How We Help
The LIGHT Foundation builds core values in youth and connects them to opportunities that enrich their lives — funding vital services, strengthening the organizations that deliver them, and partnering hands-on to help good work reach further.
Vital services and scholarships
The organizations that deliver them
Hands-on, to help
good work reach further
From childhood language clinics to Masonic youth organizations to community nonprofits, our work turns generosity into lasting impact — here in Missouri and beyond.
Who We Support
The organizations and programs we’re proud to stand behind. Select any to learn more.
Scottish Rite Children’s Charities
Two national programs alleviating language and literacy barriers for children.
Scottish Rite Children’s Charities
Two national programs alleviating language and literacy barriers for children.
Scottish Rite Children’s Charities encompass two impactful programs across the United States. The RiteCare® Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program, supported by the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction, provides diagnostic evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders as well as learning disabilities. The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction hosts the Children’s Dyslexia Centers, which assist children through reading instruction, tutoring, and dyslexia remediation. The LIGHT Foundation honors both programs — directly supporting their work through national funding, strategic giving campaigns, messaging, and grant underwriting for targeted initiatives.
Masonic Youth Programs & Scholarships
Investing in the character and future of the next generation of leaders.
Masonic Youth Programs & Scholarships
Investing in the character and future of the next generation of leaders.
Character and leadership are learned early and strengthened through mentorship. We invest in the growth of Masonic Youth programs and award scholarships to members of DeMolay, Job’s Daughters, and the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. Our support gives today’s youth the guidance, opportunity, and resources to pursue their education and step into lives of leadership and service.
Disaster Relief
When crisis strikes, our charity becomes immediate action.
Disaster Relief
When crisis strikes, our charity becomes immediate action.
In partnership with the Scottish Rite Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction and the Scottish Rite Foundation of Missouri, the LIGHT Foundation supports disaster relief efforts that bring urgent help — shelter, supplies, and hope — to families and communities in the wake of natural disasters and emergencies.
Our commitment reaches beyond these Masonic partnerships. The LIGHT Foundation also supports a broad range of other disaster relief causes and endeavors — contributing aid, financial support, resources, and volunteer hours wherever there is genuine need and an opportunity to do good.
Maryville University
A transformative, inclusive educational environment for students from around the world.
Maryville University
A transformative, inclusive educational environment for students from around the world.
Maryville University of St. Louis is a private university in Town and Country, Missouri. Founded in 1872, the University now offers more than 90 degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels to students from 50 states and 47 countries. The LIGHT Foundation is a proud scholarship underwriter and collaborative partner with Maryville through the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic, Kids Rock Cancer, and the University Leadership & Service Clubs.
Walker Scottish Rite Clinic
Giving young children with speech and language disorders the communication skills to thrive.
Walker Scottish Rite Clinic
Giving young children with speech and language disorders the communication skills to thrive.
The Walker Scottish Rite Clinic at Maryville University is committed to teaching two- through six-year-old children with speech and language disorders the communication skills necessary to succeed in school and throughout their lives — achieved through early identification, long-term therapy, and training parents to use techniques with their children at home. The LIGHT Foundation supports the Clinic through youth-opportunity initiatives, marketing and resource development, and fiscal support for the children served through the Scottish Rite RiteCare Language Program at Maryville.
DeMolay International
Preparing young men to lead successful, happy, and productive lives.
DeMolay International
Preparing young men to lead successful, happy, and productive lives.
DeMolay International prepares young men to lead successful, happy, and productive lives by developing their civic awareness, personal responsibility, and leadership skills. The LIGHT Foundation supports the core values of DeMolay and invests in leadership development, continuing education, and community-forward philosophies through scholarships, collaborative projects, and program opportunities.
Missouri DeMolay
Leadership learned by doing — conclaves, service projects and summer camps.
Missouri DeMolay
Leadership learned by doing — conclaves, service projects and summer camps.
Missouri DeMolay provides leadership and character development for young men ages 9 to 21 — a youth-led, adult-advised fraternity whose members plan and run their own programs. It was The LIGHT Foundation’s first partner, and our support spans the annual State Conclave, the University of DeMolay leadership camps, Conclave scholarships, and the chapter service projects through which these young men give back to their communities.
Shriners Hospitals for Children — St. Louis
High-quality pediatric orthopaedic care for children, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Shriners Hospitals for Children — St. Louis
High-quality pediatric orthopaedic care for children, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Since 1924, the board-certified surgeons and staff of Shriners Hospitals for Children — St. Louis have provided high-quality pediatric orthopaedic care to children, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. The St. Louis Shriners Hospital proudly serves children from across the U.S. and the world, with a primary catchment area spanning Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa. The LIGHT Foundation is called to support the Hospital’s mission of unlimited possibilities for children through the integral transportation provided by the Moolah Shrine organization.
The Haven of Grace
Helping young mothers and their children build safe, stable futures.
The Haven of Grace
Helping young mothers and their children build safe, stable futures.
We proudly support The Haven of Grace of St. Louis, which serves pregnant and homeless young mothers and their children. Our partnership includes funding for safe housing and compassionate care, support for life-skills programming, and hands-on help with event and program planning and development — because lasting change is built alongside people, not merely for them.
In-House Creations
We’re not only a funder — we’re a creator.
From curriculum to camera, we design and produce the tools, training, and media that bring youth programs to life — and we build the studios where young people gain real-world creative experience.
Original Programs, Materials & Studios
Curriculum, training, and a professional media studio — created and produced by the Foundation.
Educational & Program Materials
We design and produce original materials in print, online, video, and interactive formats:
- Youth leadership and service-development curricula
- Training materials that equip Scottish Rite, Masonic, and other adult volunteer groups to implement programs
- Resources for fundraising, mentorship, and volunteer development
Our Scottish Rite Masonic Youth Engagement Guide is one example of this work in action.
Premium Video Studio
At the center of our creative work is a premium in-house video recording studio:
- A professional space outside organizations can use for their own promotional videos, educational content, and storytelling
- A hands-on learning environment where young people gain real-world experience in audio, video, and media production — opening doors to careers in one of today’s fastest-growing creative fields
LIGHT Box Productions
Our flagship in-house program, LIGHT Box Productions is a professional studio complex producing original video, audio, and digital content for youth-focused organizations — and a hands-on learning environment where young people build real-world media-production skills.
Music Therapy & Podcast Studio
Within LIGHT Box Productions, an intimate, welcoming studio has historically been used by licensed music therapists in St. Louis for the therapy of children facing cancer and sickle cell disease — hosting music-therapy sessions, podcast recording, and other audio-driven work.
A Legacy of Partnership
Honoring the organizations we’ve been proud to stand beside.
Our partnerships have gone far beyond funding and volunteer hours. For many of these organizations, the LIGHT Foundation has produced professional marketing, educational, and event materials — in print, video, online, and social media — at zero cost to them. These are materials that would have cost thousands of dollars, or that these groups would simply have gone without, but for the time, talent, and resources the LIGHT Foundation has dedicated on their behalf.
Breakdown St. Louis
Faith-based youth development and mentorship, equipping young people to grow as servant leaders.
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Kids Rock Cancer at Maryville University
Music therapy that helps children and families navigate the emotional challenges of cancer.
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Music Therapy St. Louis
Harnessing the healing power of music to support well-being and development across the community.
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Women’s Hope Chorale of St. Louis
Uplifting women’s voices and spirits through the shared joy of song.
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YMCA Children’s Leadership & Development
Strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and opportunity for all.
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Head Start
Preparing young children and families for lifelong success through early childhood education.
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Duo
Enriching lives through assistance dogs, therapy-animal visits, and youth programs that build compassion and confidence.
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Unleashing Potential
Rooted in the settlement-house movement since 1913, advancing early childhood education and youth development for St. Louis families.
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Camp Mihaska
The Salvation Army’s Ozark summer camp — a week away for children who might otherwise never go.
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The Song Society
Free, board-certified music therapy for children and families facing cancer and serious medical challenges.
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We’re grateful for these partnerships and the lasting good they represent — and we honor the shared commitment to youth, families, healing, and the arts that made each one possible.
Partner With Us
Leading a youth program or nonprofit that shares our vision?
The LIGHT Foundation is always seeking meaningful ways to collaborate — through funding, planning, marketing, or hands-on support. If your organization is working to serve young people, we’d love to connect.
Together, We Carry the LIGHT Forward
Every gift, every hour, and every partnership helps a young person find opportunity, purpose, and a brighter future.