Communications Coordinator
Biography

Bree joined VCR in 2015 as the Project LAUNCH Activities Coordinator. Since that time, Bree’s role has shifted, but she remains dedicated and motivated by the mission of VCR. She now serves as VCR’s Communication Coordinator and loves being able to help share the story of VCR (alongside all of our awesome partners and families) working toward child well-being.

Outside of VCR Bree and her family can be found playing ultimate frisbee, hiking, and learning and advocating alongside their church family.

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Ruth Ehresman, MSW
Interim PACT-STL Director
Biography

Ruth was a VCR Board member before fully joining the VCR family in 2013. She started out coordinating the Family and Community Partnership (now known as St. Louis Child Abuse and Neglect Network), served as the VCR Advocacy Coordinator for many years, served as the Interim PACT-STL Director, and now continues to support VCR as a consultant.

Outside of VCR Ruth enjoys reading, playing the piano and flute, playing tennis, and spoiling her dog.

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Sam Blue
Family Support Partner: Family Support Services
Biography

Sam first connected with VCR when he attended a Project LAUNCH council meeting as a dedicated parent. Very soon after this, in 2013, he fully joined the Project LAUNCH and VCR family as a team member. He was one of our first Parent Café hosts and is now a certified Parent Café trainer. His support for parents and families has been unwavering, and he is always seeking new ways to engage parents while working to remove the barriers that stand in the way.

Sam has served on the National FRIENDS Council and helped dream up the Missouri statewide Parent Advisory Council that continues to amplify family voice today. Currently, he serves as a Family Support Partner with our Family Support Services through which he helps connect families to resources and opportunities, and to think strategically about how they can strengthen their family.

Outside of VCR Sam enjoys being in nature, gardening, building connections with others, and spending time with his family.

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Mia Daugherty
Resource Advocate: LIFT-MO
Biography

Mia was first introduced to VCR when a friend invited her to a Community Café. She had heard the cafés were impactful and looks back now to say that it truly was life changing! She sees a real opportunity for positive change by the way these cafés center the conversations of change around community voice.

At the end of 2019 Mia joined the VCR family. She now serves as a Resource Advocate with LIFT-MO, bringing life experience, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, energy, and passion to supporting families navigating behavioral health needs.

Outside of VCR you might find Mia and her daughter roller skating and also embracing all the wonderful and exciting events in the St. Louis area.

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Katina (Tina) Johnson
Family Support Partner
Biography

Katina joined VCR in 2019 excited and motivated to help families, parents, and children by sharing her life experiences, prior work experience, and her education. She serves as a Family Support Partner, brining lived experience to her role of walking alongside families. She helps connect families to the resources that can help them be their best version of themselves.

Outside of VCR Katina enjoys spending time with her four boys, expressing their spiritual beliefs, and networking and meeting new people from all walks of life.

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Shelnise Ellis, MSW
Administrative Support: System of Care
Biography

Shelnise joined the VCR family in 2020 as the Project Coordinator/Lead Family Coordinator for the System of Care, she now provides Administrative Support to the team. She has spent most of her career working with children and adolescents around mental health and is passionate about serving her community, empowering others to live better lives. She works alongside organizations, families and caregivers, and the community committed to strengthening the systems of support. Shelnise also supports the Family Support Partners walking alongside families who are connecting to and navigating mental health services.

Outside of VCR Shelnise enjoys spending time with her family and friends traveling and exploring new journeys.

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Thomastine (Tommie) Richardson
Community Support Specialist:
Community Regional Partner
Biography

Thomastine (Tommie) first connected with VCR in 2020 at one of the Community Cafés and later at our Race Equity training. Inspired by the experience and VCR’s commitment to community work, she quickly completed training to become a café room host–a role she embraced regularly with enthusiasm. She is a mental health advocate at heart and in 2025 she joined the VCR family as a Community Support Specialist. She engages with families in our community to connect them to services and resources. Her work focuses on building strong, supportive relationships to help strengthen families and community.

Outside of VCR Thomastine enjoys spending time with her family and friends and serving her community.

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Yolanda West, MM
STLCANN Coordinator
Biography

Yolanda first engaged with VCR as a board member of COCAN (now STLCANN) in 2012. She went on to serve as the Board Co-Chair of STLCANN before joining the VCR team in 2021 as the PACT-STL Director where she oversaw the work of Parents and Children Together St. Louis (PACT-STL), a federally funded initiative through the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF). She led this initiative focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies that prevent child maltreatment, reduce entry into the public child welfare system, and enhance overall well-being outcomes of children and families. As this project wrapped up, she shifted roles once again and currently serves as the STLCANN Coordinator. 

Outside of VCR Yolanda enjoys spending time with her family and God, reading, listening to music, and watching TV.  

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Integrated Family Treatment

Integrated Family Treatment is a multi-generational approach to mental health care. The client is the family unit, not only the child or adult separately. The goal is to improve family relationships, functioning, and well-being. Evidence-based mental health services and trauma focused treatment will be provided by Places for People and Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis.

Family Support Partners

Family Support Partners (FSPs) provide peer support to families as they connect to and navigate mental health services. The FSPs have lived experience as a parent or family member of a child with a serious emotional disorder, as well as a deep connection to St. Louis region. FSPs are certified by the Missouri Dept. of Mental Health and employed by Vision for Children at Risk.

A person with a Serious Emotional Disorder (SED)

An individual with a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that interferes with or limits daily functioning.

Tyree Thomas
Family Engagement Specialist: PACT-STL
Biography

Tyree originally connected with VCR in 2015 when he attended his first Parent Café. He stayed connected and officially joined the VCR family in 2022 as a Family Engagement Specialist for PACT-STL. He serves as a family mentor and assists families with understanding their rights and helping them navigate the child serving systems. He works alongside families that have either been hot-lined already or are at risk of being hot-lined.

Outside of VCR Tyree enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, and listening to music.

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Jamila Valentine
Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Jamila first engaged with VCR when she attended a Parent Café Training Institute. After this experience she went on to become an active Project LAUNCH parent leader and gained experience hosting Parent Cafés at Clay Academy of Exploration and Civics. She officially joined the VCR family in 2022 and now serves as a Family Support Partner with the System of Care, walking alongside parents and caregivers, connecting them to helpful resources and supporting them as they strengthen their family.

Outside of VCR Jamila enjoys attending family friendly events with her children, along with all the adventures, laughter, and joy that comes with being a parent of multiple children under age 8.

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Alexis Williams
Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Alexis first joined the VCR family in 2022 as a practicum student. She enjoyed working with the team, serving families, and believed in the mission so deeply that she joined the team afterwards. Alexis serves as a Family Support Partner (FSP) for the System of Care (SOC), walking alongside families that have a child or children with a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), mental health concern, or behavioral health concern.

Outside of VCR Alexis enjoys cooking/baking, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

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Carmenlita (Carmen) Montgomery
Lead Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Carmenlita joined VCR is 2022 as a Family Support Partner (FSP) for the System of Care (SOC) and became the Lead Family Support Partner at the end of 2024. She is passionate about empowering others and giving back to her community, helping families and children navigate their everyday life. She brings her own lived experience, work experience, and educational experience to her role as an FSP where she compassionately walks alongside families, providing peer support as they connect to and navigate mental health services.

Outside of VCR Carmenlita enjoys mentoring and tutoring children, being a mother and a nana. She also enjoys decorating, cooking, and traveling with family and friends.

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Critical Case Staffing Purpose

• The purpose of the Critical Case Staffing Team (CCST) is to support the referring agency in determining what system barriers exists in cases where resources have been exhausted.

• The referring agency should be able to resolve most issues prior to referring to CCST by utilizing community resources.

• However, when system barriers prevent the delivery of services and/or additional needs have been identified for which services do not exist, a referral to the CCST may be appropriate. 

System of Care Communications RFQ

The System of Care-St. Louis seeks to engage a communications consultant or firm to provide strategic communications support to reach the population of focus with information about available services. The consultant or firm is asked to audit SOC and partners’ websites and social media accounts and provide a plan that outlines guidance on how to:

  • Promote brand awareness via clear messaging to both families and external community partners
  • Run seasonal promotions for initiatives (such as Children’s Mental Health Day; wellness campaigns, etc.)
  • Create uniform and co-branded messaging for sub-contractors within the SOC Network of Practice.

If you are interested in being considered for this project, please submit a brief description of what you can create with a timeline and cost estimate. Proposals will be considered as they are received. There is no deadline for submission, but we hope to have a finished product before the end of the Fall. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Poli Rijos at prijos(at)stlmhb.org.

Jahkiiah Beyah
Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Jahkiiah joined VCR in 2024 as a Family Support Partner. She has worked in the field of family advocacy for most of her life and is passionate about seeing families overcome adversity together. She connects with and walks alongside families who are encountering some of the same challenges that she has been able to overcome. She has turned her own mental health and daily life struggles into strengths for advocating alongside families.

Outside of VCR Jahkiiah enjoys spending time with her grandbabies!  

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Angela Thomas
Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Angela joined VCR in 2023 as a Family Support Partner for the System of Care (SOC). Her lived experiences are what connected her to the VCR and she uses that background to connect with and walk alongside families now. Angela provides wrap around support to parents and or caregivers, supporting them as they connect to and navigate mental health services.

Outside of VCR Angela loves to read, play pool, and spend time with friends.

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Sanaria Sulaiman, MA
President & CEO
Biography

Sanaria became Executive Director of Vision for Children at Risk in 2018, leading VCR’s efforts to promote the well-being of children, youth, and families. She joined Vision for Children at Risk in 2013 as director of Project LAUNCH, a federally funded program to improve young child wellness in north St. Louis. The success of Project LAUNCH allowed VCR to secure three new federal grants, all aimed at supporting families. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of VCR and overseeing the federal grants, Sanaria also serves on the board of Kids Win Missouri.

Outside of work at VCR, Sanaria loves to travel around the world with her two beautiful children to learn about different cultures, learn different languages, and try new food.

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