REGIONAL BUSINESS COUNCIL

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY: TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS TO REDUCE CRIME, IMPROVE SAFETY, AND PROVIDE NEEDED SUPPORT AND IMPROVEMENT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION- ST. LOUIS COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION: RBC ORGANIZED A SUCCESSFUL EVENT IN THE COUNTY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH ONE OF THE HIGHEST POVERTY AND HOMICIDE RATES IN THE REGION. THE EVENT DIRECTLY IMPACTED STUDENTS IN THE RIVERVIEW GARDENS SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH THE PROJECT SITE TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL. VOLUNTEERS INSTALLED 75 RING VIDEO DOORBELLS AND 75 MOTION-ACTIVATED LIGHTS IN STRATEGIC RESIDENCES THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP POLICE SOLVE VIOLENT CRIMES. - ST. LOUIS CITY NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION: RBC ORGANIZED A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT CREATING "PEACE PARK" IN COLLEGE HILL, THE ONLY NEIGHBORHOOD IN ST. LOUIS CITY WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL PARK. THE EVENT FEATURED THE MOST RBC MEMBERS EVER INVOLVED IN A SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION EFFORT, DOUBLING PARTICIPATION FROM 2022. THE EVENT GARNERED SIGNIFICANT PRESS INCLUDING FRONT PAGE NEWS IN THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, INTERVIEWS ON KMOV, FOX 2, KSDK, AND A FULL PAGE IN THE ST. LOUIS AMERICAN. - EXPANSION PLAN FOR CLEAN UP, BUILD UP: RBC CREATED A PLAN TO EXPAND CLEAN-UP, BUILD-UP IN 2024. STARTING LATE SPRING 2024, THE NEW MODEL WILL CONTINUE OUR TWO LARGE-SCALE COMMUNITY EVENTS IN SPRING AND FALL BUT WILL ALSO INCLUDE BIMONTHLY EVENTS WITH MAJOR UTILITIES IN THE REGION TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME BY USING DATA TO TARGET NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS AT THE BLOCK LEVEL. - METROLINK SECURE PLATFORM PLAN: WORKED WITH BI-STATE DEVELOPMENT PRESIDENT & CEO AND GENERAL COUNSEL TO SECURE REMAINING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR'S $10.5M INVESTMENT AND ORGANIZED MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS TO BRIEF DONORS ABOUT PROJECT DEVELOPMENTS.- CIRCUIT ATTORNEY SUMMIT AT RBC: HELPED ORGANIZED MEETING WITH THE MISSOURI GOVERNOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF AT RBC WITH CIRCUIT ATTORNEY GABE GORE IN HIS FIRST WEEK ALONG WITH PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS FROM OTHER COUNTIES IN THE REGION TO CREATE A PLAN TO START PROCESSING THE BACKLOG OF CASES.- DOWNTOWN ANTI-VIOLENCE CRIME INITIATIVE: HELPED SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS AND MESSAGING FOR THE INITIATIVE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REGION'S MOST EFFECTIVE CRIME INTERVENTIONS IN 2023. - EAST-WEST GATEWAY: RBC WAS REPRESENTED AT WORKING GROUP MEETINGS AT THE EWG CRIME PRACTICUM TO DEVELOP A REGIONAL CRIME STRATEGY. ADVOCATED FOR RBC'S INTERESTS DURING THE PROCESS, LEADING TO A FAVORABLE OUTCOME FOR THE REGION AND ORGANIZATION. - ATTENDED DOJ PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS SUMMIT: INVITED BY THE U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI TO ATTEND DOJ PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS SUMMIT IN INDIANAPOLIS IN DECEMBER ALONG WITH SLMPD CHIEF ROBERT TRACY. - FAITH LEADERS LUNCHEON: ORGANIZED FAITH LEADERS LUNCHEON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE WITH 250 PASTORS AND FAITH LEADERS FROM NORTH CITY AND COUNTY, AND SOME OF THE TOP COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THE CITY AND COUNTY. THE EVENT WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SHOWING APPRECIATION FOR FAITH LEADERS WHO ARE CRITICAL TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVES. - INVESTED $200,000 IN THE URBAN LEAGUE SAVE OUR SONS PROGRAM AND DIVISION OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR AT-RISK AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN AND REDUCE CRIME IN TARGET NEIGHBORHOODS.

GIVING BACK: TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE REGION BY BRIDGING THE CORPORATE AND REGIONAL NONPROFIT COMMUNITIES AND ENCOURAGING EMERGING BUSINESS LEADERS TO GET INVOLVED PHILANTHROPICALLY IN ST. LOUIS.- ST. LOUIS SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS (SVP) INVESTED A TOTAL OF $130,000 INTO FIVE NONPROFITS. THEY WERE ABLE TO APPLY THE FUNDING TOWARDS PROJECTS ESSENTIAL TO BUILD CAPACITY AND FUNCTIONALITY IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING: CYBERUP: HIRE MARKETING SERVICES FOR THE NEW POWER UP CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM. DREAM BUILDERS 4 EQUITY: COVER EXPENSES FOR UPGRADED ACCOUNTING PROJECTS. EYE THRIVE: PURCHASE AND DEVELOP ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD (EMR) SOFTWARE. SEED ST. LOUIS: PURCHASE BOARD MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE- SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS WELCOMED FOUR NEW PARTNERS FOR A TOTAL OF 33, WORKING TO BUILD CAPACITY WITHIN FIVE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT COLLECTIVELY SERVE OVER 20,000 YOUTHS IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION.- THANKS TO THE CONNECTIONS OF OUR SVP PARTNERS, ALL FIVE NONPROFIT INVESTEES WERE ABLE TO ATTEND A TWO-DAY FREE AGILE TRAINING WORKSHOP.- THE SVP GRANT COMMITTEE CONCLUDED A THOROUGH GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS, SELECTING TWO NEW ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT IN 2024 - JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE FOUNDATION AND LOVETHELOU - WHO SERVE YOUTH IN EAST ST. LOUIS AND NORTH ST. LOUIS.- RBC'S IT'S OUR REGION FUND RECEIVED 179 GRANT APPLICATIONS, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 40% MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. AFTER CAREFUL DELIBERATION, THE IT'S OUR REGION FUND GRANT COMMITTEE ALLOCATED $100,000 TO 29 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION, INCLUDING FOUR ORGANIZATIONS SERVING DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES IN ILLINOIS.- THE RBC RAISED $15.8M FOR THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER ST. LOUIS. THESE FUNDS HELP THE UNITED WAY ADDRESS THE ST. LOUIS REGION'S NEEDS AND ENSURE OUR RESIDENTS MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS OF FOOD, SHELTER, AND TRANSPORTATION AS WELL THEIR LONG-TERM NEEDS, INCLUDING JOB TRAINING, YOUTH PROGRAMMING, EDUCATION, AND COUNSELING.