First Bank, in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines), today announced that Girls Inc., Mission: St. Louis, Ready Readers and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis will receive a combined $229,920 grant through the Member Impact Fund. This matching grant program is designed to amplify the community engagement of FHLB Des Moines member institutions that support local housing, business, and economic needs.
In Missouri, 956 applications received funding through partnerships with 174 member institutions. FHLB Des Moines matched $3 for every $1 contributed by a member institution, resulting in $6.5 million from members and $19.4 million awarded by FHLB Des Moines.
“As a family-owned bank built on serving our community, we are proud to support organizations who are making meaningful impact across St. Louis like Girls Inc., Mission: St. Louis, Ready Readers and Urban League,” said Stacy Clay, director of community affairs, First Bank. “Through our relationship with FHLB Des Moines and the Member Impact Fund, these four incredible organizations will be able to continue, and in some cases expand, the important work they do for underserved communities in our region.”
First Bank has been a proud partner of Girls Inc. and Mission: St. Louis since 2024 and has enjoyed a relationship with Ready Readers and the Urban League for over a decade. Together, they have been dedicated to improving their community through affordable housing and community development initiatives.
Girls Incorporated Of St Louis (Girls Inc.) empowers girls to be strong, smart and bold by providing educational, recreational and cultural programs in safe, supportive environments, with a focus on girls who have limited access to educational, social and financial resources. Girls Inc. will receive a $100,000 grant to support the Girls Inc. Business Leadership Academy, an intensive five-year program that introduces girls to business leadership, teamwork and career preparedness. Through exposure to diverse business fields, leadership and presentation skill-building, career development support and guest speakers, the program helps girls build the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to pursue their goals and achieve stronger educational and career outcomes.
Mission: St. Louis empowers individuals and families to achieve social and economic growth through relationships and opportunity, addressing poverty through programs focused on education, workforce development and crime reduction. Mission: St. Louis will receive a $18,000 grant to support initiatives that address barriers to economic stability and community well-being, including Beyond Jobs, which provides participants with job-readiness coaching, life skills training and professional attire; Show Me Peace, which employs violence interrupters in high-risk neighborhoods to provide resources and alternatives to violence; and resources such as meal kits, essential items and home repairs for low- to moderate-income households. Together, these efforts help individuals and families build stability while strengthening communities.
Ready Readers works to ensure every child has access to books and the benefits of early literacy by providing high-quality books, strong relationships and literacy-focused experiences. The $40,000 grant will be used to support literacy programs serving children and families in under-resourced communities, helping expand access to books and literacy experiences. During the 2025-26 school year, Ready Readers served more than 17,000 children across nearly 1,300 classrooms and distributed more than 150,000 new books, bringing its total distribution more than 1 million books since its inception.
Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis works to empower African Americans and others throughout the region by advancing economic self-reliance, social equality and civil rights, with priorities including economic opportunity, educational excellence, community empowerment and advocacy. The organization will receive a $71,920 grant to support community-focused initiatives that connect area residents with essential tools, services and opportunities, including job fairs and placement assistance, resume support, back-to-school resources, health and home services, HUD counseling and financial literacy. Funding will also support the Center for Entrepreneurship, providing business owners with counseling, mentoring, workshops, accelerator programming and financial resources to help strengthen business performance and success.
“The Member Impact Fund is designed to help our members champion the organizations that make a real difference in their communities,” said Kris Williams, president and chief executive officer of FHLB Des Moines. “By partnering with our members, we’re able to multiply resources and support their vital work as they continue to strengthen opportunities for the people they serve.”
Since its launch in 2023, the Member Impact Fund has provided more than $106 million in grants from FHLB Des Moines, generating over $144 million in combined support for affordable housing and community development. Notably, every eligible application submitted to the program has received funding, reflecting the Bank’s strong commitment to partnership and impact.
About First Bank
First Bank, a subsidiary of FB Corporation, is one of the leading privately owned banks in the country. As a family-owned business with four generations of independent, single-family ownership, First Bank offers the stability and experience with long-term planning that helps businesses and the communities in which they operate grow and thrive. With $6.6 billion in assets and 82 locations throughout California, Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. First Bank has developed a relationship-driven approach to offer comprehensive solutions for clients in commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, mortgage banking and more.
About Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) is deeply committed to strengthening communities, serving 13 states and three U.S Pacific territories as a member-owned cooperative. We work together with over 1,200-member financial institutions to support affordable housing, economic development and community improvement.
FHLB Des Moines is one of 11 regional Banks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Members include community and commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, thrifts and community development financial institutions. FHLB Des Moines is wholly owned by its members and receives no taxpayer funding. For additional information about FHLB Des Moines, please visit www.fhlbdm.com.
In Missouri, 956 applications received funding through partnerships with 174 member institutions. FHLB Des Moines matched $3 for every $1 contributed by a member institution, resulting in $6.5 million from members and $19.4 million awarded by FHLB Des Moines.
“As a family-owned bank built on serving our community, we are proud to support organizations who are making meaningful impact across St. Louis like Girls Inc., Mission: St. Louis, Ready Readers and Urban League,” said Stacy Clay, director of community affairs, First Bank. “Through our relationship with FHLB Des Moines and the Member Impact Fund, these four incredible organizations will be able to continue, and in some cases expand, the important work they do for underserved communities in our region.”
First Bank has been a proud partner of Girls Inc. and Mission: St. Louis since 2024 and has enjoyed a relationship with Ready Readers and the Urban League for over a decade. Together, they have been dedicated to improving their community through affordable housing and community development initiatives.
Girls Incorporated Of St Louis (Girls Inc.) empowers girls to be strong, smart and bold by providing educational, recreational and cultural programs in safe, supportive environments, with a focus on girls who have limited access to educational, social and financial resources. Girls Inc. will receive a $100,000 grant to support the Girls Inc. Business Leadership Academy, an intensive five-year program that introduces girls to business leadership, teamwork and career preparedness. Through exposure to diverse business fields, leadership and presentation skill-building, career development support and guest speakers, the program helps girls build the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to pursue their goals and achieve stronger educational and career outcomes.
Mission: St. Louis empowers individuals and families to achieve social and economic growth through relationships and opportunity, addressing poverty through programs focused on education, workforce development and crime reduction. Mission: St. Louis will receive a $18,000 grant to support initiatives that address barriers to economic stability and community well-being, including Beyond Jobs, which provides participants with job-readiness coaching, life skills training and professional attire; Show Me Peace, which employs violence interrupters in high-risk neighborhoods to provide resources and alternatives to violence; and resources such as meal kits, essential items and home repairs for low- to moderate-income households. Together, these efforts help individuals and families build stability while strengthening communities.
Ready Readers works to ensure every child has access to books and the benefits of early literacy by providing high-quality books, strong relationships and literacy-focused experiences. The $40,000 grant will be used to support literacy programs serving children and families in under-resourced communities, helping expand access to books and literacy experiences. During the 2025-26 school year, Ready Readers served more than 17,000 children across nearly 1,300 classrooms and distributed more than 150,000 new books, bringing its total distribution more than 1 million books since its inception.
Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis works to empower African Americans and others throughout the region by advancing economic self-reliance, social equality and civil rights, with priorities including economic opportunity, educational excellence, community empowerment and advocacy. The organization will receive a $71,920 grant to support community-focused initiatives that connect area residents with essential tools, services and opportunities, including job fairs and placement assistance, resume support, back-to-school resources, health and home services, HUD counseling and financial literacy. Funding will also support the Center for Entrepreneurship, providing business owners with counseling, mentoring, workshops, accelerator programming and financial resources to help strengthen business performance and success.
“The Member Impact Fund is designed to help our members champion the organizations that make a real difference in their communities,” said Kris Williams, president and chief executive officer of FHLB Des Moines. “By partnering with our members, we’re able to multiply resources and support their vital work as they continue to strengthen opportunities for the people they serve.”
Since its launch in 2023, the Member Impact Fund has provided more than $106 million in grants from FHLB Des Moines, generating over $144 million in combined support for affordable housing and community development. Notably, every eligible application submitted to the program has received funding, reflecting the Bank’s strong commitment to partnership and impact.
About First Bank
First Bank, a subsidiary of FB Corporation, is one of the leading privately owned banks in the country. As a family-owned business with four generations of independent, single-family ownership, First Bank offers the stability and experience with long-term planning that helps businesses and the communities in which they operate grow and thrive. With $6.6 billion in assets and 82 locations throughout California, Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. First Bank has developed a relationship-driven approach to offer comprehensive solutions for clients in commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, mortgage banking and more.
About Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines) is deeply committed to strengthening communities, serving 13 states and three U.S Pacific territories as a member-owned cooperative. We work together with over 1,200-member financial institutions to support affordable housing, economic development and community improvement.
FHLB Des Moines is one of 11 regional Banks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Members include community and commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, thrifts and community development financial institutions. FHLB Des Moines is wholly owned by its members and receives no taxpayer funding. For additional information about FHLB Des Moines, please visit www.fhlbdm.com.