On May 16, 2025, an EF3 tornado cut a 23-mile path through St. Louis City and County. The ensuing devastation left thousands of residents displaced, destroying more than 5,000 homes and businesses. The brunt of the destruction hit 19 North St. Louis City neighborhoods — Legacy Black communities from which investment and opportunity have historically been withheld. In the weeks that followed, federal, state, and municipal systems slowly mobilized — but, as is often the case after large-scale disasters, a gap emerged between the impact and the relief. What followed was not just a response — it was a test of whether existing systems could meet the urgency of the moment. They could not. This documents what it took to close that gap.
THE NORTHSIDE RESILIENCE FUND (NRF) WAS CREATED TO STAND IN THAT GAP.
Direct Cash Assistance, Designed for Urgency, Flexibility, and Agency
Launched by Invest STL in partnership with community organizations and funders, the Northside Resilience Fund (NRF) provided direct, flexible cash assistance to households in North St. Louis, our neighbors most severely impacted by the tornado. The goal was not to replace long-term recovery resources, but to meet urgent, immediate needs as residents waited for insurance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other relief to become available. This required building a program — intake, review, verification, distribution, and support — in real time. This work was based on past experiences launching direct cash assistance initiatives, including a COVID-19 aid fund, Rooted: Cultivating Black Wealth in Place, and Small Dollars Action Fund.
In just two weeks, we and our partners created and raised enough initial funding to launch a direct cash assistance program. On a rolling basis over the course of four months, 1,378 North St. Louis households received $3,000 grants to begin their recovery on their own terms — for housing, transportation, utilities, repairs, medical needs, and much more to create a path toward recovery.
This Powerbook Documents What It Took to Do That Work.
This Powerbook captures how NRF came together, how decisions were made under pressure, what worked well, what did not, and what we would — as well as the broader region should — do differently next time. It draws directly from listening sessions with the people who made NRF possible: project leads, volunteers, phone helpline members, and application review staff who shouldered the work daily.
NRF was created to meet urgent needs quickly — and to trust residents to decide what came next.
NRF was not perfect. No rapid-response program ever is. But it demonstrated what is possible when community-based organizations are trusted, resourced, and equipped to act quickly, with care for neighbors and their dignity.
The speed and scale of this work exposed both strengths and strains — lessons that inform how we, and our region, can respond more quickly and equitably with direct cash assistance during future disasters and crises.
Preparing for What Comes Next
Extreme weather does not affect all communities in the same way. Predominantly Black neighborhoods are often hit hardest, as climate-related disasters compound the injustices of historic housing discrimination and systemic racism. Research has shown that formerly redlined neighborhoods experience greater vulnerability to extreme weather than non-redlined areas. We see this nationwide, as Black neighborhoods denied investment are hotter and more flood-prone than wealthier, whiter neighborhoods.
We are dedicated to untethering the past from what’s possible in the future by refusing to accept the restraints of generations of systemic anti-Black racism. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, the lessons from NRF are not just retrospective. They are preparatory. This Powerbook is intended to serve as a practical resource for our Invest STL team, community organizations, funders, and government leaders working to ensure the next response is faster, more equitable, and better coordinated.
At Invest STL, we identify, try, evaluate, and facilitate potential solutions to systemic issues facing predominantly Black neighborhoods, including displacement. In 2023, we set out to investigate if direct funds can help Black residents remain in their chosen community by increasing access to assets such as housing, long-term capital, and business development. This became our Rooted: Cultivating Black Wealth in Place pilot, an initiative that provided 50 Black households in the West End and Visitation Park neighborhoods of St. Louis with funding and support to build long-term, generational wealth; own and protect property; build and scale businesses; and invest in their futures—especially as development and speculative real estate activity increases significantly in their neighborhoods.
A Unique Approach to Complex Issues: Wealth Building x Financial Planning x Anti-Displacement
The Rooted initiative takes a unique approach to complex issues by merging wealth building and financial planning in a place-based effort to prevent displacement during gentrification. This is one localized effort, and we hope it inspires more pathways for policy change.
By integrating wealth-building programs into their strategies, policymakers would be able to offer focused financial support to help individuals and families accumulate assets, secure stable housing, and resist being pushed out of their neighborhoods. This approach not only addresses immediate displacement issues but also promotes long-term, equitable growth by working to ensure all community members have a fair chance to benefit from local development and prosperity.
We are taking a big swing at an issue prevalent in many urban cities and neighborhoods across the United States. We invite you to join us on this journey to learn about what we have tried in developing this effort and our lessons learned so far.
The $22K Investment: A Thoughtful Approach to Community Wealth Building in Place
One of the biggest challenges in designing Rooted was determining the right investment amount and the number of participants (known as “resident investors”) to make the most meaningful impact. Our starting budget was $1 million, and we needed to balance maximizing impact with ensuring a statistically significant sample size for future evaluation and replication.
Finding the Right Amount
Initial considerations pointed to $10,000 per resident investor, but market data indicated this amount was too low to make a real impact.
While $40,000 would have been ideal for wealth building, it would have only allowed 25 residents to participate, limiting the program’s broader neighborhood impact and evaluative reliability.
We landed on $20,000 per resident investment as the most viable amount for the St. Louis market—enough to support home purchases, repairs, business investments, and other wealth-building activities while ensuring an impactful sample size of 50 residents.
Addressing Immediate Financial Needs
In addition to the $20,000 investment, each resident investor also received $2,000 for immediate financial concerns such as paying off debt, property taxes, or establishing an emergency savings fund.
This decision was based on conversations with community members and data showing that the footprint’s average unsecured household debt was $2,200. We recognized it would not be realistic or reasonable for residents to ignore any existing financial burdens in favor of long-term wealth building.
Rather than making this amount need-based, we raised additional funds to ensure all resident investors received it, recognizing that financial circumstances can shift unpredictably.
We understand $22,000 may not be substantial enough for a wealth-building investment in other communities. Please consider your area’s cost of living, housing market, area median income, and existing financial burdens the community might have when setting individual investment amounts.
Lessons Learned from Implementation
While the Rooted pilot provided critical support to resident investors, we also encountered key challenges and learning opportunities that have informed our approach moving forward:
Residents faced financial hardships that exceeded our original allocation
Some participants struggled with high debt, overdue property taxes, major car repairs, or housing instability that $2,000 couldn’t fully cover.
Future iterations of the program could consider additional emergency financial support to address these urgent needs.
The rising cost of home repairs affected funding allocation
The initiative was designed before the sharp increase in construction costs following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some residents who chose to invest in home improvements found their funds didn’t stretch as far as expected.
Other programs should consider adjustable funding models that account for economic fluctuations.
Why the RootedPowerbook Matters
The Rooted Powerbook is more than just a report—it’s a blueprint for other neighborhoods, cities, and organizations looking to replicate Invest STL’s approach to place-based wealth building and wealth building as an anti-displacement strategy. It details the decision-making process, data considerations, program implementation, and real-world impact so that this initiative can serve as a model for future efforts nationwide.
By openly sharing our findings and experiences, we hope to encourage policymakers, funders, and community organizations to invest in similar models that support Black property ownership, entrepreneurship, and generational financial prosperity.
What’s Next?
The impact of this pilot in the West End and Visitation Park neighborhoods is just the beginning. As we continue evaluating the impact of our Rooted model, we’re poised to share the initiative’s impact. We aim to help others build similar wealth-building, cash transfer, and anti-displacement projects and programs for their neighborhoods and cities.
The ultimate goal? To create a nationwide movement that elevates wealth-building as a place-based investment strategy for Black and other communities at risk of displacement and erasure. The people who have tended to their communities when others neglected them deserve to be the first to benefit when there’s an economic upswing. Direct cash investments to seed wealth building can help their roots in their chosen place run longer and stronger for the next generation.
Interested in Learning More?
Visit our Rooted page to download the Rooted Powerbook and explore how direct investments can drive transformative change for people and their chosen communities.
Check out our News + Updates page to stay informed about other Invest STL initiatives and work like Rooted.
For far too long, Black communities in St. Louis have faced systemic barriers to building and maintaining wealth. As neighborhoods undergo rapid change and gentrification, Black residents are often displaced or unable to secure the economic opportunities needed to thrive. Recognizing this challenge, our Invest STL Policy + Design Activation team launchedRooted: Cultivating Black Wealth in Place, a first-of-its-kind direct wealth-building initiative aimed at supporting Black residents with financial resources, tools, and relationships to stay and build wealth in their chosen neighborhoods.
Why St. Louis?
As the location for the three-year Rooted pilot, St. Louis provides a unique opportunity to test and refine strategies that can be scaled to other cities facing similar challenges. The program focuses on the West End and Visitation Park neighborhoods — areas rich in Black history and culture, but experiencing increasing development and real estate speculation that threaten long-term residents. By implementing and investigating Rooted here first, we’re creating a blueprint for anti-displacement strategies that can be replicated in other communities.
We set clear goals to focus the initiative and indicators that can determine impact at the end of the pilot.
Goals
Prevent displacement of long-term Black residents
Increase the ability of long-term residents to build wealth
Indicators of Impact
Families have assets that can be passed down generationally.
People can afford to remain in their neighborhood
How Rooted Builds Black Wealth
Rooted is more than just a financial investment—it’s a holistic approach to wealth-building. The program provided 50 Black residents, known as “resident investors,” in the West End and Visitation Park neighborhoods with $2,000 to address immediate financial needs, such as paying down debt or creating an emergency savings account, and a $20,000 investment to support long-term wealth building. The initiative also provides the resident investors with a Certified Financial Planner at no expense to assist with building a personalized plan to build wealth and help resident investors reach their goals.
This $20,000 investment may be used to:
Purchase property in the neighborhoods to secure generational wealth
Complete property repairs or upgrades in the neighborhoods to improve living conditions and property value
Start or grow a small business in the neighborhoods to drive local economic growth
Add to an investment account to secure long-term financial stability
Additionally, beyond the financial support, Rooted resident investors receive one-on-one financial planning, access to estate planning services, and guidance on credit and wealth management. These are all critical tools to ensure financial decisions lead to sustainable prosperity, while ensuring resident investors have autonomy and choice over their decisions.
Early Impact + Success Stories
Since its implementation in 2023, Rooted has had a significant impact in the community:
Businesses Launched + Grown: Six resident investors have used their funds to start businesses, and two scaled up their businesses, contributing to local economic growth.
Property Investments: 25 resident investors made essential property repairs and upgrades, increasing their property’s long-term value.
Generational Wealth Planning: 16 resident investors secured beneficiary deeds, ensuring their homes can be passed down for generations.
What’s Next?
With the lessons learned and documented from the Rooted pilot, we’re poised to expand the initiative’s impact. We outlined our process, experiences, and approach from our pilot in the West End and Visitation Park to help others build similar wealth-building and anti-displacement projects for their neighborhoods and cities.
The ultimate goal? To create a nationwide movement that elevates wealth-building as a place-based investment strategy for Black and other communities at risk of displacement and erasure. The people who have tended to their communities when others neglected them deserve to be the first to benefit when there’s an economic upswing. Direct cash investments to seed wealth building can help their roots in their chosen place run longer and stronger for the next generation.
Interested in Learning More?
Whether you’re an elected official or neighborhood organization member looking to implement a similar project, or a funder or community member looking to support the initiative, Rooted is an emerging model to advance long-term, neighborhood-level wealth-building strategies. Visit ourRooted page to explore how this initiative is shaping the future of St. Louis and beyond.
Check out our News + Updates page to stay informed about other Invest STL initiatives and work like Rooted.
Quiet as it’s kept, we’ve been up to a lot at Invest STL. For those closest to us, you already know we have grown significantly since our first forming in 2012. During the height of the pandemic, we wholly embraced a more pointed mission to facilitate investment in the power of people and their neighborhoods to create communities of justice and opportunity in places that continue to endure the legacy of systemic anti-Black racism. With this mission, we committed to working urgently, boldly, and intentionally to support system-level transformation within a generation and set our organizational clock to shut our doors by 2042.
At the core of this mandate is our devotion to rigorous self-examination and transparently sharing with our community our learnings and trials along the way. Here is the beginning of our open conversation with you as we strive together to make every St. Louis neighborhood a chosen place to live, raise children, and grow old.
Reflections on 2024
Since we started our 20-year organizational sunset clock in 2022, we have been in the “Activate + Prepare” phase (stay tuned for the full roadmap this year). We made significant strides in this phase during 2024, including:
Continued building our internal infrastructure;
Continued establishing and fortifying key relationships and partnerships within our community, from resident- and other neighborhood-based groups to local government to regional intermediaries;
Continued growing our investments in our region’s landscape of Black neighborhoods and the dreams and possibilities within them.
Here are just a few ways we leaned into activating + preparing in 2024:
We ramped up our team from 9 to 16 deeply creative and committed professionals. This allows us to fully engage in all areas of our work, including Neighborhood Investing, System Investing, Policy Piloting + Influencing, and Narrative Reframing.
We developed and codified internal culture-setting practices like bimonthly team development days. These intentional development days root us in the individual histories of Black neighborhoods, foster shared skill building, and conclude with wellness excursions that invite joy and levity as core components to how we engage in this work together.
Through surveying neighborhood organizations and pulling from other data sources, we sought to understand and bring forth insights about what’s happening in our community through our forthcoming community and economic development ecosystem assessment. Stay tuned for initial learnings and opportunities for action to be shared in early 2025.
With the will and wisdom of residents and partners in the West End and Visitation Park community, we bottled ahas and guidance for supporting truly resident-led neighborhood planning in our Resident-Led Neighborhood Planning Powerbook. This comprehensive resource aims to help create the conditions for change in how places are planned for and who drives the conversation.
From the swelling participation of residents in 40+ neighborhoods across our region’s core, we were able to begin identifying networks of collaboration through the Small Dollars Action Fund (SDAF). Check out past SDAF projects in our Action Map.
While we experienced momentum, there are directives of this phase that didn’t receive much attention in 2024. We hold many relationships in this space, but we need to be more thoughtful about initiating key relationships that are the levers for building and sustaining generational change within our ecosystem. Likewise, it’s so easy to be zoomed into the everyday work and its…complications…that we often forget to take a step back to illuminate the bright spots through rich storytelling or simple applause and acknowledgement. We are committed to giving more time and care to these intentions in 2025.
On that note, there are moments when “enough” feels elusive—“Do we have enough time?” “Do we have enough capacity?” “Is this enough to really make a difference?” As our organization rounds into our final moments to “Activate + Prepare” our foundation, I am reminded that taking fewer yet giant steps in this phase will yield the space for rapid strides in our next phase of “Experiment + Model.”
Over the next year, the mostly quiet and patient work of the last three years will give way to what we hope is an explosion of efforts across our region to try new ways of accelerating wealth, power, and collective action to the benefit of our legacy Black neighborhoods and beyond.
Looking Ahead
You can look forward to hearing from us in 2025 on:
The release of the Rooted: Cultivating Black Wealth in Place Powerbook, which will reflect our learnings and guidance on direct cash investments to people to support community-keeping through wealth building.
For the first time since 2018, the inclusion of more neighborhoods where we are honored to build longer-term, deep investment relationships.
The opening of our new community space and office in the heart of the Northside as an ode and offering to invite, memorialize, and amplify the multifacetedness of living in this beloved community. We will continue to have our office on Delmar.
From upcoming local elections to national trends making their way to the heartland, there’s a wave of new developments that stands to significantly impact life and what’s possible in our neighborhoods in the near future. With 18 years remaining in our mission relay—just seconds in the long arc of collective changemaking—we’re rounding the corner to the stretch where quiet as it’s kept and slow and steady will no longer serve our commitment to facilitate a system that will be directed by and to the benefit of residents within a generation’s time.
Learn more about where we’ve been from our 2024 Reflection and sign up for our newsletter to stride with us as we lace up for an even more dynamic 2025.
